Community Connections: ʻOihana Kaiāulu: Learning Through Service, Leading with Aloha is Chaminade University’s service-learning and volunteer program. Rooted in aloha and Marianist values, it empowers students to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences, deepening their education while serving local communities.
Our vision is to build a strong sense of place through meaningful community partnerships and a campus culture that values service as a pathway to personal growth and collective well-being.
If you are interested in volunteering through Chaminade’s Community Connections: ‘Oihana Kaiāulu program through service learning or community service, you are invited to fill out the Community Connections: ‘Oihana Kaiāulu Registration form, or email us at [email protected]
Staff
Denise Dugan, Ph.D., CTL Co-Driector
Community Connections: ‘Oihana Kaiāulu
[email protected]
Campus Connections
Kahoali’i Keahi-Wood, Cultural Specialist
Campus Mala Coordinator
[email protected]
Service Learning
Chaminade students have the opportunity to enroll in courses that include service learning, which is a required academic component of the course. Service learning is intentionally connected to course content and learning outcomes, allowing students to apply what they are learning in class to real-world experiences.
Through service learning, students support the needs of local Hawaiʻi communities while deepening their understanding of course concepts. Most service learning courses require approximately 10 hours of service as part of the course requirements.
Community Service
Throughout their college experience, students will have many opportunities to participate in community service. Unlike service learning, community service is not connected to a specific course or academic requirement. Instead, it is completed independently or in collaboration with on-campus programs, student organizations, or college departments. Community service allows students to contribute to the community outside of their coursework and academic responsibilities.
Faculty Resources
Faculty are essential to making service learning a transformative experience. The Chaminade University Center for Teaching and Learning is here to support you as the steward of the Community Connections: ‘Oihana Kaiāulu (CC:ʻOK) program.
5 Things to Know About Including Service Learning into the Classroom Experience. CC:’OK
- Learning Outcome Alignment: Feel free to adopt or adapt this learning outcome: “Students will apply classroom learning to real-world community needs, deepening their understanding through service, building civic responsibility, and leading with aloha and purpose.”
- Logistics: Registration with CC:ʻOK provides the University with aggregate numerical data on the total number of volunteers engaged. Additional registration with Volunteer Ally enables individual student tracking of service hours through a personal volunteer transcript. Faculty who register with Volunteer Ally as an “Affiliation” (hosted class or group) can monitor student progress in real time and recommend specific volunteer opportunities or events to the entire class.
- Service Reflections in the Hands of Faculty: Faculty decide how, how many hours to be completed, and when students are to turn in reflections. Reflections can be graded and tied directly to course objectives.
- Suggest Additional Partners: Let us know of other organizations you wish your students to engage with that we might assist in making those connections possible.
Volunteer Ally & Community Partner Resources
Chaminade University has partnered with VolunteerAlly as its official volunteer platform to share current service opportunities and events that support community engagement across Hawai’i.
Volunteer Ally is committed “to form lasting relationships between volunteers and organizations, encouraging volunteers to make volunteerism a part of their everyday lifestyle.” (volunteerally.org website: “About Us”)
Sustainable Service on Campus
The Community Connections: ‘Oihana Kaiāulu engagement office advances the mission of Chaminade’s CIFAL Honolulu Center and the principles of Laudato Si’. By creating sustainable service opportunities on our own campus, students actively contribute to a more just and resilient future, one grounded in moral responsibility and measurable action.
Our initiatives include an on-campus garden, food waste composting, recycling programs, and native ecosystem restoration. Through these efforts, students engage directly with sustainability practices that make a tangible impact.
At the heart of this work is a commitment to cultivating a stronger, more connected community. We foster this through aloha ʻāina—a deep respect for and relationship with the land, alongside hands-on service and the intentional sharing of campus spaces. We envision a campus shaped by the Sustainable Development Goals guided by our Hawaiian and Marianist values.