National Math and Science Initiative Program for Students from Military Families Launched in Hawaii
Rep. Mark Takai, military leaders salute the expansion of the Initiative for Military Families to five Hawaii schools -
The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) recently announced a major expansion in Hawaii of the Initiative for Military Families (IMF). This program provides Advanced Placement*(AP) courses in math, science and English in schools serving a high concentration of students from military families in order to increase their potential for success in college.
Hawaii State Rep. Mark Takai (D-Aiae/Pearl City), Colonel Matthew S. Kelley (Deputy Commander (Rear) of the 25th Infantry Division), as well as private-sector and education leaders and partners presided over a special school celebration at Leilehua High School in Wahiawa, Oahu, on November 10 to announce the expansion.
At the event, Rep. Takai, pointed out that the high school he attended did not have Advanced Placement programs, so he was particularly pleased to help add AP courses in math, science and English to five Hawaii schools. An added bonus, he said, is that “This will be a bridge between the non-military and military families.”
Alan Hayashi, Director of Public Relations and Policy Advocacy for BAE Systems – a major supporter of the IMF expansion – held up his iPhone and told the students, “Without math and science and innovation, you wouldn’t have this.” He pointed out that the U.S. has fallen in global educational achievement rankings to 22nd in science and 31st in math. “It’s not a one-country world anymore, it’s an international world. Apple may have been formed in the U.S. but it is international now. You’re all going to be working for international companies. We need you to be part of the world solution – innovation – or we won’t grow. If we don’t innovate and produce products the world wants, we won’t grow.”
NMSI’s IMF program is being expanded this fall from four initial sites to a total of 29 high schools in 10 states, including five in Hawaii. Approximately 25 percent of the students at Leilehua High School are from families stationed at the historic Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and the Naval Communication Station in Whitmore. The other Hawaii sites include Kalaheo, Radford, Campbell and Mililani high schools.
The goal of the program is to boost student enrollment and success in rigorous, college-level courses, which will help open doors for students. “APTIP is equipping our students from military families to better compete on the global stage, which is essential to the future of our country,” said Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, CEO of NMSI. She pointed out that research indicates students passing AP courses in high school are significantly more likely to complete a college degree than comparable students who did not take an AP course. Further, AP students are among the few American students who compare favorably with their counterparts in other countries on international math and science exams.
NMSI’s APTIP already is producing results in IMF schools: In its first year AP math, science and English passing scores increased 45 percent - almost six times the national average and AP math and science passing scores increased 57 percent - over seven times the national average.
Col. Kelley applauded the program and commented that it was appropriate to launch the Initiative for Military Families on the eve of Veteran’s Day. He added that as a father of three school-age girls, “this is personal for a lot of us.” According to Kelley, concerns about the quality of public education around military bases in Hawaii had become a readiness issue for the military because growing numbers of the military personnel turned down assignments in the area “because of perceptions about the schools.”
Almost two million young people in America have a parent serving in the military today. More than 220,000 of those young people have at least one parent deployed overseas. The long separations, concerns about safety, and frequent transfers can be particularly hard on the children whose parents protect our country. NMSI is concentrating on bringing APTIP to their schools.
Since the AP curriculum is uniform across the country, the NMSI program provides excellence and continuity for students whenever and wherever their families are transferred. While the IMF focus is on schools near military installations, all the students in the participating schools can benefit from the program.
Four of the wives of prominent military leaders in the Pacific attended the kickoff at Leilehua to show their strong support for implementing the NMSI program in Hawaii schools. They included:
- Mrs. Jeannine Wiercinski, the spouse of Lt. General Frank Wiercinski, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army, Pacific (USARPAC)
- Mrs. Mary Sue Champoux, the spouse of Major General Bernard S. Champoux, Commander 25th Infantry Division (25ID)
- Mrs. Theresa Lacamera, spouse of Brigadier General Paul Lacamera, Asst. Deputy Commander for Operations, (25ID)
- Mrs. Usa Iverson, spouse of Colonel Bjarne Iverson, Chief of Staff, (25ID)
In April, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden teamed up with NMSI to announce the national expansion of IMF would be part of their Joining Forces initiative to support and honor America’s service members and their families. Joining Forces provides support to military families across a number of areas including education, housing, healthcare, and career development.
Generous inaugural funding to launch the IMF program in 2010 was provided by Lockheed
Martin Corporation. Major funding to add additional high schools is being provided by the Army Education Outreach Program, BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), ExxonMobil, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and Northrop Grumman, with additional support from Modern Technology Solutions and the O’Donnell Foundation.
For more information, visit www.nationalmathandscience.org
