Two Honolulu students are among the 2,400 winners of college-sponsored scholarships announced this week by the National Merit Scholarship Corp.

Renee Firing of Sacred Hearts Academy received the Arizona State University Merit Scholarship, and Amanda Maehara of Iolani School received the Scripps College Merit Scholarship.

College-sponsored awards provide $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

Winners announced this week are among some 8,200 high school seniors of 2006 who will receive Merit Scholarship awards worth $33 million for undergraduate study.

Other scholarship awards were announced earlier this spring.

Additional recipients of college-sponsored scholarships will be announced in July.

LA PIETRA PLANS ANIMATION COURSE

A summer course in computer animation — "Animation Fascination" — for girls entering fifth through eighth grades is now available for students at La Pietra School by calling 922-2744.

The six-week course runs from June 12 to July 21 and costs $400. Classes run from 8 to 11 a.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Students will use Apple computers and Macromedia Flash, IMovie and SoundTrack software to create animated shorts. No previous experience is necessary.

IOLANI AGAIN WINS ECONOMICS PRIZE

Iolani School seniors Megan Chock, Bryce Aisaka, Egan Atkinson and Dean Ushijima won the 2006 National Economics Challenge held Monday in New York City. Each received $3,000 and a trophy.

With their coach, economics teacher Richard Rankin, the team prepared for the competition by holding daily research sessions and tracking business current events.

Nearly 4,000 schools competed in state and regional challenges across the country.

This is the second year in a row a team from Iolani has won the contest.

IT'S CARNEGIE HALL FOR YOUNG SINGERS

On June 4, 65 Sacred Hearts Academy singers will perform in the National Youth Festival Chorus at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The students, accompanied by choral director Joanna Takagi, will spend a week in the city, rehearsing for the concert and performing at churches and schools.

CULINARY PROGRAM GETS $3 MILLION

The state has released $3 million to move forward with an expanded Culinary Arts program at Kapi'olani Community College.

The money will cover planning, land settlement and design costs for the development of the former Cannon Club site.

The total project cost to create the college's Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head is $20.1 million.

An architect is expected to be selected within the next month, and the building's design is expected to be completed by summer 2007.