100 students from PAAC after-school classes and clubs worked to remove microplastics from Hanauma Bay at PAAC’s 2017 Spring Global Action Project. They used plastic tubs and t-shirts to sift through the sand. Students were shocked by the amount of microplastics on shore. Not only did they help remove microplastics from the beach, they also went through learning modules, focusing on the global migration of microplastics and the direct impact our consumer goods have on aquatic life. These learning modules were presented by the Hanauma Bay Education Program and the UH Manoa Sea Grant College Program.
We were also excited to bring together like-minded students from many PAAC clubs and classes; Aiea High, Campbell High, 'Iolani School, Kaimuki High, Kaiser High, Kalani High, Mid-Pacific Institute, Roosevelt High, Sacred Hearts Academy, and Waipahu High were all represented!
PAAC’s After-School Global Studies Classes complete Global Action Projects every semester, engaging with their classroom curriculum at a deeper level and linking the study of a global issue locally.
Kapaa and Waiakea High’s classes focused on increasing awareness on the dangers of microplastics by making Public Service Announcements. Mahalo to the Richardson’s Ocean Resource Center and UH Hilo Marine Biology Department for providing resources and guidance for the project.
Nanakuli High’s class researched how their school could be more sustainable and identified water waste as an issue. They then researched solutions and the most cost-effective equipment to alleviate the problem.