Pu‘uhale Elementary School
Seeds of Partnership Grow into to Enduring Harvest
Honolulu, Hawaii – In an effort to improve the accessibility and affordability of energy-efficient products for Hawaii’s public schools, Hawaii Energy distributed 25 ENERGY STAR® Certified Chromebook laptops to Puuhale Elementary School in Kalihi, on March 17, 2021.
“For more than 10 years, Hawai‘i Energy has been committed to helping residents and businesses manage their energy costs. In the time of COVID, the need has never been greater, especially for Hawaii’s public schools,” said Brian Kealoha, executive director of Hawai‘i Energy. “By providing energy-efficient Chromebook laptops, not only are we helping schools save on their monthly energy bills, but also providing resources to help students during this time of virtual learning.”
“Throughout this entire school year, technology has been a crucial link to support and connect our teachers and students,” said John Hamilton, vice principal of Puuhale Elementary School. “We want to provide high quality instruction and education for all of our keiki and these devices will allow us to support them throughout the school year.”
To date, Hawai‘i Energy has distributed 475 ENERGY STAR® Certified Chromebook laptops to Keonepoko Elementary School, Naalehu Elementary School, Kohala Elementary School and Halau Studio, all on Hawai‘i island, and Hauula Elementary School and Blanche Pope Elementary School on Oahu. The Chromebooks were fully subsidized by Hawai‘i Energy.
“As we’ve seen with technology, it drives our entire lives these days,” said Senator Glenn Wakai, who chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Energy and Tourism. “Today we’re seeing how this is going to be an asset for our educational program and bettering our community.”
Schools that have received the laptops are also currently scheduling energy literacy workshops with Hawai‘i Energy, to help the families of students who attend those schools and programs conserve more energy and increase energy efficiency in their homes. The free workshops are available to organizations in Honolulu, Maui, and Hawai‘i counties year round through Hawai‘i Energy. Go to HawaiiEnergy.com/education-outreach for more information.
About Hawaii Energy
Hawaii Energy helps island families and businesses make smart energy choices. We encourage and reward energy decisions that will allow our state to reach 100% clean energy faster and cheaper. To date, we have saved the people of Hawaii more than a billion dollars off their energy bills. Let Hawaii Energy be your trusted energy advisor to help save you money and protect what makes Hawaii so special. For more information, please visit hawaiienergy.com/about.
Media Contact:
Shayna Doi
Marketing & Communications Manager
shayna.n.doi@leidos.com
(808) 848-8561