Kaʻū News Briefs Feb. 15, 2024

He 'Io Au - I Am an 'Io is the talk at 9 a.m. at the Kahuku Unit of
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park this Saturday. Photo by Janice Wei/NPS

NEW RESEARCH ON THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN HAWK will be presented this Saturday by Kate Maley of
University of Hawai' Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit and Ande Buskirk of Hawai'i Island Division of Forestry & Wildlife.
The two study this bird of prey, the 'Io, the only native hawk in Hawai'i, in order to better understand the 'Io's seasonal use of landscape, particularly in Kaʻū.
The presentation is a Coffee Talk called He 'Io Au - I Am an 'Io.
It is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park's Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. It is located on the mauka side of Highway 11 near the 70.5 mile marker between South Point Road and Ocean View center.
The talk is free. Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station.

T o read comments, add y o ur own, and l ike this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

ZONTA CLUB IS OFFERING $20K IN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HAWAI'I ISLAND WOMEN IN 2024. Nina Buchanan, Scholarship Chair for the islandwide club based in Hilo, said, "We encourage women to apply for financial support for brighter futures in their chosen fields, and look forward to reading applications from a diverse pool of applicants." Here are the scholarships and their purposes:

The Young Women in Public Affairs Awards encourage more young women to participate in public affairs by recognizing a commitment to the volunteer sector, evidence of volunteer leadership achievements, and a dedication to empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy. Open to women aged 16-19 (as of April 1). Deadline is March 1.
The Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarships are awarded to women undertaking business studies who demonstrate outstanding potential in the field. Open to women of any age, students must be enrolled in at least the second year of an undergraduate program through the final year of a master's program at the time the application is submitted. Deadline is April 15.
The Women's Nursing Degree Scholarships are for women who demonstrate interest in continuing their nursing studies toward an advanced degree or leadership track. Open to women of any age, students must be currently enrolled full-time in the first year of a nursing degree program at University of Hawai'i - Hilo or Hawai'i Community College with an above-average record in scholastic standing (3.0 or better GPA) and who show a financial need. Deadline is May 1.

Zonta's 2023 scholarship awardees. Photo from Zonta

The Barbra An Pleadwell Scholarships are for female Hawai'i Island or O'ahu residents who are currently enrolled as full-time students in college/university or high school seniors. Preference is given to Women's Studies and/or Communications majors who demonstrate financial need. 2022 was the first year this scholarship is offered, thanks to donations made in memory of Pleadwell. Deadline is May 1.
Top winners of the Public Affairs Award, and Bushiness Scholarship will be advanced from the club level to compete for additional awards and scholarships at the district and international levels of Zonta.
Zonta Club of Hilo is member of Zonta International, whose mission is to build a better world for women and girls. Scholarship applications are available at www.zontahilo.org/scholarships-grants/.
Contact: Nina Buchanan, scholarships@zontahilo.org, (808) 854-5962.

T o read comments, add y o ur own, and l ike this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

LAU MAI'A APPLICATIONS for $2,500 scholarships to fund computer science, engineering, business, mathematics and science degrees education are open through April 12. Applications are open to graduating high school seniors who will attend two-year or four-year colleges or universities within the United States. Last year, Lau Mai'a Scholarships went to five recipients.

The opportunity is open to any incoming college freshmen, including Hawai'i residents and continental US students.

The Lau Mai'a name of this scholarship, sponsored by the Purple Ma'i Foundation, is inspired by references to lau maiʻa in 19th century Hawaiian language newspapers, says a statement from the foundation.

Recipients must be willing to volunteer (in person or remotely) for a community-serving Hawaiian organization the summer following the first year in college for a total of 40 hours.

Applicants must be willing to volunteer (in person or remotely) for a Hawaiian charity the summer following Freshman year of college for a total of 40 hours. They must also be applying to a two-year or four-year college or university, be a high school senior and have a demonstrated record of community service or working to lift up the lāhui.

T o read comments, add y o ur own, and l ike this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

PURPLE MAI'A'S APPLICATIONS FOR A DIGITAL CREATORS COURSE is due Feb. 21. The 11-week free course is designed for Hawaiʻi residents aiming to acquire essential skills for a career in digital marketing or graphic design. "Learn marketing and design fundamentals while exploring a culturally-grounded approach to creating in the context of Hawaiʻi," says the course description. "This introductory course is tailored for Hawaiʻi residents who aspire to enter the marketing or design industry and wish to acquire new skills to support local businesses. No prior experience is necessary!"

Classes are every Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. online. The class aims to improve digital marketing skills through planing and producing a social media marketing campaign. It aims to improve content creation by crafting engaging content for social media. It aims to improve graphic design through learning fundamental design principles and how to use Canva.

The course also offers insights form industry professionals and direct feedback on projects, as well as a chance to build a network of fellow Hawai'i creators.

T o read comments, add y o ur own, and l ike this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.