Kyle Monette, a 17-year-old Mililani High School student, has been selected out of nearly 1,000 nominations as one of 2007 Nestlé Very Best in Youth honorees.

The teen started the "Kids Helping Kids With Diabetes" program after finding that schools did not officially participate in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Annual Walkathon. This program came about to involve middle and high schools in the area to raise funds and participate in the Walkathon. Last year, 13 schools participated in his program. A total of 357 walkers participated, collectively raising over $10,000.

Nestlé Very Best In Youth honors students ages 10 to 18 who are committed to academic excellence and devoted to leading a generation of positive change within their com-munities.

CHARTER SCHOOL POSITIONS OPEN

The state Board of Education is seeking applicants to serve on the Charter School Review Panel.

Panel members will issue charters, oversee and monitor charter schools, hold charter schools accountable for their performance and revoke charters, according to a press release.

BOE officials are seeking to include on the panel: a representative from the University of Hawai'i; an individual with a background in business or accounting; an individual with a background in building trades or real estate; and an individual from the Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools.

Applicants may submit a letter of interest and resume by Monday to: Hawaii State Board of Education, Re: CSRP, P.O. Box 2360 Honolulu, HI 96804. For more information, call the BOE at 586-3349, or visit the board's Web site at http://www.boe.k12.hi.us.

LE JARDIN GETS $75,000 GRANT

Le Jardin Academy has received a $75,000 donation from Bank of Hawaii Corp. in support of a $21 million capital campaign.

The academy had launched a capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of 18 classrooms, a gymnasium and road infrastructure on its 24-acre campus in Kailua. New classrooms are earmarked for middle and high school students. The classroom building would also house a middle and high school library.

The campaign is expected to permit increased enrollment in the middle school and high schools, and aims to reunite the entire school on one campus by bringing the junior school to the main campus.

SAINT FRANCIS GIVEN $170,500

Saint Francis School has received several grants this past academic year totaling nearly $170,500, which will be tapped for science laboratories, tuition assistance and classroom equipment for the kindergarten class.

The E.L. Wiegand grant, which totaled $156,978, will be used to renovate science laboratories. The E.L. Wiegand Foundation of Reno, Nev., supports educational institutions.

The Catholic school also received $11,500 of tuition assistance, benefiting 11 students. The following trusts made the contributions: Frear Eleemosynary Trust; Jhamandus Watumull Fund; G.N. Wilcox Trust; and Knights of Columbus and the Bishop Louis Maigret Assembly 1577. The private trusts provide funds for education, literary and social welfare purposes.

The Atherton Family Foundation donated $2,000 for new computers for the kindergarten. The foundation is dedicated to supporting educational, charitable and religious organizations.