Scholarships for Keiki Programs
Pacific Whale Foundation’s Scholarships for Keiki Programs help ensure that all children (or “keiki” in Hawaiian) are able to enjoy outdoor environmental education programs, regardless of their families’ financial situation. Scholarships are available for Ocean Camp, Keiki Whalewatch, and other educational field trips and activities.
Click here for Individual Application >
Click here for Classroom Teacher Application >
The look of wonder on a child’s face when he sees a whale for the first time; a youngster’s confidence blossoming as she explores a tidepool or peers through a microscope; students from myriad backgrounds learning from and with each other — these are only a few of the positive outcomes when Maui schoolchildren experience rich and meaningful science-based adventures in the natural world.
Education experts acknowledge that the amount of time a child spends outdoors before age 11 greatly impacts whether he or she will grow up to care about the environment. However, children today are increasingly disconnected from nature, spending half as much time outside as the previous generation. Many youngsters devote more than 40 hours each week to video games, TV or the Internet. And as schools strive to meet new standards for math and reading, teachers are pressured to reduce time spent outside the classroom and outdoor education suffers as a result.
How do we expect children to become eco-conscious adults committed to saving the coral reefs, whales, birds, forests or the ocean if they rarely encounter nature or are encouraged to actively appreciate the Earth’s creatures and resources?
With an $8 donation, you can send one child on a whalewatch. Donate $160 and you can send an entire class from a Title I school. For your donation of $360, you can give a youngster in need the gift of Ocean Camp for an entire week. With your help, we can inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
Yes! I want to support environmental education with my donation to fund Scholarships for Keiki Programs.
