NAWILIWILI — Kapa‘a Elementary School’s many Dolphin Clubs, administered by the school’s PTSA, got a boost from Young Brothers Community Advisory Board, which awarded a grant to help the clubs’ operations. The Dolphin Clubs, an afterschool enrichment program, offers students
NAWILIWILI — Kapa‘a Elementary School’s many Dolphin Clubs, administered by the school’s PTSA, got a boost from Young Brothers Community Advisory Board, which awarded a grant to help the clubs’ operations.
The Dolphin Clubs, an afterschool enrichment program, offers students the opportunity to explore their individual interests through participation in a variety of extra-curricular classes each year, states a press release from the school’s PTSA.
New classes start each quarter and have included ‘ukulele, Tahitian dance and music, computer fun, Hawaiian arts and crafts, track and field events, African drumming, yoga, rocketry, and Lego Robotics.
County Councilwoman Nadine Nakamura started the program in 2005 when, as chairperson of the School Community Council, brought an initiative to the SCC and the PTSA.
Funding from the County of Kaua‘i Anti-Drug Campaign and the Rotary Club of Kapa‘a provided the initial boost to launch the program, while enabling the Dolphin Clubs to offer homework help program which assists students with their homework.
Program coordinator Heidi Tokuda enlisted the help of National Honor Society students from Kapa‘a High School to assist with the Homework Help Club.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Tokuda said. “The NHS students have a place to complete their community service requirements and our students receive one-on-one help from the high school mentors.”
The Homework Help Club meets Monday through Thursday and is divided into two age groups to maximize the attention to students, the release states.
Other Dolphin Clubs usually meet twice a week, culminating in an onstage performance for parents and the school community at an evening PTSA meeting.
“This is a great program,” PTSA president Missy Hoesel said in the release. “The students get to explore their creative interests while serving as a draw for parents to attend the PTSA meetings. We’ve had 200-300 people at some of the meetings this year.”
Since the inception of the Dolphin Clubs, approximately 1,300 students have participated in the program, according to Nakamura. The interest and demand generated from the initial program has resulted in the expansion of courses offered and increased student participation, annually for the time the Dolphin Clubs has been in operation.
The program relies on grants, fees, and assistance from the school’s PTSA to maintain its operational budget, and the recent Young Brothers grant makes a big difference.
“We have received wonderful support in the past from the Annie Sinclair Knudsen Foundation,” Nakamura said. “We continue to look for funds from different sources to help support this program.”
Students in the Homework Help Club are offered the service free of charge, while students in the Dolphin Club classes are assessed a nominal fee of $10.
“The Dolphin Clubs program provides students with a three-fold purpose: enrichment, tutoring/homework help, and recreation,” school principal Jason Kuloloia said in the release. “The program also increases parental involvement through the Dolphin Clubs’ quarterly performances at our PTSA meetings. These performances enhance students’ self-esteem and confidence to embrace new learning opportunities in a variety of modes. I feel the best way to sum up this program is to share a quote from my daughter, Cherish. ‘I like learning songs and how to play them on the ‘ukulele. It’s fun!’”
Call Tokuda at 821-4424, ext. 151 for more information.
