The number of bachelor's degrees awarded increased by 33 percent between 1989-90 and 2003-04, while the number of associate's degrees increased by 46 percent.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

UPCOMING

'EXCEPTION' CUTOFF

Normally, Hawai'i public school students are assigned to a neighborhood school based on the family address. Under certain circumstances, a "geographical exception" may be granted to allow the child to attend a different school. The deadline to apply for a geographical exception is March 1. For more information, call 692-7290.

HELPING OTHERS

COMPUTERS NEEDED FOR SAMOA SCHOOLS

If you have an old computer you no longer need, Shawn Barnes is interested in taking it off your hands to help students in Samoa.

The former Peace Corps volunteer who served in Samoa from 2001 to 2003 has been sending computers to students there under a small nonprofit launched by several former Peace Corps volunteers called Aloha Computers for Education in Samoa.

"Those computers are very valuable to a school where the only computers kids have seen are on TV or in the movies," said Barnes, a graduate student in archeology at the University of Hawai'i and an intern at Bishop Museum.

The organization collects and refurbishes the old computers before it sends them to Samoa and asks that computers be PCs (not Macs,) that are Pentium 3 or better, as well as working laptops of any kind.

The organization can provide a receipt for tax purposes.

To donate, contact Barnes directly at barn2243@yahoo.com or go to www.aces-samoa.org.


— Beverly Creamer, Advertiser Education Writer