MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- The Joint Venture Education Forum, a unique cooperative partnership between the Hawaii Department of Education and U.S. Pacific Command has made a tremendous impact here in Hawaii for the past six years, as evidenced Aug. 23 at its 4th Annual Meeting.
JVEF membership has grown from a dozen or so at the organization’s first meetings in early 2000 to more than 80 representatives, from 27 different areas of concern, which includes the Department of Education, military, legislative, business and community organizations. These representatives strive, together, to improve public education in Hawaii’s public schools.
Part of JVEF’s mandate has included developing the protocol for the expenditure of almost $31 million — approximately $5 million a year since early 2000 — as reported in the organization’s annual report, released at Tuesday’s meeting.
“Early on, much of the funding was put toward the repair and maintenance of Hawaii public schools with more than 20 percent military dependent attendance,” explained Sarah Fry, MCB Hawaii JVEF representative and charter member. “In each succeeding year, other categories have been added.”
The annual report provides a listing of JVEF’s previous and current year expenditure categories. For fiscal year 2005, $5.5 million was divided among repair and maintenance, textbooks, technology, Hawaii 3R’s — nonprofit that funds large-scale renovation projects at local schools in conjunction with the DOE; school partnerships, playgrounds, citizenship, transition, recognition and administration/travel.
Attendees at this year’s annual meeting, held at the Hawaii National Guard facility at Bellows, filled the facility’s large auditorium and cafeteria to overflowing. After Rear Adm.Van Alford, acting deputy commander and chief of staff at U.S. Pacific Command, welcomed the group. Messages from Hawaii’s U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye and Gen. Michael Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps were also shared.
Special guest speaker, Dr. Joseph Tafoya, director of the Department of Defense Education Activity told the group, “Education is not a basket waiting to be filled. It’s a light waiting to be lit. Go out from here and light the light.”
JVEF’s four strategy groups provided program updates, and those who have benefited over the past year from JVEF initiatives shared testimonies.
More than 50 of approximately 4,300 military service members who volunteered their time to help in the schools during the 2004 to 2005 school year were recognized at the JVEF meeting, Tuesday. Presenters included several members of the Hawaii legislature, including Senator Norman Sakamoto and Representative Ken Ito.
Patricia Hamamoto, Hawaii Superintendent of Schools, and Air Force Lt. Col. Kenneth Sersun, representing PACOM, shared the emcee duties for the annual meeting and were the last two JVEF board members to sign the newly published JVEF charter that had been approved earlier this summer.
Closing remarks by Maj. Gen. Rick Olson, commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific, and his wife, Vicky, included kudos for JVEF members and all others who help daily to improve education for Hawaii’s public school students.