Mahalo for being part of our STEM Pre-Academy community!  These guidelines are designed to ensure that items are available to all classrooms in a reasonable time frame and in good condition.  We are a small team, so your mindfulness in planning and in using our resources is truly appreciated!

Timeline/Process

• Register for the STEM Pre-Academy website.
• Place your order through our website.
• Indicate your requested borrowing period (up to 3 weeks) on the toolkit request form.
• Allow at least 3 business days for us to prepare your order before you will need the tool(s).
  • Coordinate a date and time with SPA staff or a C-MORE host for pick-up and return of the items from STEM Pre-Academy or a C-MORE hub. 
  • Orders placed from outside of ‘Oahu can be shipped directly to your school and returned to SPA at no charge to you.
• Return the toolkit by the agreed-upon date and time. 
• Depending on availability, there may be an option to extend your borrowing period.  Please contact us to make this request.

Usage Guidelines

• Reach out to us at any time at stempre@hawaii.edu if you have questions or need assistance!
• Familiarize yourself with the contents and instructions of the toolkit and let us know if you need training.
• Use tools for their intended purpose within an educational setting.
  • Follow the provided instructions for the item.
  • Avoid using tools in conditions that could damage the equipment.
  • Do not use tools for commercial purposes or personal gain.
• Ensure proper management of tools while they are in your care.
  • Supervise students to ensure correct usage.
  • Do not share with other teachers without prior permission from SPA.
  • Store tools in a safe and secure location.
  • Dispose of any used consumables, e.g., chemicals, in a safe manner.  Please do not throw away the containers that consumables were packed in.
• Return all items in the same state in which they were delivered.
  • Clean and dry any tools that become dirty, dusty, or wet.
  • Disassemble components if necessary for storage.
  • Double-check that all parts and materials are accounted for.
  • Organize all items securely in their original containers and configurations, keeping parts with matching tags or similar pieces together.

Support and Issues

• Reach out to us at any time at stempre@hawaii.edu if you have questions or need assistance!
• Notify us as soon as possible:
  • If there are issues such as missing parts or malfunctioning tools, so we can provide support or replacement as appropriate.
  • Of any damage, loss, or theft.
    • For stolen items, work with your school administrator to file a police report to document the incident and provide us a copy as soon as it is available.
    • Teachers are not financially responsible for any damage, loss, or theft
• Do not discard any broken items or pieces. Use a sticky note or piece of tape to label broken items for easy identification.

Feedback

• Share your feedback through our short survey within one week of returning the kit to help us improve the program.