The Growing Our Own Teachers Project received the Rotary International Significant Achievement Award at the Rotary District 5000 Conference on May 25th, 2008. The purpose of the award is to recognize a club activity that addresses a community problem or need, to encourage new projects on the part of every club, and to promote increased awareness of the importance of exemplary club efforts.

Each Rotary year each District Governor is allowed to submit one nomination for a Community Service project that exemplifies Service Above Self. District Governor George Fontaine received 6 applications for qualifying projects from the 43 clubs in the State of Hawaii and was allowed to forward only one of these to Rotary International. The project must stand the test for being adaptable to any club in the World, be one that the Community can participate in, and must be a project that once started, can become a permanent ongoing project. Existing projects that meet these criteria would be Polio Plus, The Wheel Chair Foundation, and Cleft Palate Surgery.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in making Growing Our Own Teachers a Rotary significant achievement!

President Sally Motta accepts the Award from District 5000 Governor George Fontaine
Robert Dickstein
Project Chair

Significant Achievement Award Criteria

Growing Our Own Teachers Project

1. The project must address a significant problem or need in the local community.    

The critical need for qualified teachers in Hawaii is well documented. For a local person living in Hawaii, the cost of becoming a teacher makes it impossible for many qualified would-be-teachers to ever reach the classroom. Teachers who relocate from the mainland often leave after a short time due to social and cultural differences. The Growing Our Own Teachers Project helps qualified local teacher candidates during their last semester when they need it most. It makes the difference that allows them to complete their certification and graduate to become local teachers that stay in the community to provide years of service to our children.

2. The project must involve most or all the club members in personal rather than merely monetary service.

Recognizing the critical need, the 48 members of our club enthusiastically supported the project by getting involved to achieve an ambitious goal. 36 of our members actively participated in its many fundraising and administrative functions and 23 of these members gave monetary donations as well.

3. The project must be commensurate with the size of the club and the resources available.

The Growing Our Own Teachers Project raised over $54,000 in 2007 (The largest sum of money raised by the club in a single year).

4. The project must enhance the image of Rotary in the community.

The purpose of our project was to help alleviate the teacher shortage in our local schools. Our message was clear and was quickly embraced by the community. Multiple media outlets provided extensive coverage and the project greatly enhanced the image of Rotary in our community.

5. The project must be able to be emulated by other Rotary clubs.

Other committed Rotary Clubs can replicate the project to achieve similar results. With the support of PDG Claude Thompson this year, the Rotary Club of Hanalei Bay will help the Maui and Big Island Rotary Clubs start Growing Our Own Teacher Projects in their communities.

6. The project must be currently active or be reaching a conclusion during the Rotary year for which the award is being given.

The project was started on Feb.8, 2007. To date we have awarded $4,000 to each of 12 future teachers and $500 honorariums to teachers who graduated from the Teachers Education Program last year and are already teaching in our Kauai schools.
Service Above Self - More Than Words
The Rotary Club of Hanalei Bay
Post Office Box 1495 Hanalei, HI 96714
Info@hanaleirotary.org