The Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair got a little help from Lt. Governor James “Duke” Aiona when he announced on Friday, May 7, that he was giving the program $425,000.  The Lt. Governor seeks that the money will fund the annual event and expand teacher training programs. It will also be used to provide support to the neighbor islands in order to assist students and teachers to participate in national and international events each year.

The money will come from the $35 million Part B stimulus funding given to the Hawaii.  Governors are given discretion on how to use these funds. The Lingle Administration has decided to dedicate all of the funds to education reform of public schools in Hawaii.  The money will particularly fund the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and math programs, also known as STEM education.

The science fair is sponsored by Hawaii Academy of Science, a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote scientific research and science education in Hawaii.  The science fair gives 6^th to 12^th grade students the opportunity to do research and present their work to a panel of scientist judges in a professional setting.  Of last year’s 7,000 student participants in science fairs, 500 went on to the state level, and 20 finalists went on to compete internationally against 55 other countries.

And though this year’s science fair, which was previously funded by state lawmakers, had to seek private donations for funding, 23 finalists were sent on Sunday, May 9, to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair in San Jose, CA until Friday, May 14.  The Lt. Governor sent his congratulations to each finalist.