Child’s Nonprofit Empowers Ka Paʻalana Keiki with Science February 22, 2019

On Monday, February 11, the Ka Paʻalana classrooms at Hope Shelter were particularly loud. Keiki were laughing and debating, balloon cars whizzed across the floor, goggles and gloves snapped into place.

The elementary and middle school-aged keiki residing at the Hope Shelter in Kalaeloa received a donation of nearly 100 science kits from Super Science Kids, Inc. Inside the kits were a range of activities incorporating aspects of science as well as engineering, math and art, all components of STEAM that Ka Paʻalana has included in its curriculum since 2014.

“The kids are getting an opportunity to explore science kits, play with them, and see what types of materials are in them,” says Kasey Galariada, a family education coordinator with Ka Paʻalana. She went on to explain the different ways the keiki interacted with the kits, following along the scientific method of experimenting.

Angela Krubeck, a young teen from Georgia, started the nonprofit Super Science Kids when she was 9 years old to spread the love of science through the kits she creates. She especially focuses on teaching and engaging at-risk youth, like our keiki of Ka Paʻalana.

“Any time we have someone invest in our families or in our children here at Ka Paʻalana or at [Hope Shelter], I think it says something about them being important and valued,” says Galariada. “It makes the children feel like theyʻre important.”

Besides the educational benefits, the kits allowed the kids to work with one another to complete some of the activities. Super Science Kid’s mission is to help children who have a lot of worry in their lives to briefly remove themselves from that situation, to explore science, and have fun.

“That’s what the kits did today. They really allowed our kids to sort of step away from some of their worries and their troubles that they’re going through, and just have fun and explore the kits together.”