NCAC National Model Freshmen Academy November 2019

Waimea High School is in its first year of wall to wall Career Academy implementation; our Freshmen Academy is in year two. This November, our Freshmen Academy was recognized as a Model Academy, one of only schools in the nation to have achieved this honor.

In addition to the Freshmen Academy, we have two upper academies: the Academy of Health, Natural Resources, and Human Services and the Academy of Technology and Design. Students are earning certifications in Financial Literacy, OSHA 10, CPR/CERT, and Cyber Safety in SY 2019-20. All Clinical Health students (40) are involved in an internship program with Kauai Veteran’s Memorial Hospital and Waimea Care Home. They also go out to each of our feeder elementary schools and train the 4th and 5th grade classes on basic First Aid and Hands Only CPR. Our Natural Resources students are helping Kekaha School create their school garden; our Hawaiian Language students are collaborating with Kaina Makua to create a community garden in Waimea Valley and our Physics and Engineering students are partnering with UH Manoa to continue data collection and monitoring the water quality of the Waimea River. Na Kilo Aina is another integral, on-going partner providing multiple project-based learning opportunities, mauka to makai, that include students with special needs. As of this semester, our botany students are interning with the National Tropical Botanical Gardens; our culinary students are working alongside Chef Ben of Kukui’ula to prepare and host special events planned onsite.

Last year, seven graduating seniors earned a math certificate of completion from Kauai Community College for successfully earning credits in a sequence of courses starting with college algebra and culminating with Calculus II.