U.S. Sen. Mazie Ok. Hirono visited the College of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu on January 12, and spoke with college students, alumni, college, workers and directors about initiatives in sustainable meals and agriculture, meals safety, digital media, labor schooling and analysis, and extra.
As a part of her go to, Hirono toured Hale Kuahuokalā and the Pupil Natural Backyard, ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Shifting Picture Archive of Hawaiʻi, and the brand new Academy for Inventive Media (ACM) Pupil Manufacturing Heart.
“For the final decade, UH West Oʻahu has steadily labored to develop the packages, assets, and assist obtainable to its college students,” Hirono stated in a launch. “They’ve demonstrated their dedication to creating alternatives to allow all college students—notably underrepresented college students—to obtain a top quality post-secondary schooling.”
Throughout Hirono’s tour of the māla (backyard), she met with Albie Miles, assistant professor of sustainable group meals programs, and mentioned this system, which prepares college students for jobs within the sustainable meals and agriculture sector. Hirono additionally spoke to Manulani Aluli Meyer, Konohiki of Kūlana o Kapolei (director of Indigenous schooling), and Indrajit Gunasekara, monetary help officer, about their NiU NOW!/Uluniu Mission motion, and planted an ʻulu (breadfruit) tree within the Uluniu Grove beside the māla.
Her subsequent assembly was with William Puette, director of the Heart for Labor Training and Analysis (CLEAR), which is designed to supply labor schooling, analysis and labor-related packages to employees, their organizations and most people. CLEAR lately established a labor research certificates program.
Hirono then visited ʻUluʻulu, the state’s official archive for shifting photographs, the place she spoke with workers concerning the digital preservation work they do with audiovisual supplies sharing Hawaiʻi’s tradition, traditions and collective reminiscence.
Lastly, Hirono toured the brand new ACM Pupil Manufacturing Heart with Chris Lee, founder and director of the ACM System; Sharla Hanaoka, director of ACM at UH West Oʻahu; and artistic media college students and alumni, who shared the work they’re doing inside the hub for artistic media schooling all through the ACM System.
Hirono additionally stopped by and briefly spoke at two occasions on campus: a board assembly for Pacific Islanders in Communications, a nationwide nonprofit media arts group whose board of administrators characterize Hawaiʻi, Guam, American Samoa and public tv entities; and the Hawaiʻi Meals Techniques Summit, the place contributors brainstormed concepts for meals system transformation and coverage concepts for implementation throughout the 2023 state legislative session.
“UH West Oʻahu presents numerous packages in promising fields that may contribute to Hawaiʻi’s financial system, corresponding to artistic media and agriculture, and I loved studying extra about these initiatives,” Hirono stated. “I’ll proceed working to assist Hawaiʻi’s faculties and universities, in addition to the scholars they serve.”
For extra, go to Ka Puna O Kaloʻi.
—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman