Rotary donates $4K to MHS and KHS

The Saipan Rotary Club donated a total of $4,000 to Marianas High School and Kagman High School yesterday to help enhance and improve the Public School System’s Vocational Education Program.

Rotary’s Vocational Committee chair Ben Babauta and Rotary president Jim Whitt handed over the checks to school representatives in a brief turnover ceremony held during the Rotary’s regular meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan.

MHS principal Karen Borja accepted a $2,000 check for the school’s Vocational Program in Auto Mechanics. She said the money would go a long way in improving her school’s technical courses.

KHS principal Doreen Tudela and vice principal Mary Pangelinan, together with Science teacher and vocational program coordinator Fred Reiman, accepted a $2,000 check as well.

Tudela thanked the Rotary for its contribution and said the school continues to need the assistance of the local government and the community so it could repair and renovate its Environmental Science and Oceanography room, which was burned down by arsonists last year.

The principal said they would use part of the money to buy a camera to replace the charred one they had last year. She said the camera, worth $1,245, would be used in their seamanship class. The rest of the money will be used to acquire other materials for the class, such as charts and other plotting devices.

To date, the class has graduated a total of 180 students. The vocational program started in 2003.

PSS associate commissioner for administrative services David M. Borja, who attended the brief ceremony yesterday, said the club’s donation effectively demonstrates the collaboration between the community and PSS in enhancing learning, especially for the schools’ Vocational Education Program.

The donation was part of the club’s commitment to assist the PSS’ Vocational Education and Technological Program. Stirred by the success of last October’s Vocational Summit, the organization listed an action plan to beef up the field of vocational studies in the Commonwealth. The Rotary, in line with its community service mission, would collaborate with the PSS as well as the Northern Marianas College to assist the immediate needs of the program.

The club’s action plan includes frequent visits to high schools for assessments, where surveys will be conducted to provide focus on career interest inventory. Rotary will also help in the survey of employer needs for the CNMI Scholarship Board for the three islands.