UH West O'ahu hosts 2016 inaugural Early College High School Conference for educators, April 15

University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu
Contact:
Julie Funasaki Yuen, (808) 689-2604
Public Info Officer, Communications Department
Posted: Apr 1, 2016

UH West O'ahu students studying on the Great Lawn.
UH West O'ahu students studying on the Great Lawn.

KAPOLEI --- The University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu, together with the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, will host the 2016 inaugural Early College High School Conference on April 15. Education leaders from around the state will contribute to the national dialogue about Early College - accelerated learning opportunities for high school students. Attendees will learn how Early College programs prepare students for college and careers through proven, research-validated instructional strategies, emerging technology, and partnerships with colleges and employers.

Conference tracks include:

  • Classroom methodologies
  • Designing Early College
  • Measurements of Early College Effectiveness
  • Resources and Academic Support

School administrators, educators, principals, counselors, college representatives, Early College leaders, school staff, advocates, and more are encouraged to attend the day long conference featuring keynote speakers Dr. Joel Vargas, vice president of Jobs for the Future, and former Hawaiʻi State Director of the Department of Industrial and Labor Relations, Dwight Takamine.

“Early College programs are an important way for students from across the state to get a head start on their college careers by getting college credit for courses taken while still in high school,” said UH West Oʻahu Interim Chancellor Doris Ching. “It’s a win for the students and a win for the University since it brings students even closer to the goal of graduating with a college degree while saving valuable time and money.”

Conference registration is $25 per person. The conference is free for up to five attendees per GEAR UP eligible Intermediate School and High School. Registration at the door is $30. All Early College students get in free. Register online.

For more information, visit http://uhwoearlycollege.wix.com/conference or email UH West Oʻahu Director of College and Career Readiness Initiatives Garyn Tsuru at garynt@hawaii.edu or Project Director for Holomua GEAR UP Jean Javellana at jjavella@hawaii.edu.

The inaugural Early College High School Conference is sponsored by Holomua GEAR UP on the Leeward Coast and the U.S. Department of Education Title III Pueo Scholars Grant. Holomua GEAR UP on the Leeward Coast seeks to increase college attendance and success, and raise the expectations of low-income students from the economically challenged Leeward Coast. The U.S. Department of Education Title III Pueo Scholars Grant promotes post-secondary education in students from the indigent areas of the Leeward Coast, many of whom are or will be the first in their families to attend college. The grant supports a range of programs designed to foster student academic success.

Established in 1976, the University of Hawaiʻi - West O‘ahu is an indigenous-serving institution that offers quality education, small class sizes, and personalized attention. UH West O‘ahu has the newest bachelor's degree-granting campus in the University of Hawaiʻi System, serving approximately 2,700 students with academic programs that emphasize interdisciplinary and cross-cultural studies. UH West Oʻahu commemorates its 40th anniversary in 2016. For more information, visit www.uhwo.hawaii.edu, call (808) 689-2800 or toll-free (866) 299-8656. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.