Windward Community College (WCC), in partnership with the Pacific Center for Environmental Studies (PaCES) and Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), is offering a Summer Environmental Science Program, open to high school students in Hawaii.

The 6-week curriculum will give students an education and training about Hawaii’s ecosystem. Participants will study a variety of subjects, including water quality analyses, ocean current mapping, aquatic microbiology, weather and climate, and environmental archaeology, among others.

Participating students will earn four college credits and a $1,000 scholarship.

The PaCES-HIMB program goals include promoting “environmental awareness and understanding, especially about the Kaneohe Bay environment,” showing “how modern science, integrated with traditional knowledge, can provide solutions to environmental problems” and exposing “high school students to academic and career opportunities in environmental science.”

The program puts an emphasis on studying and incorporating  traditional Hawaiian practices, such as loi farming and fishponds, into science.

The rigorous process includes an application completed by the student and a parent or guardian, and teacher and community member recommendations.

Applications will be evaluated and potential participants interviewed. The maximum number of students selected will be 24. Deadline is Feb. 29.