Habele Report Looks Back on Work in 2024

Student in Micronesia with a Habele tuition scholarship
A Habele Scholarship student proudly displays her school report card.

Habele is a US nonprofit, created by former Peace Corps Volunteers who lived and worked in Micronesia, and who wanted to remain engaged with the communities they served after their Peace Corps service.

The word Habele is a Ulithian word. Ulithian is one of the many languages used in Micronesia. It means “to be” but it also has a symbolic meaning. In that way it means to “make it be” or to accomplish a plan, or a dream. Habele was established in 2006. To this day, nearly all those who donate to, or volunteer for, Habele in the US are either former Peace Corps Volunteers, or other Americans who lived and worked in Micronesia.

In lateJanuary, Habele published its annual report to donors and volunteers. The document provides a review of Habele’s activities over the course of 2024. Among the highlights:

-151 scholarships were awarded, sending low- and middle-income students to top performing private elementary and high schools across all four Micronesian States.

-7,102 books were sent directly to children under five years of age through the Young Island Readers book-a-month program.

-69 boxes of books were provided to libraries, schools, and community health centers.

-12 boxes, tools & equipment were sent, for school and club-based robotics, 3D printing, and traditional vocational skills programs and mentorships.

-$36,000 in local capacity grants were awarded, funding on-island collaborations at schools and libraries, including the first of two grants for Micronesian Seminar’s reopening.

“So many Americans with a love for Micronesia help out,” explained Neil Mellen, the Founder and sole full-time employee of Habele. “This report gives them a chance to see the scope and depth of our work and I hope also solicits some pride in them for the work.”

As detailed in the report, Habele neither sought nor received any financial support from the US or FSM Governments in 2024. As such, Habele funded its operation entirely from donations generously made one hundred and thirteen individuals in the United States, as well as funds from an endowment established by such individual Americans.

The report can be found online at www.habele.org.

Summer Break an Opportunity for STEM Development in Chuuk

A team of students and educators from Pohnpei broke from summer relaxation to share their enthusiasm for high school robotics with peers in Chuuk.

Three students and two educators from Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School (OLMCHS) travelled to Chuuk to lead a four-day robotics workshop. Over the course of the training, students from public and private high schools across Chuuk partnered with the Pohnpei team to build, operate and compete their very own robots. For Weipat High School, located in Chuuk’s Northwest Islands, this represented the school’s first hands-on interaction with the new technology.

The building workshop was sponsored by Habele, a US non-profit that designed and implemented a robotics league extending across all four states of the FSM. OLMCHS was one of the first schools in Pohnpei to join in the Robo League in 2018, and has hosted annual Robo Day competitions, in which participating high schools gather to compete for the title of Pohnpei Robo Day Champions. Chuuk Department of Education generously made the Chuuk High School gymnasium available for the week, as well as providing food and encouragement for all the participants.

Teams of all experience levels at the training began with an unassembled robotics kit, and with the help of the team from Pohnpei, worked through each of the parts and their functions. Surrounded by piles of metal and electronic components, each school team tweaked and troubleshot their way to a functioning robot. While beginning students have clear instructions to follow, experimenting and exploring with the equipment is encouraged.

“Creative problem solving is key here,” said Matt Coleman, Habele’s Director of Operations. “Students learn to analyze a challenge, and use the parts they have on hand to resolve it. It is an important skill to develop for any vocation.”

After completing their first robotics build, teams worked on controlling the robots through a variety of simple tasks. As the workshop progressed, challenges became more complex. The culmination of the training was a series of competitive events to test robotics dexterity and function for points. Prior to the final competition, students were encouraged by Dr. Margarita Cholymay, Director of Chuuk Department of Education, who praised them for learning new skills, and urged them to take advantage of the educational opportunities provided. The team from Saruman Chuuk Academy won first place in the competition, with Xavier High School coming in second, and Weipat High School taking third. All teams demonstrated tremendous growth over the course of the training. Students will return to their schools with a working robot, and enthusiasm to share what they learned with their peers.

“Peer to peer training encourages active participation and engagement among learners,” said Russell Figueras, Principal of OLMCHS, and one of the trainers for the workshop. “When students are involved in teaching their peers, they become more invested in the learning process and more likely to grasp and retain the information. This was an awesome learning experience for our students.”

The training workshop is the last Habele-sponsored robotics event in Chuuk. The US nonprofit is sunsetting its involvement in high school robotics across the FSM after over a decade, but hopes robotics education evolves further through support from FSM national and state governments.

Habele will continue to offer tuition scholarships to students attending private elementary and high schools in the FSM, donations to schools and libraries, direct monthly book deliveries to children under the age of five (“Young Island Readers”), and donations of tools to traditional carvers and weavers.

Habele Announces 54 Tuition Scholarships for 2022-23

US nonprofit continues to expand access to Micronesia’s highest performing private elementary and high schools.

(Colonia, Yap) Fifty-four promising students across Micronesia have been awarded tuition scholarships to attend the nation’s top-performing private elementary and high schools across three Micronesian states.

The K12 tuition scholarships are provided by Habele, a US nonprofit serving students and schools across the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Established by former Peace Corps Volunteers who lived and taught in the Islands, Habele has been granting tuition assistance to Micronesian students since 2006.

“These investments in individual students highlight the deep personal connections between the United States and our allies in the Freely Associated States,” observed US Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen of American Samoa. “Though our governments are united by formal alliances and treaties, it is the personal ties of our peoples, over decades of shared history, that make the relationships truly vibrant. My family lived in Micronesia for almost 17 years, both on Majuro and Saipan and I also lived on Guam while attending the University of Guam, while I have nieces and nephews with Marshallese and Chamorro heritage through marriages of my brothers. As a former Peace Corps employee in the Pacific, “I’m also pleased to see the scholarships were established by former Peace Corps volunteers”

The Compact of Free Association (COFA) allows Micronesian students to come to the United States for college, where they are eligible for generous federal grants that pay for their higher education. However, many young people in Micronesia -particularly from lower income families- aren’t able to take advantage of these opportunities because, they don’t complete high school prepared to succeed in American higher education. Habele’s K12 tuition scholarships help place such students at high achieving, independent schools, and on a path towards ultimately obtaining a college degree.

Habele Scholars come from villages across the hundreds of islands and atolls that comprise the Federated States of Micronesia. Students from Yap, Chuuk, and Pohnpei, as well as their lagoon and outer islands, will be attending eleven different schools in 2022-23, including Xavier High School, Saint Mary’s, Faith Christian Academy, and SDA Schools in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei.

The K12 scholarships are entirely funded by donations from individual Americans who support Habele. Most are themselves former Peace Corps Volunteers, civil servants, tourists or contractors who spent time in Micronesia.

This is the seventeenth year Habele has awarded merit and needs-based scholarships, which average between 50 and 75 percent of the total tuition families owe. The nongovernmental organization also provides book donations, support for traditional skills mentorships, and organizes high school-based robotics clubs. Habele remains the only US nonprofit exclusively focused on serving students and schools within the Federated States.

Among the 54 scholarships awarded are several Memorial Scholarships. These honor the legacy of specific individuals whose life or work “embodied the best of the longstanding US-Micronesian partnership.” Introduced this year, the Martin Yinug Memorial Scholarship, honors the late Chief Justice of the Micronesian Supreme Court, and his outspoken commitment to public service, rule of law and judiciary independence. Another, the Marshall Wees Memorial Scholarship, honors a US Navy doctor who battled an outbreak of yaws that was ravaging the native population of Federai Island during the War in the Pacific.

“Being one of the Habele Scholarship recipients for the past two years is a tremendous honor and a joy,” said Sheridan Giltamag. A rising junior at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School, Miss Giltamag earned a 3.9 grade point average over the course of last school year. She and her family have also been involved in WeavingConnections, a Habele program to support mentor-based preservation of traditional weaving skills.

“The scholarship indeed helps my parents with tuition obligations at OLMCHS in Pohnpei. In addition to the financial support, Habele Scholarship has motivated and helped me in many ways, which include keeping up with my grades, spending more time with my school work, and the importance of education and my future.”

Habele Scholarships: Report Cards Show Achievement, Hard Work

Each year, former Peace Corps Volunteers and other Americans with a personal connection Micronesia donate to help Habele award tuition scholarships to ambitious students in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).

Since 2006, Habele’s K12 scholarships have ensured that bright, hardworking students have access to the best education possible. Based on need and merit, these scholarships largely serve remote outer island, rural village, and female students though all students across Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae may apply.

A handful of independent schools scattered across Micronesia have consistently demonstrated graduation rates, test scores, and college entrance rates far beyond those in the government schools. Situated in the district capitals of Micronesia, these faith-based, nonprofit schools depend on modest tuition fees to operate.

Even with discounts, many of the lowest income Micronesian families cannot afford the modest costs of school such as Xaiver High School, Yap SDA School, Faith Christian Academy, or Our Lady of Mercy. Habele scholarships, which range on a cases-by-case basis from 50 to 75 percent of tuition owed, extend access to the most financially challenged students.

Twenty-six students were awarded scholarships for the 2021-22 school year, attending eight different elementary and high schools across three of the Micronesian states. The average scholarship for the year was $615.00.

Families and scholars commit to provide report cards over the course of the year, and those first quarter grades are now coming into Habele.

Case-in-point are LJ and Tyrah, a pair of cousins from the very sparsely populated Island of Asor on the Atoll of Ulithi. Ulithi, famous for its role as a secretive naval base and staging area during the War in the Pacific, is one of the Outer Islands of Yap State.The two young women are attending Yap International Christian (YIC) for intermediate school. For both it is the first time living and going to school beyond the shores of their tiny island home.

Despite the challenges of adjustment -Yap Proper has a population near 5,000, or nearly a hundred times that of Asor- both are doing well, and each earned a place on the YIC honor roll for the first quarter.

We are just so proud of them,” explained Modesta Yangmog, the girls sponsor on Yap, who also leads the Asor Womens Association (AWA). “We took them out for dinner last night in reward and recognizing their achievements. I’m proud of their hard work, and they know it’s a long hard road ahead, but it helps so much knowing they can focus on their studies, and we can focus on supporting that, knowing Habele can help with the tuition.”

Habele’s founder, a former Peace Corps Volunteer who taught in the public schools of the Outer Islands of Yap, echoed Yangmog’s praise for the students. “The modest financial investments Habele’s donors and volunteers are making through K12 tuition scholarship are just that: modest. They pale in comparison to tremendous investment these students are making in themselves, their futures, and the long-term success and vibrancy of their islands,” explained Neil Mellen, of Habele. “Helping place these and other hardworking students and ambitious future leaders into the best possible classroom is the easy part.”

Habele fundraising t-shirts now for sale!

In 2006 a group of former Peace Corps Volunteers established a US-based nonprofit to advance educational opportunity and access across Micronesia.

Since that time Habele has provided book donations, awarded tuition scholarships, supported cultural mentors and created a Micronesia wide high school robotics league.

For a decade and a half, Habele’s unique and distinctive t-shirts have been sent to, and worn by, students, teachers and volunteers throughout Micronesia. They raise awareness and celebrate the work of our partners. They showcase designs, patterns and forms distinctive to the Federated States.

Now select Habele shirts can be purchased online with all proceeds benefiting the work of Habele!

Habele K12 Tuition Scholarships Micronesia, FSM

Invest in Scholarships for Micronesian Students

Friends of Habele,

Once a year, this fundraising letter is sent to a modest list of individual Americans with some personal connection to the Islands of Micronesia. You, the reader, may be a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, formerly of the State Department, family of a serviceman or official who served in the Islands, an academic with regional expertise, or a one-time tourist who fell in love with Micronesia.

Every spring we write asking for support to award K12 tuition scholarships. Promising students who need financial assistance to attend Micronesia’s top-rated schools send us applications. We write checks to the school in the student’s names for a portion of tuition. Their families pay the rest. Over the school year these students provide us report cards, photos and letters.

Each year, the number of scholarships awards depends on the response to this letter and donations made at the end of the calendar year. Deserving requests always exceed Habele’s ability to meet them. Scholarship are entirely funded by individual donations, never grants. That is not for want of grant writing and solicitations. Despite years of attempts, the life-altering scholarships have never received support beyond those sent by private individuals like you.

I am very proud of all of Habele’s work. High school robotics, targeted book donations and cultural mentorships are all highly effective and efficient. But tuition scholarships -the direct investment in the future of a singular young Micronesian working to advance themselves- is what I take greatest pride in.

I hope you feel the same way. Please donate now by check or online at www.habele.org/donate.

Thank you,

-NM

New to Habele? Learn what we do, in 90 seconds, from the students we serve!

Schools Across Micronesia Earn Robotics Certification

Thirty seven teachers and students at high schools across the Federated States of Micronesia have earned certification in robotics operation and instruction.

The Robo Certification Challenge was opened by Habele Outer Island Education Fund in December of 2020, offering participating high schools the opportunity to advance their understanding of robotics, and earn cutting edge equipment for their robotics clubs.

The challenge consisted of completing a free, online certification course of about twenty hours of material, and passing a test on the the information learned. The remote robotics course requires no background in the subject, and covers basic robotics concepts, construction, programming, and instruction of others in the material. The course was made available to all staff and students at high schools participating in the Habele Robo League.

The first four high schools to have both a teacher and student earn certification were awarded a state-of-the-art 3D printer for their robotics club. Laptops were awarded to the first teacher to obtain certification, as well as the first students in grades 9-12 who earned the certificate.

Between December 2020 and the close of the Certification Challenge in March of 2021, six schools across three FSM states had thirty-seven teachers and students certified. The four high schools winning the grand prize of a 3D printer were Yap Catholic High School, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School, Pohnpei Catholic School, and PICS High School. An honorable mention goes to Akoyikoyi School in Chuuk, who – while not a high school – had an eighth grader and teacher both earn certification.

“Schools are taking advantage of creative ways to expand their students knowledge,” says Matt Coleman of Habele. “This challenge meshed remote instruction with new material, and gave students in island classrooms another tool in learning how to train their peers.”

The Certification Challenge is the latest adaptation and evolution of Habele’s FSM-wide high school robotics league. Established in 2011, Habele Robo provides hands-on STEM learning that excites students about real world application of math and science.

“This has been a challenging year for schools in Micronesia, but Habele has been with us every step of the way, says Russell Figueras of OLMCHS. “From donations of campus networking equipment, to online technical instruction, Habele has helped us empower classroom instruction during a time of uncertainty for our school’s operations.”

Habele is a registered nonprofit founded by Peace Corps volunteers serving in Micronesia.

Despite COVID, Robotics Expands Across Micronesia

Despite the chaos of COVID, Micronesia’s high school robotics rolled forward in 2019-20.

This was a school year of expansion and cultivation for the Habele Robo League. Students in Kosrae were equipped and trained. Schools in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei expanded mastery of robotics, deepening capacity and ownership.

Expansion – Extending Robotics to Kosrae State

Expansion into Kosrae made the Robo League a truly nationwide program, serving students across all four Micronesian States.

Introduction of robotics to Kosrae was met with high enthusiasm by students, educators and government officials, some of whom had tracked the robotics league’s progress in other FSM states, and have been waiting for the opportunity to participate.

2019-20 Habele League Coverage

The Kosrae Robo League presents unique challenges, as the majority of high school students on-island attend one central high school (Kosrae High School). This requires creating multiple, competitive clubs within Kosrae High School. By contrast, in the other three FSM states, inter-school competition is a crucial component of the Robo League, and one that generates high levels of ownership and engagement.

Habele continues to refine the Robo League model to accommodate clubs in a wide variety of situations. Provisioning four or more clubs in a single school required special attention and training, but equipped them for dynamic competition within their own school and other states in the future.

Students in Kosrae, Micronesia opening new robotics kits at a Habele training workshop

Kosrae High School was provided with enough robotics equipment to form up to six clubs from their large student body. Students and staff were also provided extensive hands-on technical training. As the school year progressed the Kosrae clubs made it clear: they were eager to demonstrate mastery of the technology.

Despite a Spring semester disrupted by pandemic concerns, Kosrae High School successfully held their first-ever Kosrae Robo Day. Even in uncertain times, the event generated interest and engagement from staff and students. Going forward, the hope is to build community engagement, as people feel more comfortable gathering in large groups. Staff and student surveys noted that the Kosrae Robo Clubs are eager to remain part of the League, and to deepen students’ understanding of the material.

Robo League teacher and administrator training focuses on capacity building

Intra-Micronesia communication remains a challenge, as Kosrae is the last state to remain unconnected to the undersea fiber optic cable. Internet access is extremely limited especially for staff not immediately in school offices, an issue that grew as teachers and administrators practiced social distancing away from campus. In some cases, communication is limited to traditional mail via the FSMPS / USPS, which creates a lag in updates from Kosrae, compared to Robo Clubs from the three other FSM states. Fostering school-to-school, and state-to-state, communication in other states has been a key part of improving those teams ownership and performance. It is encouraging to see the commitment to STEM instruction from Kosrae educators, despite these challenges.

Cultivation – Taking Incumbent Schools to the Next Level

Following a very successful introductory year in 2018, participants in the Pohnpei Robo League were on a solid trajectory to build on the momentum. In addition to the previous participants, Madolenihmw High School was equipped to begin their own Robo Club. This rural high school had heard about the robotics competition, and was eager to be involved.

Madolenihmw High School joining the Pohnpei Robo League

Habele conducted extensive meetings with participating schools and key staff, assessing interest, engagement, and ownership of the Pohnpei Robo League. Interest remained high, and high engagement clubs provided support and an example for clubs with teachers newer to the subject. Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School (OLMCHS) continued to serve as on-island leader for the Robo League. OLMCHS organized and hosted all multi-school events, communicated with participating clubs, and worked to build community interest in the Robo League.

Needs assessment visits with schools like OLMCHS in the fall provided insights that would become extremely valuable once schools were impacted by COVID-19 protocols. Particularly, the sluggish wireless networks and internet connections that independent schools were attempting to use for remote training and instruction.

Chuuk likewise began the 2019-2020 school year with a lot of momentum. Their 2018 Robo Day was one of the best conducted in the FSM, with significant school and community involvement, and high levels of ownership. With a highly successful Robo Day under their belts, clubs were very motivated to increase competitiveness.

Students in Chuuk were the most clear and knowledgeable source of information about needed equipment, which Habele provisioned. It was clear: Robo progress in Chuuk was fundamentally student-driven.

Additionally, Habele formed a relationship with Akoyikoyi School, a K-8 charter school serving low income students in Chuuk. This school indicated in interest in pre-training for students who intend to pursue robotics when they matriculate to high school.

Robo Club in Yap State finalizing their robot design

Yap State -where the league began in 2011- continued to lead the way for the Robo League. High levels of ownership and student leadership provide an exemplary template for developing clubs in other states. One practical example of this leadership is in game development. As with last year, students in Yap developed their own game for the final Robo Day competition, and offered to it to participants in other states to use. Yapese students and educators service as peer-to-peer trainers has enriched and grown the cooperative nature of the Robo League between states.

The use of peer-to-peer instruction adds complexity to the program, but has proven educationally effective. It also advances the Robo League’s secondary goals of increasing student ownership, and growing a unified sense of Micronesian identity.

All seven high schools across Yap State are enthusiastic participants in the Robo League. Because of internet and phone access, communication with the high schools on Ulithi and Woleai Atolls remains a challenge. Despite this information lag, Habele has still been able to provision schools with necessary equipment and materials to successfully compete.

Adaptation – School-by-School Problem Solving Amidst COVID

As Robo Clubs across the FSM geared up for the home stretch towards 2020 Robo Day, global pandemic sent shockwaves through the education community. Some schools closed and sent students to their home islands. Other schools closed temporarily, and hoped for word from State Departments of Education that they could reopen and finish the semester.

Students lead the way in raising school and community awareness of the Robo League

Expatriate teachers went off island, and were unable to return. Many local teachers and staff were off-island for training and similarly found themselves unable to return. For schools that did re-open to finish the semester, the focus was moving towards graduation with a focus on core subjects.

In three of the FSM states, the traditional large public gathering for statewide Robo Day was not an option. Kosrae was the exception, and held an in-person Robo Day before ending their semester early. Habele worked with partner schools in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei to develop a means by which students could remotely compete, with or without their school being opened.


Winners of the Kosrae Robo Day, 2020

Using versions of the competition game developed by the Student Leadership Team in Yap, Habele made videos carefully instructing students in how to create their own “socially distanced” game board, and laid out each step of the competition process. From home or school, a student could create their own game board using very simple materials (tape, toilet paper, and a stick), run their robot through a series of challenges, and have someone film them on a cell phone for time. Videos of each challenge had to be uploaded to Facebook, and tagged @habelerobo to be included in the competition.


Socially distant, single student modification of Robo Game developed by students in Yap

These steps were communicated to staff at participating schools directly and through our partner schools. One of the key messages was that no staff resources were needed for students to participate. Students in the Robo Clubs simply needed access to the robotics equipment, and could follow the simple instructions to compete.

Our partner schools and state lead schools worked hard to reinforce the ease of participation, and the opportunity for senior students to have a final Robo Day challenge before graduation, while complying with all safety protocols required by each state. For schools still in session, and where local mandates would allow, students could still have their Robo Day.

Hybrid Robo Day in Pohnpei, 2020

Pohnpei held a hybrid Robo Day competition, with only private schools participating, as leadership at the public schools had either shut down, or were focused on closing out the school year as quickly as possible. The Robo Clubs that did participate submitted videos of the challenges, and even held a socially-distanced award ceremony for the students, who were extremely proud of having participated.

Yap High School’s team for Robo Day 2020

Yap State also participated in the 2020 Robo Day with private and public schools competing through the submission of videos. Habele is grateful to the Yap State Department of Education for its ongoing commitment to the Robo League. Participation was significantly lower than in past years, as travel to the Outer Islands was in flux, and some schools had shut down, or had key staff trapped off island.

Outdoor, socially distant, Robots running the course in Pohnpei

Despite all the enthusiasm in Chuuk leading towards Robo Day, pandemic uncertainty severely limited participation in a remote Robo Day. Xavier High School, our key partner school in Chuuk, shut down, and sent non-Chuukese staff and off-island students home. For on-island students that wanted to participate, and had equipment, Xavier assigned community service projects that would have usually happened after the school year. Public schools, and other private schools shut down, attempting to comply with evolving state mandates. Even as the 2020-21 school year began, many schools in Chuuk remained in a holding pattern, trying to discern how they could comply with state government health and safety mandates.


Robotics kit headed to Akoyikoyi in Weno, Chuuk

A hopeful element for the Chuuk Robo League is the relationship being cultivated with Akoyikoyi School, a K-8 charter school serving low income students. Although a middle school, Akoyikoyi proactively sought for a way to engage students in pre-Robo League STEM training. Engaged staff searching out opportunities for students, despite ongoing uncertainty, can serve as a motivating factor for other schools on-island.

Moving Forward – Targeted Support to Support Robotics and STEM Instruction

To make the best use of its new robotics gear,  a high-capacity wireless network on the Akoyikoyi campus was also provided by Habele. Like many other schools across the FSM, several of Akoyikoyi STEM teachers were off-island when the quarantine began. The improved network makes remote learning and distance instruction a practical reality for those educators and their students.

Network installation to support STEM learning in Chuuk

Wireless networks are a key issue for the Robo League going forward. Schools across the FSM are moving to alternate schedules, that – as they are able – incorporate online learning and remote instruction. Remote robotics instruction will become a factor throughout the upcoming school year, and the majority of schools (particularly private schools) do not have the wireless capacity to engage remotely.

Winning students, Pohnpei Robo Day 2020

Habele laid a foundation for overcoming this challenge by equipping a partner school in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei with high quality wireless networks. Going forward, each of these schools can function as a central location for staff and students from all participating clubs to gather for remote trainings. Though Kosrae remains unconnected to the undersea cable, Habele is investigating solutions to support remote learning for the Robo Clubs there.

These “connected campuses” allow all indoor and outdoor areas quick access to a robust Wireless Area Network, radically improving the small, wired computer labs, which were further limited in their utility due to social distancing concerns. Integrated servers allow robotics instructional and reference materials to be accessed by all staff and students. With many of the most credentialed STEM teachers unable to return to the FSM, these network projects not only support robotics, but science and math learning of all types.

IT upgrade helps school in Chuuk face pandemic challenges

iSolutions Micronesia installing campus wide network in Chuuk

Amid social distancing concerns and teachers trapped off-island by travel restrictions, a small charter school in Chuuk has a new tool for educating students. Akoyikoyi School serves low-income students on the island of Weno, and has been doing it tuition free since 2011. Thanks to a partnership with Habele Outer Island Education Fund and the Office of Insular Affairs, staff and students at Akoyikoyi School will be able to access one of the most advanced, far-reaching wireless networks on island.

As with many island schools, educational internet usage at Akoyikoyi has been limited by insufficient networking tools. Accessing educational content online, or streaming remote instruction from teachers off-island, remained a challenge beyond the capacity of the school’s network. Working with local IT experts at iSolutions Micronesia, Habele was able to provide an enterprise-level wireless network that covers the campus, and even some surrounding areas.

“Students packed in a small room for remote instruction doesn’t help with social distancing,” says Neil Mellen, Habele’s founder. “Students and staff need to be able to access educational content, even while spread out across the campus. This network will make that possible in a way they could not have imagined before.”

In a school year shaped by uncertainty, a far reaching network will allow staff and students to participate in remote learning, even under the strictest social distancing measures.

The coming school year will present new obstacles for FSM schools, as for schools the world over. Habele remains committed to working with dynamic partner schools like Akoyikoyi in finding innovative, actionable ways of serving students from remote island communities in the days ahead.

“As we wait word from Chuuk DOE and FSM DOE regarding the opening of schools in Chuuk, we are looking for ways to use technology at Akoyikoyi,” says Clark Graham of Akoyikoyi School. “Habele’s contribution, along with iSolutions, provides us badly needed expertise, for which we are most grateful.”

Established by former Peace Corps volunteers, Habele is a US-based nonprofit, advancing educational access and accomplishment across Micronesia.

Habele Awards Scholarships, Celebrates US-Micronesian Partnership

Sheridan Giltamag of Yap, one of twenty-two Habele tuition scholarship recipients.
She will be a freshman at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School in Pohnpei in the fall.

Twenty-two students from across the four states of Micronesia were awarded tuition scholarships this week, making it possible for them to attend faith-based independent elementary and high schools in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei.

Habele tuition scholarships are funded entirely by the individual donations of American citizens who share a love of Micronesia and the belief that high quality education can unlock the incredible personal potential of some of the world’s most remote students.

Each tuition grant is set at a level that maintains family ownership in student achievement, while lightening the financial burden. Often scholarships cover between fifty and seventy-five percent of school tuition and fees. Students must maintain and report high levels of academic achievement every quarter, applying each year for continued support.

Habele is a US nonprofit established by former Peace Corps Volunteers who lived and taught in Micronesia. It first issued tuition scholarships in 2006. This year 30 individual Americans from 16 different states donated to fund the 2020-21 tuition scholarships.

Donors included former Peace Corps Volunteers, tourists who had visited Micronesia, and the sons and daughters of Americans who served in Micronesia in the US Armed Forces.

Three of the twenty-two scholarships awarded this year were memorial scholarships.

“Memorial scholarships honor the legacy of Americans whose life or work demonstrated exceptional commitment to the people of Micronesia,” explained Habele’s Founder, Neil Mellen “They embodied the best of the longstanding US-Micronesian partnership.”

The Lee Huddleston memorial scholarship, established this year, honors the life of Lee Joseph Huddleston of Eugene, Oregon. Lee lost his life in February of 2020, rescuing a group of children caught in a rip tide while swimming off Moch island, where he was working for the Chuuk State Department of Education. Lee had also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, teaching in Weno.

The Leona Peterson Memorial Scholarship provides tuition assistance to a young woman in elementary or high school high school attending an independent school in either Yap or Pohnpei. It honors the work of Mrs. Paterson, who led Department of Aging in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands during the late 1970s and early 80s.

The Marshall Paul Wees Memorial Scholarship is named for a US Navy doctor who served the people of Ulithi Atoll during the War in the Pacific. Dr. Wees, working with limited supplies and assisted only by a pharmacist’s aide, stamped out the terrible scourge of yaws, a debilitating disease that was ravaging the Ulithian population.

“At this time of so many challenges across the globe, I hope these modest tuition scholarships will be a subtle reminder of the deeply personal, decades long and historically unique partnership between the Micronesian and American Peoples” explained Mellen.