We were alarmed to learn that there are over 600 cases of children with special needs in the Pohnpei public schools. This caseload is greater than the number of resource specialists hired in the entire island. This number includes the deaf and autistic students who have communication challenges. The Department of Education requested for MAHI International to find a professional to help meet the needs of these students. In November, speech-language pathologist Kristine C

MAHI International volunteer Chapman Cochran of Oceanside, California is serving in Pohnpei during the 2014-2015 school year. Cochran developed a physical education curriculum for grades 1-8 for the Pohnpei State Department of Education. Before this new curriculum, the State had no existing P.E. program. This curriculum was designed specifically for the Pohnpei public schools where there are limited to no resources of sports equipment. Currently, Cochran is conducting a pilot

This summer, MAHI International donated over 50 packets of Hooked on Phonics reading programs to the southern islands of Pohnpei -- Sapwuafik, Nukuoru, and Kapingamarangi -- to improve English speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension in elementary students. Our mission on this trip was to create an opportunity for educational and personal growth, and provide outer-island students with tools to achieve their dreams, via the Hooked on Phonics program. Our volunteers Peter

Dear friends, Happy holidays! As we approach the end of 2013, MAHI International continues in the mission to increase the quality of life to those who are less fortunate, focusing on education and healthcare in the Federated States of Micronesia. Our Education Program is in its third year, and we are thrilled about the positive response of students improving their English proficiency. In addition, as we move into 2014, our primary focus will be the development of the wel

This past week, MAHI International trained students from Calvary Christian Academy and the College of Micronesia Nursing School in American Heart Association Basic Life Support. We are working to address the alarming results of the recent Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) "Steps Survey" which concludes that the highest rate of medical referral of patients in the State of Pohnpei are for patients suffering from heart disease. Through our Basic Life Support training program, we h

Meet our new volunteers in our Education Team! -- Peter Gille, April Vassantachart, Caitlin Hanson, and Mattie Lake! They are working in our adopted public elementary schools teaching English as a Second Language with the use of iPad computers! #educationprogram #MAHIvolunteers

We have our new Education Team on the island of Pohnpei, and this week we've launched the 3rd year of our English as a Second Language Reading Program in our 4 adopted schools. We are tracking the English development of the 8th grade classes, having assessed them in our program since their 6th grade year. The result so far is an astounding improvement on the students' English proficiency because of the efforts of our team in the classrooms and the effective use of iPads as

MAHI International is grateful to Loma Linda Academy in Loma Linda, CA for the donation of nearly 200 school desks and over 300 chairs for Pohnpei, Micronesia. When the desks and chairs were donated in June of this year, Southern California residents Glen Elssmann and Dustin Herrmann coordinated the collection, storage, and man-power to secure them until they could be loaded in a container and shipped in August. This container also includes a donation of 70+ Hooked-On-Phonics

On Tuesday, April 9, 2013, Australian AID's Senior Program Manager Caroline Adams observed our iPad program at one of our adopted schools. In 2012, AUSAID awarded MAHI International a grant to purchase 41 iPad computers, charging and linking cases, and individual Otterbox cases, all of which were purchased to help improve the English proficiency of the local students. We were also able to purchase iPad apps specific for our English Program. Currently, our program serves over

Jennifer Silva, a student at Loma Linda University, has been working with MAHI International to collect data from Pohnpei's 5 municipalities. This data focuses on 3 themes: knowledge about nutrition, attitudes about food, and the communities' perception on health. This research will be used to target how how the Micronesian culture influences dietary preferences, identify appropriate measures for proposed program planning, and document attitudes for use with MAHI Internati