Grants

Kosasa Foundation Awards $25,000 to Chaminade University for Emerging Scholars Program on Kaua’i

August 15, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University recently received a $25,000 grant from the Kosasa Foundation in continued support of its Emerging Scholars Early College program. Now in its second year, the program is designed to promote pathways to college for rural Kaua‘i high school students.

Open to qualified high school juniors and seniors, the Emerging Scholars program gives students a chance to discover and explore their passions and academic interests while earning dual-enrollment (high school and college) credits. For the 2022-2023 academic year, the program plans to enroll 40 Kapa‘a High school juniors and seniors.

“We are extremely proud of our Emerging Scholars Early College program and grateful to the Kosasa Foundation for its ongoing support,” said Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington. “Programs like this allow Chaminade to provide access to college education for rural high school students, enhancing their enrichment opportunities and ability to grow as civic minded individuals.”

The Emerging Scholars Early College program is comprised of distance learning featuring Chaminade faculty and guest speakers. At the beginning of each semester, a team of Chaminade faculty and staff will visit Kapa‘a High School for an orientation with students, parents and teachers. At the completion of the academic year, students will participate in a culminating event on Chaminade’s campus, where they will stay in the residence hall and enjoy a sample college experience.

In its first year, the Emerging Scholars program on Kaua‘i, which was also funded by the Kosasa Foundation, had a cohort of 24 juniors and seniors from Kapa‘a High School.

# # #

Chaminade University of Honolulu believes in the power of education to drive positive change, broaden perspectives and deepen our understanding of one another. With an emphasis on transformative service-learning experiences, we prepare students to serve as tomorrow’s leaders, inspiring and challenging them to use their minds and their hearts to help build stronger and more just communities. We are proud to serve as Hawai‘i’s only Marianist university, and rely on these values to guide us in delivering a high-quality education with an individualized approach and a focus on excellence, innovation and change. Established in 1955, we offer more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs, including doctoral degrees in education, psychology and nursing practice. Learn more at chaminade.edu.

Radio CUH Receives Grant

March 9, 2021 by University Communications & Marketing

Student Ronni Gallegos in the Radio CUH studio

It’s a place for students to find their voice. For poets to slam, DJs to jam and loyal listeners to tune in.

In November 2011, Radio CUH started streaming 24/7 thanks to a handful of passionate faculty members and students who understood the value of an independent college radio station. Nearly 10 years later, the station is still going strong, broadcasting to listeners in Hawaii and around the globe.

And now the station is also getting some national recognition.

The College Radio Foundation recently named Radio CUH as a recipient of its Bret Grant Award, designed to help support college radio programming. The $2,000 grant can be used for equipment, licensing, continuing education or other expenses.

Tom Galli, a senior lecturer in Communication at Chaminade, helps oversee the radio station’s management. He said Radio CUH was the brainchild of Communications Professor Cliff Bieberly. “The technology to do streaming music was really ramping up. An online-only radio station was a possibility,” Galli said. “It was also something that our students were in interested in and would bring up.”

After a few tests, Radio CUH was officially launched on November 15, 2011.

The initial music library consisted of a few professors’ CD collections. At first, just a few students participated. Fast forward a decade, and Radio CUH has a library of over 100,000 songs and is getting an average of 500 new songs a week from music distributors. It’s also gained a loyal following, with fans tuning in from as far away as Nevada and Micronesia to hear DJs take to the microphone.

Galli described the station’s programming as “eclectic.”

“Students play what they want. We have a wide range of genres, much of it very new,” he said, in a recent interview. “Part of the promise of college radio is that there’s no commercial pressure so the idea of adhering to consistency of programming is somewhat anathema to the ideal.”

In addition to music, Radio CUH has teamed up with professors and departments on special projects.

Every year, for example, the station partners with the English department to stream a slam poetry festival presented by Chaminade and Kaimuki High students. Several professors have also worked with the station on special pre-recorded readings of poetry or personal essays exploring certain topics.

Galli said the number of student DJs fluctuates each semester.

Students can participate in their free time or learn there as part of a three-credit elective (COM361). Prospective DJs can expect hands-on training on the system and a test to ensure they understand the responsibilities and liabilities the radio station is subject to. COM361 is offered every semester.

“College radio is supposed to be an alternative to commercial radio and our DJs embody that,” Galli said. The station’s DJs, he added, “can practice skills to make them more effective presenters, expand their musical horizons, record demo reels if they seek a career in broadcasting, and have a good time.”

Chaminade University Receives Grant from Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation

December 2, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University of Honolulu has received a $15,000 grant from the Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation to support its Performing Arts Program. The grant will provide professional music training to Performing Arts students participating in Chaminade University’s annual Summer Theatre Festival.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation for this generous donation,” said Chris Patrinos, the new director of Chaminade’s Performing Arts Program. “Though the future for performing arts is uncertain, we are still hoping to hold a festival in the summer of 2021. This gift will allow us to offer the best possible musical support for the student performers and help us to bring first-rate theatre performances to Hawai‘i audiences.”

Chaminade’s Summer Theatre Festival began four years ago to give college students from Hawaiʻi an opportunity to participate in performing arts during the summer. The 2020 festival was cancelled due to COVID-19.

The Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation was founded in 1967 by talented opera singer, Mae Orvis. Mae created the foundation in memory of her husband, financier and philanthropist, Arthur. The two loved the arts very much, and were each great supporters of the arts in Hawai‘i. Their legacy of generosity lives on through their Foundation.

# # #

Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society.

Chaminade University Receives Grant from Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation

August 31, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University has received a $50,000 grant from the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation to fund its Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher scholarship program. The grant will be used to award over 20 scholarships this school year to students from Chaminade’s School of Education who are majoring in Early Childhood Education (ECE).

“The ECE Castle Scholarship funding will play an instrumental role in supporting quality early childhood educators qualified to teach in the public sector throughout the state of Hawai’i,” said Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington. “With the generous support from the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation, Chaminade University will continue to provide quality education to those who have a passion for educating our young children.”

Early childhood education teachers continue to be in high demand across the state and the nation. Chaminade provides Early Childhood Education programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These programs provide not only degrees but also state teaching licensure and internationally accepted Montessori credentials. The university’s ECE major is offered through online courses with opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. For more information regarding undergraduate programs, click here and for graduate programs, click here.

The Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation is a proud supporter of improving the lives of Hawai’i’s children and families through the improvement of early childhood education and development.

# # #

Professor Receives Prestigious Grant from U.S. Department of Education

July 31, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

Eva Washburn-Repollo, School of Business and Communication

Chaminade University Associate Professor Eva Washburn-Repollo, Ph.D. has received a prestigious $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The short-term seminar grant from the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program will support Washburn-Repollo’s research into the development of foreign language acquisition skills and aid in the advancement of culture-based teaching curriculum.

As Associate Professor of Communication, Washburn-Repollo’s expertise is in the fields of language, identity and multiculturalism. The funding will allow her to examine the effectiveness of language immersion and build lesson plans that utilize culture-based learning techniques. The study-abroad grant will also bring ten (10) K-12 teachers and graduate students to the Visayas for six weeks.

“Analyzing language within the framework of natural resource management will allow us to gain valuable insight into the connection between the language and culture,” said Washburn-Repollo. “By learning through storytelling, visual arts, and performance as pedagogical tools, we will be able to bring that knowledge back to our respective institutions and deepen our students’ connection with the language.”

The award will also be used to develop innovative teaching approaches that will foster active learning through the use of creative hands-on, tactile, and kinesthetic experiences in K-12 and undergraduate classrooms. Additionally, participants will produce lesson plans for learning indigenous languages and disseminate their lesson plans to a wider audience. The grant will cover 100 percent of the project’s expenses.

Through these activities, Professor Washburn-Repollo hopes to further the development of language acquisition teaching plans as well as increase interest in the study of indigenous cultures.

Added Professor Washburn-Repollo, “I am incredibly honored to accept this award. It is an exciting time for us here at Chaminade University as we begin to implement some significant transformative changes in the Communication field. I truly believe that our research in the field of language acquisition will play a vital role in encouraging students to learn a new language, bridge differences between cultures, and utilize indigenous wisdom to develop greater technology for sustainability.”

The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) program is designed to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States by providing training opportunities for faculty, teachers, and upperclassmen and/or graduate students in foreign countries where the United States has diplomatic representation.

# # #

Chaminade University Receives $100,000 Grant

July 29, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University of Honolulu recently received a $100,000 grant from the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation for student scholarships. The grant will be split to fund Chaminade’s Legacy Scholarship and the STEM and Nursing Scholarship for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.

The Legacy Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate a commitment to community service and are in financial need. The STEM and Nursing Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students studying any Bachelor of Science or Nursing degrees. Both scholarships are given to full-time undergraduate students who are residents of Hawaii and demonstrate leadership qualities and innovative skills.

The Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation has provided funding for student scholarships to Chaminade University since 2014. The Foundation was established in 1993 by entrepreneurs Mamoru and Aiko Takitani, founders of Hawaiian Host, to assist the youth of Hawaii with their goals. Since its establishment, the Foundation has donated 2.3 million dollars in scholarships and provided educational opportunities to students in Hawaii.

For more on scholarships and financial aid, visit chaminade.edu/financial-aid.

# # #