Chaminade University of Honolulu

Service Learning

Class Act

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Students, staff volunteer to help The Institute for Human Services

Not to be confused with Service Learning Day, Servant Leadership Day only happens once a year in January to coincide with Founders’ Week. In the half century since its introduction, Robert Greenleaf’s “Servant Leadership” theory has become increasingly popular among American corporations. Companies such as Nordstrom, Starbucks, The Container Store and FedEx have all adopted the theory that a leader must be a servant first and a leader second. This was indeed the case when Chaminade University’s Mitch Steffey joined students and fellow staff members in an effort to help The Institute for Human Services (IHS).

“We’re learning just as much from the community as we are giving to it,” says Steffey, Associate Director

Students volunteered to participate in Servant Leadership Day at IHS.

of Service Learning and Community Engagement. “The idea is you’re leading for the people to accomplish their goals and not ours. It’s also talking about the difference between sympathy and empathy.”

Silversword senior, Montserrat Lanfranco ’23, was among the volunteers who helped haul away old furniture, appliances and miscellaneous equipment in a Herculean effort to organize a large storage area at IHS. To Steffey’s point about empathy, Lanfranco muses that “everyone has a different situation as to why they’re homeless.”

During an on-camera interview with KGMB’s Hawaii News Now, Montserrat says by helping IHS—and thus, in essence, its clients—they’re digging into the roots of houselessness and helping a marginalized population of society plant new roots to promote a healthier type of system.

“At least that’s how I see it,” Montserrat concludes. “I feel like if we can get down to it (the root of the cause) then we can really solve the problem.”

Across the nation, homelessness has become a major flash point, attracting the attention and the ire of local, state and national lawmakers. On Dec. 19, 2022, the Biden-Harris administration released a federal plan for ending homelessness in America that starts with the ambitious goal of reducing homelessness by 25 percent by 2025. All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness builds on the success of previous plans and will do more than any previous federal effort to systemically prevent homelessness, and combat the systemic racism that has created racial and ethnic disparities in homelessness.

Mitch Steffey organized Servant Leadership Day with IHS.

Modeled after the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, The Hawai‘i Interagency Council on Homelessness (HICH) is an advisory body that serves as a statewide homelessness planning and policy development entity with broad representation from State and County government and the community. The council has adopted its own 10-year plan that utilizes an active implementation framework with the work divided into four general stages for implementation: exploration, installation, initial implementation and full implementation.

According to the released Ten-Year Strategic Plan and Framework, the proposal advances the vision of ending homelessness in Hawai‘i by implementing and sustaining a housing-focused system that draws upon the efforts of multiple partners and creates a clear pathway to stable housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The plan and vision acknowledge that the work to combat homelessness cannot be addressed by any single government entity or provider alone, and requires a shared community effort and “all-hands-on-deck” approach. 

Steffey shares the same approach when he organizes these types of service events, which he hopes will become more frequent. “What we did at the IHS shelter is the community engagement part of my job,” says the Pennsylvania native, emphasizing the second half of his official staff title. “I’m trying to get students out of their residence halls, out of their homes and into the community.”

Steffey distinguishes the difference between community service and learning service. Citing an example of the latter, he uses a biology student who could go out in the lo’i kalo (taro patch) to test the waters to see why one part of the patch produces more kalo than another.

“He/she can test if there’s too much acid in the water,” Steffey explains. “So we’re going to the community to fulfill a need with the expertise that we already have through our professors, courses and classrooms.

“You don’t have that at beach cleanup,” Steffey continues. “The cleanup is good for the community, but there isn’t much learning being done.”

Honor Roll

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Chaminade bestows Heritage Awards

To recognize their exceptional contributions in personifying the Marianist values, Dr. Darren Iwamoto, Maritel Suniga and Kobe Ngirailemesang ’23 have been honored with this year’s Heritage Awards. It’s a distinction that Brother Ed Brink says “shows the breadth and impact an individual may have on campus and in the community.”

Dr. Lynn Babington presents Dr. Darren Iwamoto with his Chaminade Award.

A testament to that mission is Dr. Darren Iwamoto, Associate Professor in Education and Behavioral Sciences, who received this year’s Chaminade Award, given to a faculty or staff member who has exhibited a continuous commitment to Marianist values in education.

“Yes, these awards are designed to honor individuals,” says Brink, Vice President of Mission and Rector, addressing the Founders’ Day Mass attendees. “But these awards are also meant to remind all of us the mission of the university and the importance of trying to live out that mission on a daily basis.”

“I truly try to live the Marianist Education Core Values and receiving this award is special because it tells me that I’m on the right path,” Iwamoto says. “This award motivates me to continue serving our students in Family Spirit and I’m blessed to be a part of an organization that truly lives its mission and values.”

Father Marty congratulates Kobe Ngirailemesang for his 2023 Founders’ Award.

Sharing the same sentiment is Kobe Ngirailemesang ’23, a graduating senior, who was presented with the Founders’ Award, which recognizes a student who has exhibited a commitment to Marianist values by outstanding generosity, respect for others and spirit of faith.

“Personally, this award is about being of service to others whenever it is possible,” Ngirailemesang says. “I never thought of helping others as an obligation. I really just enjoy the company of others, regardless of it being for work/class or not. I am truly honored to have received this award.”

Draped in a colorful ring of lei, Maritel Suniga received the Marianist Award.

Meanwhile, Payroll Specialist in the Business Office, Maritel Suniga was honored with the Marianist Award, conferred to a staff member who has exhibited a continuous and extraordinary commitment to the vision and mission of Chaminade University while drawing others into the collaborative community.

The three honorees were recognized at a special ceremony on Jan. 18, following the Founders’ Day Mass at Mystical Rose Oratory. The event was the culmination of a series of gatherings meant to celebrate not only the founders of the Marianist family—including the university’s namesake—but the characteristics of a Marianist education and the values and mission that are central to Chaminade’s identity.

“We gather today to be inspired,” says Brink, during the award ceremony portion of the Mass, “and to hopefully recommit ourselves to be the best member of this community that we can be.”

Bridging the Age Gap

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Relationships are one of the critical ingredients in our happiness and wellbeing—bonding not only with partners and peers, but also with those spanning different ages.

Nursing students participating in their service learning project with Purpose Pals

Thirty-two Chaminade nursing students did just that by connecting with kūpuna through Purpose Pals, a pilot program designed to foster friendships across generations through the click of a mouse.

“The biggest takeaway from our talks was that I don’t know everything there is to life,” says freshman Kaylen Fernandez. “My kūpuna gave valuable advice in balancing work-life, and the importance of enjoying what you do. If you don’t love it, then it’s time for a change.”

Engaging across generations, benefits kūpuna and helps students learn and grow as healthcare professionals.

“This experience provides the nursing students with a more positive attitude toward aging,” says Purpose Pal organizer Dr. Christy Nishita. “In their future careers, many of their patients will be from our oldest age groups. We hope this experience gives them awareness and empathy toward kūpuna that translates to better care.”

Connectedness is important now more than ever, especially since COVID has created social isolation. With an increase of loneliness and stress, Purpose Pals has played a critical role in helping kūpuna stay socially active.

Purpose Pals was made available through a service-learning project in Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe’s NUR 200 Introduction to Nursing Concepts course. The project not only provided students with an experiential learning opportunity but also forged meaningful relationships with their kūpuna. Many have been inspired to stay in touch with their pals beyond the commitment of the project.

Students’ participation in the pilot program has provided a number of key insights for Purpose Pal’s development and capacity building. The goal is to continue to attract new volunteers each semester and continue Chaminade’s mission serving the community and being an active participant in it.

Students of Advanced Taxation Help Poor Families Complete Tax Forms

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Professor Wayne Tanna wrote: Students in Advanced Taxation participated in a Service-Learning project as part of their course requirements. The project involved doing tax returns for people who are living in homeless transition shelters (Maililand and Loliana, Sponsored by Catholic Charities, and the Weinberg homeless village in Waimanalo) and homeless emergency shelters (The Institute for Human Services – IHS – men’s and women’s shelters). The work was done at these various sites. Since the work was done at the actual sites and not on the Chaminade Campus or in some posh Bishop Street Office, the experience provided an awakening for many of our students. The Chaminade students prepared both federal and state tax returns for homeless and low-income people. The experience was beneficial for all: the students, while providing a meaningful and valuable service, got to learn and further develop their interviewing and tax preparation skills. I, as the instructor, got to take a part of my usual teaching out of the classroom and into a real life situation. The clients got assistance in legal and tax compliance that all citizens have a duty to fulfill but for one reason or another they could not do it by themselves.

Beyond the academic and technical aspects required to be a successful accountant, the students also were exposed to a social policy issue. That issue revolved around the basic need for a tax system and why such a system is so difficult to adhere to. Additionally, students were pushed into asking the questions: Why do the poor and the homeless need to be concerned with taxes? Why are the poor and the homeless taxed to begin with?

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, on 4 March 1999, reported that the tax tab for Hawaii’s poor is the second largest in the U.S. The threshold for tax liability for a family of four in Hawaii is $6100, less than half of the national poverty level ($16,550.00). The students know from class that the standard deduction for a married couple filing a joint return is $6900 and that the four personal exemptions at $2700 each come out to a total of $17,700. They also know that these amounts were set by Congress because they roughly approximate the poverty-line income level for a family of four in the U.S.

As a result, some students ask why the state taxes those who have so little to begin with. Hopefully, this leads to thoughts and discussions as to equity or inequity among different groups in the state. Hopefully, this Service-Learning experience has started the students thinking about why the state’s policy is the way it is and how it could be changed to lessen the burden on those who are least able to pay. Borrowing from anthropologist Margaret Mead and Rhoda Metraus, from their work entitled “Aspects of the Present”, we offer a salute to our students who have forgotten, remembered and now learned something of substance about themselves and their abilities.

“We live in a society that has always depended on volunteers of different kinds – some who can give money, others who give time and a great many who freely give of their special skills, full-time or part-time. If you look closely, you will see that almost anything that really matters to us, anything that embodies our deepest commitment to the way human life should be lived and cared for depends on some form – more often, many forms – of volunteerism.”

To this we humbly add Service-Learning.

Chaminade receives “Presidential Award for Service to Youth from Disadvantaged Circumstances”

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The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs. The Honor Roll’s Presidential Award is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

  • In 2007, Chaminade University was one of only 3 to be awarded “Presidential Award for Service to Youth from Disadvantaged Circumstances.”
  • In 2006, Chaminade University was one of 10 to be awarded “Presidential Award FINALIST for Excellence in General Community Service.“

Award Levels:

  • The Presidential Award is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive.
  • About 100 were given titles of “Honor Roll, with Distinction”.
  • Over 500 were accepted to the Honor Roll.

Selection Criteria:

  • Reviewer evaluations of the scope, innovativeness, and evidence of effectiveness of the service projects described in the application.
  • Percentage of total student enrollment engaged in community service activities and academic service-learning courses.
  • Percentage of total student enrollment engaged in at least 20 hours of community service per semester.
  • Extent to which the institution offers academic service-learning courses.
  • Whether the institution requires academic service-learning
  • Whether the institution rewards the use of academic service-learning through faculty promotion and tenure decisions, or other means.
  • The institution’s Federal Work-Study community service participation rate.
  • Whether community service or service-learning is cited in the institution’s mission statement or strategic plan.

Much of the work that was highlighted in the award application centers on Palolo Valley. Our community partners, faculty, and students collaborate with the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Kapiolani Community College to provide tutoring, early childhood/family education, computer literacy, and more. Chaminade’s service-learning classes focus on diversity in these broad, entry-level tutoring programs. Then, as students progress in their majors and gain specialized knowledge, they move down a “pathway” of service-learning projects that allow them to apply that specialization to help the community. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) project, for example, prepares intermediate accounting majors for the senior-level VITA project and the nonprofit consulting projects.

A quote from CUH President Sue Wesselkamper:
“As an institution for higher learning, Chaminade University emphasizes integrated service-learning as a way to enrich its academic curriculum. By using service opportunities as deliberate learning opportunities, this integrated approach helps our students to develop skills, broaden their understanding and knowledge base, as well as build awareness and sensitivity to diversity. In our service-learning Pathway of Projects, we worked together to address issues systemically and with intentionality, building tracts for student leadership and deepening engagement across semesters. 

We thank our students, faculty, staff, and community partners for their commitment to service and humbly accept the CNCS recognition on their behalf.”

A quote from Candice Sakuda, CUH Director of Service-Learning:
“Chaminade is a small university with a big heart and many willing hands. What is especially meaningful about the President’s Award is that the work we do in our own local communities can be of national significance.”

Recommendations from the Awards Panel

  • This award should give Chaminade the momentum to KEEP UP the impressive work.
  • We should look to the examples for which we’ve won, to inspire service-learning pathways in other disciplines. All areas should encourage students to sustain service through leadership.
  • We should keep focusing on quality integration of service-learning – not as an “add-on,” but as an integral part of academic education.
  • We should encourage faculty participation through the formal valuation of service-learning and community-based research in the RTP process.

The Century Program Rises to the Challenge

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The Foundation for Excellent Schools’ Century Program, TCP, continued to do great work mentoring at Waimanalo Elementary and Intermediate School for its second semester. In this article, CUH student Keith Davis shares his experiences:

On March 4th, 2006, four Chaminade Ethics and Criminal Justice students coordinated the first annual Farrington High School Challenge Day as a service-learning project through Chaminade. The event, supported by four military volunteers, thirteen Chaminade Wahine Volleyball Team members, and one civilian volunteer, took place at Schofield Barracks’ Leadership Reaction Course (LRC). Thirty nine Farrington High School mentorship program students and one Moanalua High School student participated. Observing the day’s activities in a supervisory role were the CJ 332 professor and a Farrington High School vice principal, two teachers and three prospective mentors. The Challenge Day 2006 objectives were to provide the students with physical, mental, and ethical challenges through a fun variety of events. To accomplish this, the students would run several team based races, be faced with three ethical situations, and run through several LRC obstacles. The ethical situations were prepared by [us students]. The LRC obstacles, whose scenarios were modified to be appropriate for high school students, are laid out to be physically and mentally challenging while forcing participants to work together as a team.

This service-learning project allowed us to fulfill our civic responsibility to a community of high school students. By coordinating Challenge Day, we were able to actively participate in the public life of a community in an informed, committed, and constructive manner, with a focus on the common good.

Realizing that the students involved were from an area where their expectations for the future were low, our desire to make this event a motivating experience drove us to a standard of excellence that might not have been present otherwise. As we prepared for Challenge Day, we felt that we were preparing an event that would allow us to give students in our community an opportunity to see that they can do more than they ever imagined and that setting goals for themselves, both short term and long term, would lead them to successful futures. This experience has left me with a great appreciation of the principles of service-learning.

Part of the college educational process is participating in service-learning projects that lead to the fulfillment of one’s civic responsibility. This aspect of learning is often the most challenging to begin because we come into such experiences with more questions than answers.

Human beings are eager to help others; however, we typically only want to help others as long as we are able to do so within our own comfort zone. Once we break out of our comfort zone and see how rewarding service-learning can be in an unfamiliar setting or situation, we then open up to serving in any number of situations.