HELP Symposium focuses on Pacific Island Community Needs

Banner-HELP Spring 2014The University of Hawai`i at Hilo will host the Spring HELP (Highly Engaged Learning Placement) Symposium on Friday, May 2, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. in Campus Center 301. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is highly recommended.

The bi-annual symposium is designed to promote awareness of the needs in Pacific Island communities and the work of Pacific Islander college students in community-based projects that impact their education and community. The HELP program is part of the high impact student employment initiative at UH Hilo’s Pacific Islander Student Center (PISC).
Undergraduate students from UH Mānoa’s Center for Pacific Islands

Studies will present their research on a wide range of community-based projects conducted as part of the BA capstone project. Topics to be covered by the graduating students will include ways that voyaging has strengthened Pacific communities on O`ahu, how teens contribute to family finances with after-school jobs, healthcare for migrants in Hawai`i, and couponing to save on household expenses. For a complete rundown on the program, including times and a description of presentations visit http://help.pacificstudents.org/symposium/.

The symposium will also feature a special lunchtime keynote presentation by Dr. Denise Uehara entitled “Pacific Islander Students Navigating Success at UH Hilo.” Uehara, an Assistant Professor in the College of Education at UH Mānoa, will discuss the preliminary findings from research on Pacific Islander students at UH Hilo.

The Spring HELP Symposium is sponsored by UH Hilo’s Pacific Islander Student Center and Pacific Islands Studies Certificate, UH Mānoa’s Center for Pacific Islands Studies, Office for Student Equity, Excellence and Diversity (SEED), and Friends of Operation Manong.

To register, visit http://help.pacificstudents.org/registration/  Those who register early will receive a complimentary parking pass. For more information, please contact Vidalino Raatior at (808) 932-7718 or email raatior@hawaii.edu.