UHCCS Awarded More Than $2 Million In Federal Grants for Native Hawaiian Education and Other Projects

During the last few weeks of September and into the beginning of October,
the University of Hawai'i Community Colleges received notification that they
were successful in several of their grant applications for support of educational
programs. Total funding through these new federal grants exceeds $2.3 million.



Three of the colleges are to receive more than $1 million in funding through
grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Alaska Native
and Native Hawaiian Institutions Assisting Communities (AN/NHIAC) program. All
seven of the UH Community Colleges will receive United States Department of
Agriculture grants, totalling another $1 million.



"The release of these federal funds could not have come at a better time
as Hawai'i faces significant economic challenges," Senator Inouye said.
"Several of these grants will support educational and entrepreneurial activities
in island communities with significant needs, as well as diversify Hawai'i's
economy."



Joyce Tsunoda, Chancellor for the UH Community Colleges, commended Hawai'i's
congressional leaders, Senator Daniel Inouye, Senator Daniel Akaka, and Representatives
Patsy Mink and Neil Abercrombie, for their support. Tsunoda also noted that
the UH Community Colleges' strong partnerships with community service agencies
and area businesses have made it possible to undertake these exciting new projects.



Details of the grants follow.



Housing and Urban Development grants

AWARDED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I COMMUNITY COLLEGES



The Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian Institutions Assisting Communities (AN/NHIAC) program's purpose is
to assist Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian institutions of higher education expand
their role and effectiveness in addressing community development needs in their
localities. Senator Daniel K. Inouye supported this legislation and has been
instrumental in securing funds for the program. The UHCC's three projects are:



Kaua'i Community College-HUD grant for $398,749

Kaua'i Community College will work with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands
and other island agencies to construct a center that provides supportive services
to area residents. These services include after-school programs, life skills
training, substance abuse prevention, health education and screening, and vocational
training. The program is designed to provide youth and their families with the
knowledge and skills to empower themselves and provide services in a way that
is culturally appropriate.



In addition to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, Kaua'i CC's partners in
the project include Queen Liliuʻokalani Children's Center, Pihana Na Mamo, Kapaa
Middle and High Schools and Sandwich Isle Communications. Over a dozen community
groups have organized into an umbrella organization called Anahola Based Community
Development (ABCD) to serve as an advisory board for this project.



Maui Community College-HUD grant for $394,013

The goal of this grant is to develop an agricultural and vocational training
center on an island that has experienced double-digit unemployment for decades.
Moloka'i has the highest concentration of Native Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians
in the state, and the island has been designated a low to moderate-income area
using HUD's CDBG criteria.



Located at Maui Community College's Moloka'i Farm, the project will address
the community's need for appropriate job training and entrepreneurship development
programs to stimulate growth and stability in the agricultural, trades and general
business sectors. Funds will be used for a new vocational education building,
ancillary equipment and launching an agricultural cohort training program. The
project will be implemented through the Moloka'i Education Center and reflect
the cultural values of the community.



Leeward Community College-HUD grant for $399,848

Leeward Community College will create a Telecommunications Institute for Economic
Development that will provide job training and business development opportunities.
The Center will be housed at Wai'anae High School. Among activities to be undertaken
are: the renovation of digital media and video studios at the high school; helping
the students bridge the digital divide; developing economic opportunities for
jobs in the digital media and video production fields, and helping residents
start new digital media technology businesses. The project is a direct response
to the community's call for career opportunities.



Leeward CC's partners in the Wai'anae Telecommunications Institute for Economic
Development are Wai'anae High School, 'Olelo Community Television, the Wai'anae
Coast Telecommunications Hui, and the Hawai'i Technology and Trade Association.
The partners will develop and install a school-community based Telecommunications
Institute for Economic Development for residents and businesses residing and
operating along the Wai'anae Coast of O'ahu. The project is enhanced by a partnership
agreement with 'Olelo Community Television to provide an additional $100,000
of equipment for the operation.



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GRANTS

AWARDED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I COMMUNITY COLLEGES



All seven University of Hawai'i Community Colleges have received funding. The
projects are as follows:



Windward Community College-USDA grant for $159,648

Windward Community College's "Bio-Resources and Technology Academic Subject
Certificate" grant from USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service (CSREES) will enable Windward CC to develop, implement, and
promote an academic subject certificate in Bio-Resources and Technology. Two
programs will be developed: Plant Biotechnology and Bio-Resource Development
& Management. The programs will provide students with a wide range of technical
skills to enter Hawai'i's job market in bio-related fields. Areas include plant
biotechnology, diversified agriculture, plant conservation, pharmaceuticals,
the food industry, and ecotourism.



The program is in development and most of its required courses are already offered
by the college and supported through the existing Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory,
the Kuhi La'au-Tropical Plant and Orchid Identification Facility, and the new
climactically controlled green house.

The Certificate program is articulated with the College of Tropical and Human
Resources(CTAHR) at UH Manoa, meeting core requirements for the bachelor of
science program in Plant and Environmental Biotechnology.



Honolulu Community College -USDA grant for $147,541

The goals of Honolulu Community College's project, "Ocean Resource Utilization
and Management," are to provide students with ocean awareness and encourage
them to pursue educational goals in fields related to ocean resource utilization
and management. Through acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment and curriculum
development in areas of fisheries/aquaculture, environmental monitoring and
conservation/utilization of ocean resources, the college plans to recruit students
and establish internships with local companies. The college plans to upgrade
existing science labs and classrooms with instrumentation and make curriculum
changes that will incorporate credit-based internship experiences. The existing
UH system Marine Options Program would be enhanced by the increased ability
of Honolulu CC to recruit students and provide increased educational options.



Maui Community College-USDA grant for $149,930

Maui CC's "Moloka'i Farm 21 Education Program" grant complements the
goal of the HUD grant by providing Moloka'i residents with higher education
opportunities in agricultural production, processing and marketing by pursuing
three objectives: 1) Diversify the academic curriculum to include a variety
of short-term one-credit courses; 2) Recruit Native Hawaiian adults and high
school students and provide a mentoring program; 3)Enhance the classroom environment
with up-to-date delivery systems adaptable to distance education. Majority of
funds will be expended for lecturers, recruitment/fiscal support, classroom
media equipment, materials and supplies.



Leeward Community College-USDA grant for $143,308

Leeward CC has received funding from USDA for its grant, "Science Laboratory
Technician Program." The grant will fund equipment for Leeward CC's science
labs in preparation for the development of a biotechnology technician training
program. Acting Dean of Instruction Douglas Dykstra, the Principal Investigator
for the project, stated that the funds will go toward upgrading the college's
science lab equipment and preparing students for employment and educational
advancement opportunities in the biological sciences including agriculture and
aqua-culture.



Kaua'i Community College-USDA grant for $159,648

Kaua'i CC's "Diversified Agriculture/Entrepreneurship Curriculum Development"

grant will enable the college to develop courses to support diversified agriculture
and entrepreneurial agriculture. Kaua'i CC will be developing courses in packaging
and processing fresh produce, tissue culture with applications in native plant
propagation and developing internships for students in food and agricultural
science areas, including biotechnology. David Kawate took the lead on this grant
with input from Ralph Kouchi and Brian Yamamoto.



Hawai'i Community College-USDA grant for $149,086

Hawai'i CC's three agricultural science degree programs will benefit from the
"Strengthening Agriculture Degree Program" grant. Funds will be used
to purchase machinery and equipment to update programs and improve the lab components
of the courses. This includes vehicles and machinery to transport students to
lab sites, to transport agricultural and agroforestry specimens and supplies
to and from lab sites and to prepare field sites for agricultural and agroforestry
course activities. Another portion of the funds will go toward the creation
and dissemination of multimedia recruitment materials.



Kapi'olani Community College-USDA grant for $149,092

Kapi'olani CC's USDA grant, "Creating Educational Pathways to Careers in
Food Service," will provide venues for students to successfully attain
various levels in a career ladder within the food service program. It will provide
students who complete the AS Degree program in Food Service the opportunity
to transfer to the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in the Food Science/Dietetic
program. Objectives of this project for the first year are to 1) initiate a
retention program, 2) develop a recruitment program targeting the Native Hawaiian
population, 3) update non-compliant classroom equipment, and 4) provide faculty
development opportunities to upgrade courses. Accomplishing these first year
objectives establishes a firm

foundation that will provide articulation opportunities in year two.



Native Hawaiian Education Act grant to Leeward Community College-$104,630

On October 4, Senator Daniel K. Inouye also announced that federal grants were
awarded to Native Hawaiian programs focusing on family-based education and curriculum
development. Leeward Community College was one of those recipients, with a grant
in the amount of $104,630. The funds will be used to extend Leeward CC's Native
Hawaiian vocational education program, called Project Ho'oulu, to inmates at
Wai'awa Minimum Security Prison. The program will target inmates eligible for
parole within 90 days who lack college-level vocational education to help them
secure employment and re-enter society. Project Ho'oulu draws from curricula
designed to assist Native Hawaiian students in a cultural program of academic
study.