Space Foundation Press Releases


Palolo Elementary School teacher Joyce Luka wins Space Foundation's Lucy Enos Memorial Scholarship

Written by: Space Foundation Editorial Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May. 9, 2006) — The Space Foundation has selected Ms. Joyce Luka as the 2006 recipient of its Lucy Enos Memorial Scholarship for Teachers. Luka teaches third grade at Palolo Elementary School in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was selected because of her ongoing efforts to integrate space science into the classroom. The scholarship funds Luka’s participation in the Space Foundation’s Summer Institute for teachers in Colorado Springs, Colo. “A leader of Hawaiian ancestry, Ms. Luka has distinguished herself in her classroom and her school as a woman of accomplishment and industriousness,” said Elliot G. Pulham, Space Foundation president and chief executive officer. “Ms. Luka has introduced exciting, space and science based learning experiences in a school where the needs among Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian students are critical. We know that she will make great use of this opportunity, and the children of Hawaii will benefit as a result.” The Space Foundation’s Summer Institute consists of five courses covering topics ranging from rocketry and robotics to astronomy and living and working in space; the first course begins June 19, 2006. Each one-week course is designed to help teachers use space themes in their classrooms to enable improved student performance in literacy, science, technology, engineering, mathematics and other subject areas. Luka has chosen to participate in “Rocketry and the Biology of Living in Space,” which begins July 17. “I am truly grateful for this opportunity to pursue knowledge,” said Ms. Luka. “With this honor comes responsibility to do my best for my students here in Hawaii and unlock their hidden potential in the future.” For 21 years, Luka has taught in the State of Hawaii on the island of Oahu. She credits her father, the late Henry I. Luka, Sr., with her inspiration to believe in one’s dreams and pursue excellence. At the beginning of her teaching career, Luka heard Hawaii’s first astronaut Ellison Onuzuka speak, and it motivated her to use space lessons in her curriculum. Luka and other participating teachers may elect to receive continuing education or graduate academic credit for the courses taken during the Summer Institute, and graduate credit may be applied toward one of several master’s degrees offered jointly through the Space Foundation and partner universities. The scholarship was formed in 2005 to create professional development opportunities for teachers of Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry, or teachers working with students of Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry. It covers tuition, fees, travel, and lodging for the recipient to come to Colorado Springs and take one of the Summer Institute classes. Jasmine I. Amoguis of Kona was the 2005 winner of the Lucy Enos Memorial Scholarship for Teachers. Elliot G. and Cynthia A. Pulham of Colorado Springs provide funding for the scholarship. The scholarship honors the memory of Pulham’s grandmother, Lucy Enos, who was born in Pahala, Hawaii, in 1898. Her father was a Scottish immigrant and her mother, Keali’iholokahiki, a native Hawaiian. Lucy married Henry Enos and together they raised a son, a daughter, and three adopted children while successfully homesteading a sugar plantation in Pahala and a cattle ranch on lands in Kioloka’a and Kamaoa. Lucy Enos died in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1976. The Space Foundation has trained more than 40,000 teachers since 1986 through Summer Institute graduate courses and national conferences. In addition, the Space Foundation fosters educational space endeavors by managing the on-site NASA Educational Resource Center; offering two distinct Master’s in Space Studies Degrees in conjunction with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Regis University; implementing the revolutionary Integrated Science Literacy Model; annually conducting the Space Career Fair; and offering a free online lesson bank for educators. About the Space Foundation Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that vigorously advances civil, commercial, and national security space endeavors and educational excellence. The Space Foundation has offices in Washington, D.C., and Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Space Foundation’s signature event, the National Space Symposium, is scheduled for April 9-12, 2007, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Along with partnering organizations, the Space Foundation also conducts Strategic Space and Defense, 10-12 Oct. 2006 in Omaha, Neb.; and Florida Space, Dec. 5-7, 2006. For more information, visit www.SpaceFoundation.org.


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