Chaminade University of Honolulu

Early College

Fifth Graders ‘Go to College’

Nearly 400 fifth graders from 17 Hawai‘i Catholic schools converged on Chaminade University’s campus over two days this month for fun, hands-on classes.

The “I Go to College” program is aimed at inspiring young people to “dream big” and envision themselves attending college.

The students end the daylong program by accepting a “diploma” presented in a special graduation ceremony.

Chaminade partners with Hawai‘i Catholic Schools to present the opportunity for students, who travel from across the state to attend.

This year’s “I Go To College” events were held on Feb. 3 and 11.

Never miss a post! Follow Chaminade University on Facebook and Instagram.

As part of the day of interactive activities, students attended specially-designed courses taught by University professors.

In a course taught by the Forensic Sciences program, students learned how to take fingerprints. In another class, students took a “poetry walk” around campus.

Attendees also gathered for lunch on campus and got to meet Chaminade students, staff and administrators.

Organizers point to research that shows the incredible value of early exposure to college.

“The younger you can get children to come on campus, the more they can see it’s an open, welcoming environment,” said Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D.

Added Kim Baxter, director of Chaminade’s Early College program: “The fact that they can be on campus and visualize what a class might look like is just a really nice thing for them to see early on what college is about.”

Chaminade’s Early College program allows Hawai‘i students to pursue dual high school and college credit and is designed to give students an early taste of college and smooth the transition between high school and university, especially for students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.

Students Welcomed at Early College Summit

Chaminade University welcomed more than 100 high school students Dec. 16 from Kapa‘a High School, Sacred Hearts Academy, and Saint Louis School for a full-day campus visit that included classes, tours, and workshops as part of the university’s Early College Program.

“Our Early College Summit is a unique opportunity for our students pursuing dual high school and college credit to learn more about Chaminade’s cutting-edge academic programs, chat one-on-one with their professors and get details on our individualized student support services designed to set them up for success,” said Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D.

“Hosting these exceptional students is our honor—and part of Chaminade’s commitment to offering robust pathways for Hawai’i students to earn college credit, and for some their associate’s degrees, before they even graduate from high school.”


The Early College Program at Chaminade provides access to a college education for a diverse group of Hawai’i high school students as part of the University’s mission to prepare leaders for tomorrow, ready to make impactful contributions to their communities and professions.

Studies show that early college students are better prepared for full-time college entry, college life and expectations. Students who earn college credit while still in high school are also more likely to go to college, stay in school and graduate.

“The earlier you have the experience of being on a college campus, of experiencing classes, it gives you time to think about: Is college the right fit for me? What college do I want to go to? And also what might I want to study,” Babington said.

Never miss a post! Follow Chaminade University on Facebook and Instagram.

“It also helps students realize they can succeed in these college classes while they’re in high school.”

In addition to a special welcome from President Babington and other University administrators, Early College students at the summit visited Chaminade’s state-of-the-art Nursing simulation labs, the United Nations CIFAL Honolulu Center, and Forensic Sciences Crime Scene Lab.