Take a Cue from Bishop
With the state’s “Furlough Fridays” program, kids may not be in class on certain Fridays, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be learning. Enter Bishop Museum.
Shortly after the state rolled out its furlough initiative as the solution to meet the ever-widening budget shortfall, the museum went into action.
“There was an initial concern over our employees’ [children] who would be affected, that’s how the program idea first came about,” says Donalyn Dela Cruz, the museum’s communications director. “We also realized the need for the community-at-large. Our education managers immediately began laying out a format for an educational option on these ‘Furlough Fridays.’”
Students in from kindergarten through 6th grade are eligible to participate in the Friday program from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will unearth prehistoric dinosaurs, learn how to pound poi in Hawaiian Hall, explore Polynesian navigation and learn the temperature of the Earth’s core in sessions taught by the museum’s education staff and volunteers.
“Our program is based on the Hawai‘i State Content and Performance Standards III and specifically addresses content that DOE teachers need to teach in science and culture [classes],” says Dela Cruz, adding that the $25 to $35 student enrollment fee per session will cover the program’s costs.
Ten children are already signed up for this month’s program days and Dela Cruz says the museum is getting calls each day from parents wanting to sign their children up for every session. The program will run for 17 Fridays, beginning on October 23 and ending May 14.
For some parents this comes as a relief I’m sure. For $25 to $35 a day, would you rather send your child to a baby sitter—where they’ll most likely watch TV or play video games—or have them learn about Island culture from a museum docent?
Parents of children subjected to Furlough Fridays are left with limited options, and teachers may not be allowed to tutor their students outside of class due to ethical concerns.
Kudos to Bishop Museum for stepping up to bridge a gap in our public education system.
