REPORT TITLE:
Student Enrichment Program


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates $75,000 for fiscal year 2000-2001 for the Frank
Delima Student Enrichment Program.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2387
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      Section 1.  The "Frank Delima Student Enrichment Program"
 
 2 (Program) has been run for fifteen years by Frank Delima, and has
 
 3 provided the students of Hawaii with the unique and enriching
 
 4 experience of Mr. Delima's school visitations.  In 1990, he began
 
 5 the "Student Transition Convention" (Convention) that hosts over
 
 6 fourteen thousands Hawaii students who are making the often
 
 7 emotionally difficult transition from elementary to middle
 
 8 school.  
 
 9      During his visitations with elementary school students, Mr.
 
10 Delima stresses the importance of treating others with respect,
 
11 reading, studying, family, and in his own creative way, the
 
12 importance of laughter and not taking one's self too seriously.
 
13 The Convention provides an interactive forum that allows students
 
14 to enjoy a common experience with peers from other schools, and
 
15 to realize that their apprehensions regarding their upcoming
 
16 transition from childhood to adolescence is shared by all
 
17 students of their age.  Mr. Delima also visits intermediate
 
18 schools and addresses the changing issues that face these older
 
19 students, including: choosing friends wisely, having a
 
20 responsible adult to confide in, keeping mentally and physically
 

 
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 1 healthy, attending school faithfully, choosing peaceful
 
 2 solutions, and, of course, making sure to laugh twice a day.
 
 3 Furthermore, at all steps along the way, the Program and the
 
 4 Convention strongly stress the need for parental involvement to
 
 5 reinforce all of the issues and solutions that are addressed and
 
 6 proposed.
 
 7      Unfortunately, Mr Delima's ability to fund his Program with
 
 8 his own money has diminished as the entertainment industry in
 
 9 Hawaii has taken a slide.  His establishment in recent years of a
 
10 nonprofit organization that has been generously funded by Chevron
 
11 has kept the Program running.  However, the ever-expanding
 
12 Program needs extra support if it is to be optimally effective at
 
13 helping the youth of Hawaii.  The high cost of television ads to
 
14 promote his program only adds to the difficulty of maintaining
 
15 the high level of effectiveness of the Program with limited
 
16 funds.
 
17      The legislature finds that Frank Delima's Program and
 
18 Convention constitute a very worthy effort to instill desirable
 
19 attributes upon Hawaii's elementary and intermediate school
 
20 students.  The legislature further finds that it would be in the
 
21 public interest to fund Mr. Delima's Program and Convention to
 
22 ensure that they continue to provide an invaluable experience to
 
23 the children of Hawaii.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 2 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $75,000 or so much
 
 3 thereof as may be necessary for the fiscal year 2000-2001 for the
 
 4 funding of "Frank Delima's Student Enrichment Program" and "The
 
 5 Student Transition Convention."
 
 6      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 7 department of education for the purposes of this Act.
 
 8      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.
 
 9 
 
10                       INTRODUCED BY:  ___________________________