Dive Brief:

• Hawaii is reportedly the most fossil-fuel-reliant state in the U.S., but its statewide Ka Hei program, aimed at educating students about sustainable energy, is looking to change that via the Defined STEM curriculum from Defined Learning and OpTerra Energy Services.
• Some 256 Hawaiian schools will now have access to the software, which uses "performance tasks" to help students execute hands-on projects that align with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards while imparting knowledge around energy-centered subjects like solar energy, recycling, and water usage.
• According to a press release obtained by eSchoolNews, the new initiative aims to blend real world learning, technology, and career readiness.

Dive Insight:

According to Hawaii's Board of Education website, Kai He is a five-year program that launched in 2014 to "integrate innovative energy technology with meaningful learning experiences while reducing energy costs." The new collaboration with Defined STEM and OpTerra will advance this mandate, providing out-of-the-box blended learning models that are relevent to students' lives and connected to local sustainable energy issues.

As STEM gains steam in classrooms, Hawaii isn't alone in adopting entire curriculums and platforms centered around the subjects. In Tennessee, Learning Blade's software is being utilized for all students, with successful results showing that 37% of those using the STEM-focused learning platform are more likely to eventually enter related fields. And in California, the Los Alisos School District recently partnered with Project Lead the Way, an initiative that offers prefab STEM curriculum alongside intensive teacher training, resulting in five out of the district’s six middle schools becoming STEM-focused.