Chaminade University of Honolulu

Education

Criminal Justice program awarded $1 million grant for new training institute

Legal and law enforcement professionals from throughout the Pacific region will soon enjoy additional training and support thanks to one of Hawai‘i’s senators in Washington.

Chaminade University’s Criminology and Criminal Justice program, part of the School of Education & Behavioral Sciences, is receiving a $1 million federal education grant. The money will be used to establish a new institute for training criminal justice professionals from the Pacific Islands, especially South Pacific island nations and territories.

The new institute will be housed at Chaminade.

Kelly Treece, Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and director of the program, said the name of this new institute hasn’t been decided yet. Whatever it’s called, the new institute will serve as “a hub for training and development for every aspect of the justice system,” Treece said.

“There’s nothing like it in the whole state and of course nothing like it in all the South Pacific.” Treece said the funds will be used to offset costs for professionals to travel to Hawai‘i to receive specialized training “so it makes it much more affordable.”

Chaminade University is home to the state’s oldest and largest criminal justice education program. The program already hosts students from Guam, Saipan, and other Pacific islands.

Chaminade University’s Criminology and Criminal Justice program is renowned throughout the Pacific.

The grant was secured as an earmark to a spending bill thanks to the legislative work of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz. Schatz has been serving in the Senate as Hawai‘i’s senator since 2012.

The $1 million grant is part of a larger appropriations package that Senator Schatz negotiated for the state as whole.

“Despite some challenges in Washington, we secured nearly $34 million in new earmark funding for Hawai‘i and expect more to come,” Schatz said in a statement. “These earmarks will give local non-profits and infrastructure projects more resources to serve communities across Hawai‘i.”

His office said additional earmarked funds for the state could be announced within weeks.

Catholic School Fifth Graders Go to College

Fifth grader Ireland Baum waited on the lanai of the Sullivan Library, anticipating a day of college life with her classmates and peers from Catholic schools across the state. 

“I think coming here to Chaminade is a great experience so I can learn more about college life,” Baum said. “I think college is going to be fun because we get to learn new things and go to fun classes.” 

By the sights and sounds of active, engaged, and happy youths on Chaminade’s grassy, beautiful and safe campus, FUN is absolutely correct. 

Baum is one of approximately 350 fifth-graders who spent or will spend a day at Chaminade University this month, attending classes taught by university professors and then receiving a “diploma” presented by Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington in a special graduation ceremony in Mamiya Theatre. The first day was held yesterday, February 12, and will happen again on February 23. The “I Go To College” program is a partnership between Hawaiʻi Catholic Schools and Chaminade, immersing students from Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawai‘i island to college life at an early age and providing them with a fun, enriching day. 

In the “Amazing Brain Class,” students discussed the brain’s amazing abilities, its limitations, and its dysfunctions. Then talked about the field of psychology with a final message of patience and acceptance.  Students attended the “Catching Morphology Concepts through Pokemon” class to learn word parts (morphology) through Pokemon names and how those names align to abilities. Dr. Denise Dugan taught a class called “Mini Science Lab: The Invisible Ink Mystery” in which students engaged in a fast-paced, hands-on science experience. In the 30-minute lab, students acted as scientists by writing secret messages with an “invisible ink” and then revealing them using a color-changing indicator. 

Students also enjoyed a pizza lunch and took home their brand new diplomas and mortar boards which they received upon “graduating” from Chaminade. 

Thursday, Feb. 12,  the schools participating included: 

St. Joseph’s School, Hilo

Sacred Hearts School, Lahaina

St. Anthony School, Maui 

St. Theresa School, Kauai 

Our Lady of Good Counsel

St. Theresa School

St. John Vianney School 

St. Michael School

St. Louis School

On Monday, Feb. 23, these schools will vist: 

Sacred Hearts Academy 

St. Anthony School, Kailua

St. Elizabeth School 

St. Joseph Parish School

Maryknoll School

Holy Family Catholic School

St. Patrick School 

Mary, Star of the Sea School  

A seven-year longitudinal study* a college prep program for middle school students showed that “college visits were an integral part of the program.” Students who went on a campus visit had more positive perceptions of college than those who did not. Research also shows the importance of starting college and career planning, and awareness in middle school. Early exposure to a college campus makes a difference, especially among first-generation college-bound, and other underrepresented groups, which are an integral element to increase college enrollment and diversity on campus. 

*Research in Middle Level Education, Rich A. Radcliffe & Liz C. Stephens, 2008

$1.25 million grant for early intervention education

Chaminade University has been awarded a five-year, $1.25 million federal grant aimed at bolstering Hawai‘i’s early intervention workforce so that infants and toddlers with developmental concerns have greater access to high-quality and timely services. 

Elizabeth Park, Ph.D., who is a professor and director of Chaminade’s Early Childhood and Montessori Programs, said the islands face a critical shortage of early intervention professionals. The lack of early intervention services is especially acute in rural or Neighbor Island communities.

And the greatest cause of the shortage? A gap in higher education programming. Park said no university-level academic program in Hawai‘i previously focused on preparing early intervention (birth to age 3) professionals—and those who sought training on the mainland didn’t always return. 

With the grant funding, Chaminade plans to launch an Early Intervention Certificate and offer generous scholarships to cohorts. Project MĀLAMA (Mentoring and Advancing Local Access for Meaningful Achievement), as Park’s initiative is dubbed, will also work to build partnerships with local organizations so that students can get hands-on opportunities and job placement.

Park said the hope is to help build a stronger ecosystem for early intervention in the islands.

The inaugural cohort is slated to include 10 to 12 students with Jonathan Alexander (also pictured) serving as project co-director.

Early intervention services are delivered by a range of  professionals focused on cognitive development, including social workers, speech pathologists, physical therapists and occupational therapists. Park said early interventionists train on neurodiversity, inclusion and much more.

And, she added, early intervention can sometimes make all the difference. “Especially for those children who are really at the borderline, with a little bit of early intervention like speech therapy or physical therapy, they can really transition to the mainstream for education,” Park said. 

The early intervention grant comes as Chaminade continues to collaborate with the state Department of Health, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Kamehameha Schools and other entities to increase the number of highly-trained early childhood educators in the islands.

Park said a strong focus on serving Hawai‘i’s youngest keiki will pay big dividends.

And through Project MĀLAMA at Chaminade, “graduates will be well-equipped to deliver inclusive, equitable early intervention services across Hawai‘i,” Park said, in the grant application.

“The project strengthens long-term workforce sustainability,” she continued,” by fostering a pipeline of professionals who reflect the communities they serve and are committed to improving developmental outcomes for young children and their families.”

Park said she decided to apply for the grant after conferring with other professionals and academics focused on improving the pipeline of services to young children. She added the grant was a collaborative effort and was made possible with technical assistance from Chaminade’s Sponsored Programs and Research Integrity team and grant specialist Andrew Perez.

Additionally, Park said she received support from the state Department of Health, Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii Pacific University, University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, and Early Childhood Action Strategy.

Grant number H325M250147 .

Student Surfboard as Art

Who says surfboards are meant only for surfing? They also double as works of art. That’s what Shania Lindsey Gervacio proved by winning the Maui Invitational Surfboard Design Contest this past November.

 A third year student majoring in Environmental + Interior Design, Gervacio initially based her design off of island tribal patterns and flora specific to Hawai’i. This concept later transitioned into the foundation icon of Chaminade Athletics that represents the Marianist approaches to education. 

“I also included hibiscuses as well as plumerias to refer to the pua commonly seen around the university campus,” she said. For the ‘silverswords’ in the center of the board, this was inspired by the fact that the previous surfboard designs mentioned ‘Chaminade’ or ‘Chaminade Silverswords,’ rather than only ‘Silverswords.’”

Gervacio’s professor, Dr. Junghwa Suh DArch, encouraged her to participate in the surfboard design competition during the 2025 spring semester. While designing, she also balanced working on a huge design project yet was able to brainstorm three different surfboard designs and fully execute one. 

The experience of designing a surfboard adds to the experience of her reaching the goal of becoming an interior designer after she graduates from Chaminade for hospitality spaces, such as restaurants, hotels, resorts and spas. 

She’s off to a great start. The Maui Invitational surfboards will eventually be displayed in the Silversword Cafe for all to enjoy and see. 

“I feel extremely excited that the surfboard will be displayed in the Silversword Cafe!” she said. “I feel that utilizing my design skills to create something tangible was an incredible accomplishment, and I hope for many Silverswords and Chaminade faculty to enjoy the design when they view it.”

Supporting Tomorrow’s School Leaders

Kathy Jaycox dedicated her career to advancing education as a high school teacher, university professor and community college administrator. Now in retirement, she’s proud to continue that support, including with a new scholarship that honors her uncle—a longtime educator himself.

The Andrew J. Penn Endowed Scholarship at Chaminade’s School of Education and Behavioral Sciences targets aid to students pursuing a master’s degree in education. While many scholarships are for undergraduates, Jaycox said it was important for her to help graduate students who are returning to school and looking to build on their skills and advance as leaders in education.

Jaycox says her “Uncle Andy,” who passed away in 2010, inspired her to pursue a career in education and often spoke about how he taught school during the day and earned his master’s degree at night. Penn served as a principal in Chicago for more than two decades.

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Penn, who started teaching in the 1950s, was also a Korean War veteran and something of a big brother to Jaycox. “He was a really big part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she explained.

“He put other people ahead of himself so much.”

Jaycox and Penn not only shared a passion for education. They also both fell in love with Hawaii, visiting for vacation and vowing to move there someday.

That’s exactly what they did in the early 1990s during a particularly chilly Chicago winter. Penn was retired by that time and Jaycox was able to secure a position at Honolulu Community College focused on continuing education.

Jaycox served at the University of Hawaiʻi for nearly 20 years and also led the Hawaiʻi P-20 Initiative to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood to postsecondary education.

She said during her years in education leadership, she learned about Chaminade and its service-focused mission. Penn also supported the University as a donor. Jaycox said the endowed scholarship not only celebrates her uncle’s legacy, but her own pursuit of lifelong learning.

“I know this scholarship is what Uncle Andy would have wanted,” said Jaycox, who returned to Chicago after her retirement.

“He would often talk about how important it was to help people who wanted to do something more. As a lifelong learner myself, it’s nice to help somebody do that.”

Embracing STEM Innovation in Education

How is STEM changing how teachers teach—and students learn?

That was the focus of a recent conference on Chaminade’s campus organized by the Hawaii Science Teaching Association (HaSTA) and Hawaii Council of Teachers of Mathematics (HCTM).

Nearly 70 participants gathered for the event, entitled, “Power of STEM: Operations and Observations,” which encouraged teachers to explore the intersection of science and mathematics in their classrooms. The day included collaborative sessions and a keynote address from natural resources educator Jackie Frietas, who was named Hawaii’s Teacher of the Year for 2024.

Katrina Roseler, Ph.D., a professor of Education and director of Teacher Preparation Programs at Chaminade, said attendees walked away with new ideas and pedagogical approaches for fostering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) literacy in today’s classrooms.

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One of the biggest takeaways for many educators was the importance of hands-on learning.

“Participants valued creating more interactive, hands-on, and exploratory experiences for students that connect learning to real-life contexts,” she said, noting those experiences could include labs, games, classroom stations and field-based activities.

“Another strong theme was the importance of integrating math, science, and other disciplines, using inquiry-based approaches to deepen connections and engagement. Teachers highlighted strategies that promote active engagement, collaboration, and thinking classrooms, such as … purposeful games.”

The conference comes amid a broad push to not only integrate more STEM learning into classrooms, but look for ways to help students develop tools for critical thinking and problem solving for a fast-changing world and workforce. Roseler said one key theme in the conference was encouraging teachers to leverage existing resources and partnerships to enrich classroom instruction in actionable ways.

“The conference provided an energizing and practical learning experience, equipping educators with strategies they can immediately implement in their classrooms,” Roseler said.

“The sessions reinforced the power of leveraging diverse resources and partnerships—from digital platforms to community organizations—to enrich teaching and learning. Finally, participants were inspired by the energy and modeling of the presenters, leaving with renewed enthusiasm and actionable ideas to bring back to their classrooms right away.”