UH Community Colleges Win National Awards for Promoting Cultural Diversity and Scholastic Publications

Kapi‘olani and Leeward Community Colleges were recently honored by various organizations for efforts in promoting cultural understanding and for excellence in scholastic publications.

Kapi‘olani Community College received the 2003 International Intercultural Achievement Award from the American Council for International and Intercultural Education (ACIIE) for "Best Practice" in global education for its International Café. The award will be presented during a presentation ceremony at the ACIIE annual conference in Dallas, April 2 to 4.

The Café is a place where students can seek tutoring, learn craft-making and pursue other self-improvement activities, all while learning about cultural diversity. Students also participate together in off-campus service activities, enhancing their intercultural exchange, and are allowed to commit 20 hours per-semester in exchange for in-class credit through the Café‘s Service Learning Program. Some KCC instructors even offer their students the option of participating in the Service Learning Program in place of writing term papers or taking exams. What is unique about the Café is that students of various ethnicities participate in the project and can often be found conversing and sharing information with each other about their home countries including Japan, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Egypt, Hawaiʻi and the mainland United States.

The International Café is guided by adviser Susan Inouye, an assistant professor of linguistics and English composition, and coordinator Linda Fujikawa, assistant professor of Japanese language and culture. The hours of operation are Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"What motivates us is that our campus has such a rich resource in its student body," said Inouye. "We want everyone to see how people from so many different cultures can work together and learn from each other. We hope that we‘re helping to develop culturally aware and compassionate global citizens who will continue to make positive contributions even after they‘ve left KCC."

Leeward Community College‘s Harvest magazine was recently informed of its first place showing in the American Scholastic Press Association‘s annual Review and Contest Awards for scholastic yearbooks, magazines and other publications. The publication‘s Fall 2001 issue garnered the top accolade in the category of community colleges with enrollments above 2,501.

The criteria considered by the judges included organization, written content, design, presentation and creativity. The winning issue sported a dark blue cover, with images of green sugar cane and white lettering which read, "Leeward Community College Presents Harvest 2001."

Through a letter of commendation, the association said that the "publication shows a great deal of time, energy and talent by writers, artists, editors, photographers, layout designers and advisors. We congratulate all on your first place award!"

"All of the writers, artists, their instructors and the Harvest staff can be proud of their work," added J. Kay Porter, LCC instructor and the magazine‘s advisor.