Learning website wins third award

NEARStar has received a Distinguished Achievement Award for Outstanding Educational Products from the Association of Educational Publishers.

The NEARStar program, a Web-based early reading curriculum available at www.nearstar.org, was developed by Honolulu nonprofit Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. It currently serves 23 schools on Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and the Big Island.

The award is NEARStar’s third. NEARStar’s recognitions by other professional organizations include a BESSIE (Best Education Software) and an EDDIE (Education Software Review) award. Both awards were for Early Elementary ESL (English as a Second Language) website.

PREL’s CEO, Dr. Tom Barlow, describes NEARStar as a literacy program that looks like a computer game.

“NEARStar has for many years provided opportunities for Hawaii’s diverse students to quickly learn English. We are delighted that NEARStar has received highest honors in a competition that covers a wide range of educational products, including print and other electronic media,” Barlow said.

NEARStar builds reading skills through animated learning activities, online storybooks, and songs. It is fun for children, and according to teachers who regularly use the program, some students enjoy it so much that they voluntarily complete extra lessons. NEARStar assists teachers by monitoring and assessing student progress and by providing instructional support, including links to curriculum resources and other development opportunities.

The program is research-based and meets requirements set by the No Child Left Behind Act and the Reading First Initiative.

A total of 63 schools participated in the implementation phase of the NEARStar program. In addition to Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and the Big Island, these schools are located in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the continental U.S.

NEARStar was developed through a grant from the Star Schools program. For further information, contact Eunice Leung by phone toll-free at (866) 632-7782 or by email at leunge@prel.org. For more information about PREL, contact Joan Perkins Communications Coordinator Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, 900 Fort Street Mall, Suite 1300 Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone (808) 441-1420 Fax (808) 441-1385 or email perkinsj@prel.org.