College Conversation on Cultural Barriers to Success for KCC Students

KCC Faculty and Staff:  Please see below for a description and information regarding the March 16 college conversation on Cultural Barriers to Success for KCC Students that Kimo Perry has arranged. I believe this will be a really interesting and helpful discussion, so I hope many of you will be able to attend. It fits right in with our goal of access and success!

--Helen

Title: Cultural Barriers to Success for KCC students: Awareness, Empathy, Strategies
Date: March 16, 2012
Time: 2:00 – 3:30
Location: Fine Dining

Description:
Among the barriers that keep students from succeeding, many are universal and familiar: academic under-preparedness, financial difficulties, etc. However, there are also others that are specific to our student demographic here at KCC. This session will be looking at some of these "culture-based" barriers that our students face and how these barriers may be impacting student success and persistence at the college. Representatives of KCC's Makaloa group will be presenting information on the following topics with the goal of creating greater awareness of these barriers and, hopefully, greater empathy for our students:

1. Personal/family issues unique to our local community (Isaiah Ka'auwai)
2. Establishing meaningful connections to the curriculum (Jeff Mexia) 
3. Lack of Native Hawaiian instructional faculty (Kimo Perry)
4. Issues of societal and institutional affiliation (Hawaiian Studies faculty)

As part of the presentation, there will also be discussion on possible strategies to help students overcome these barriers.

Posted by:
Kimo Perry, Coordinator
The Wai'ale'ale Project

Student Essay Contest Promises Cash Prizes

Kaua'i's Filipino community is planning to build a cultural center for Kaua'i. It will be a center that provides youth, elderly, immigrants, and others educational and training services, cultural shows and events, displays, and a facility for meetings, seminars, and celebrations. . . They are also sponsoring a student essay contest about the planned center.

"A Place for All" - Student Essay Contest

Qualifying Participants:  
Kaua'i students grades 9-12 and Kaua'i Community College students

Essay Subject:
Your inspirations reflecting upon the Kaua'i Philippine Cultural Center's theme, "A Place for All"

Contest Rules:
Minimum 300 words. 

Email essay to: kpcc2020@gmail.com or postmark a copy of your essay to Eddie Topenio, P.O. Box 1961 Lihue, HI 96766.  Contact 645-0257 for more information about the essay contest. 

Deadline: March 31, 2012

Up to $600 in cash prizes for the top three entries!

Grand Prize winner will be honored as a special guest at the Kaua'i Philippine Cultural Center (KPCC) kick-off event at the Kaua'i Marriott.

Posted by:
Frances Dinnan
Co-Advisor, Pamantasan Club