Diverse, creative, courageous: THINK Fund at Pauahi Foundation awards $194,000 in scholarships to Hawaii Island students

Eleven Hawaii Island students were recently awarded scholarships totaling $194,000 by the THINK Fund at Pauahi Foundation.

The Thirty Meter Telescope launched THINK (The Hawaii Island New Knowledge) Fund in 2014 to better prepare Hawaii Island students to master science, technology, engineering and math curriculum and enter the workforce for higher-paying science and technology jobs in Hawaii’s 21st century economy.

Specific criteria for the THINK Fund at Pauahi Foundation include being a Hawaii Island resident, major in STEM or a STEM-related field including vocational technical fields, full-time enrollment, minimum 2.5 GPA and a demonstrated financial need or demonstration of merit achievement in current studies.

TMT’s THINK Fund initiative benefits Hawaii Island students pursuing STEM endeavors with an annual contribution of $1 million. TMT selected two Hawaii foundations, Hawaii Community Foundation and Pauahi Foundation, to administer THINK Fund distribution in scholarship and grant making platforms.

TMT so far has funded $2 million to the THINK initiative.

Established in 2001 by the trustees of Kamehameha Schools as its philanthropic arm, the Pauahi Foundation’s efforts center on building community partnerships and creating educational opportunities that transform lives within the Hawaiian community. The Foundation accomplishes its mission by awarding more than 200 donor-funded scholarships and grants annually. For more information about the Pauahi Foundation, visit www.pauahi.org.

For more information about the TMT project, visit tmt.org, www.facebook.com/TMTHawaii or follow the project on Twitter: @TMTHawaii.