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Service-learning in the Spotlight

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Service-learning is woven into the student experience at Chaminade University.

2018 Service-Learning DayThe National Service-Learning Clearinghouse defines service-learning as a “teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.”

Each year, the Service-Learning Day celebration showcases the meaningful work of students and community organizations during the past year. The event serves as an opportunity for students and community partners to present their projects to the Chaminade community.

Students, faculty and staff came together at the Clarence T.C. Ching Conference Center on March 9 for Service-Learning Day. As they made their way through the various booths and displays, they were able to ask questions and learn more about the exciting work that took place island-wide.

2018 Service Learning DayAbout 480 service-learning engagements take place throughout the community each semester. There are 45 community partners on average that work with Chaminade students each year, and more than 20 instructors typically offer courses with a service-learning component each semester.

Service-learning is one of the University’s commitments to students. It extends beyond the classroom to the community and encourages students to look beyond themselves to engage in public service. Chaminade strives to facilitate these experiences to strengthen the community – and build the whole student.

Chaminade has been the recipient of many service-learning awardsthroughout the years, including the recent Western Region Engaged Campus award in 2017. The award is given to institutions that focus on service through student learning, mission-centered engagement and meaningful partnerships.

TAKING STOCK IN KEIKI

At this year’s celebration, Palolo Elementary School students were honored as state winners in The Stock Market Game™ (SMG). Chaminade President Lynn Babington presented medals and a winner’s banner to the Palolo students.

Palolo Elementary Stock Market Challenge WinnersChaminade business students serve as mentors to the younger students in this service-learning project. Since 2010, the partnership has served as a way for the students to learn about the stock market and have fun with numbers.

The Palolo fourth and fifth graders participated in the after-school activity to learn concepts including beta numbers and capital gains while building relationships with the Chaminade students.

The SMG has engaged more than 17 million students since 1977. Students start with $100,000 virtual dollars in this online educational activity. The game simulates current global markets to teach students skills related to economics, investing and personal financing. It also prepares them to live financially independent lives and models concepts related to integrity and leadership.

“Seeing and listening to students share their experiences with service-learning reinforces that we are preparing our students to meet the needs of the community while enhancing their educational experience,” Director of Service Learning Candice Sakuda, said. “I am especially proud of the mentorship and leadership of our business students, who were instrumental in guiding students through the Palolo Stock Market Game and earning their victory.”

Educational Coalition Honors Chaminade with ‘Engaged Campus Award’ for Service-Learning

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Service Learning Award
Candice Sakuda & Bro. Tom Spring, S.M.

Campus Compact, a coalition of nearly 1,100 educational institutions, presented the 2017 “Western Region Engaged Campus Award” to Chaminade University in recognition of its commitment to the public good. The award ceremony highlighted Chaminade’s meaningful community partnerships and service-learning projects.

“As a Catholic and Marianist university, Chaminade integrates service-learning throughout its curriculum,” pointed out Vice President for Mission and Rector Bro. Edward Brink, S.M. “These off-campus and on-campus projects not only promote the greater good, they help students prepare for successful careers and a lifetime of service.”

The award was in keeping with Campus Compact’s 30th Anniversary Action Statement, which calls for colleges and universities to “challenge inequalities, pursue justice and contribute to the health of our communities – economically, socially, environmentally, educationally and politically.”

Examples of Chaminade service-learning activities include:

  • An after-school program for K-12 students living at the Institute for Human Services women’s and family shelter;
  • Project SHINE, which teaches English and civic skills to older immigrants seeking to become U.S. citizens;
  • The Stock Market Game, an online simulation of global capital markets that helps school children understand economics, investing and personal finance;
  • “Palolo Pipeline” projects assisting students at Kaimuki High School, Jarrett Middle School, Palolo Elementary School and Palolo ‘Ohana Learning Center;
  • A tutoring and mentoring program for elementary school children at the Papakolea Native Hawaiian homestead community; and
  • Inclusive Recreation (I-Rec), which provides social activities for young adults living with developmental disabilities.

Health Fair Showcased Students On Their Way To Becoming Competent, Caring Nursing Professionals

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The School of Nursing at held its fifth annual Wellness and Health Fair as the spring semester drew to a close. Sophomore students enrolled in the course Nursing 291: Health Promotion set up their poster boards on various critical health issues. Health Promotion professor Dr. Joy Bliss coordinated the efforts, assisted by the faculty and staff of the School of Nursing.

School of Nursing 2017 Health and Wellness FairThe displays were opportunities to share with the Chaminade ‘ohana the outreach work students had done during the semester to promote healthy behaviors in the community at large and to promote healthy choices with faculty, staff, and students who attended the fair. The students provided health information on a broad range of topics such as diet and nutrition, oral health, heart health, cancer prevention and early detection, domestic abuse, suicide prevention, sexual health, and more.

Held in the Henry Hall Courtyard on April 28, the Friday before Lei Day weekend, the fair took on a Hawaiian ambiance. The Saint Louis School Hālau made a guest appearance to open the program.

Three Papakōlea women strung lei of plumeria and shared them with the crowd. The community leaders of Papakōlea had conducted a health needs assessment of their Native Hawaiian Homestead residents. Based on the results, project possibilities emerged. The ideas focused on promoting ‘ohana health and aging-in-place safely, enabling the community to remain whole, while providing education and access to healthcare. Students participated in training opportunities for direct service to Papakōlea as furnished by the valued partners. Papakōlea leadership shared with Chaminade School of Nursing students the gift of their mana’o through training sessions of cultural competency, an understanding of community, perspective on the contexts for healthcare and public health nursing, and their respective roles.

Keeping with the Lei Day theme, the fair offered a healthy Hawaiian food plate (low salt, low fat and still ono) and at another table the traditional healing drink of kava. Kupuna (elders) shared their expertise in Native Hawaiian healing therapies including la’au lapa’au (Native Hawaiian herbal remedies) and lomi lomi (Native Hawaiian massage therapy).  The fair also offered alternative and holistic therapies such as “Healing Touch,” an energy therapy in which practitioners consciously use their hands in a heart-centered and intentional way to support and facilitate physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.

School of Nursing 2017 Health and Wellness Fair
Michelle Selga, Ciana Russ, Shenaniah Romias, and Kyle Ranochak present “Health Promotion for Hawaii’s Homeless”

Dressed in dark blue Chaminade School of Nursing polo shirts, Michelle Selga, Ciana Russ, Shenaniah Romias, and Kyle Ranochak presented their “Homeless in Paradise” project.  They displayed a poster board with accompanying slides on a laptop and discussed details with those who had questions.

The four students did their service learning project in March at a homeless campsite adjacent to Waianae Boat Harbor. Mrs. Elisala, a nurse practitioner and faculty member at the University of Hawaii, coordinated a tour of the homeless community and informed the students on the health needs of the community.

In her reflection, Selga described her experience. “From the outside, you would not even imagine what goes on inside their community. The first step inside, you’re greeted by makeshift houses lined up along a beaten pathway. As you dive further in, you begin to realize how amazing these people are. Towards the center of town, which consists roughly of 200 people, lies a garden and chicken coop,” Selga remarked. “The biggest eye-opener for us was seeing how much help these people needed. A doctor there, who volunteers his time every week, explained to us that the greatest problem is they don’t have enough people to help.”

All the students felt that the experience was meaningful and wanted to do more. “It would be nice in the future to see us collaborate with Mrs. Elisala’s team and be able to give back to the people here in Hawaii. As nurses, we want to be able to give more to the community and expand our experience in the nursing profession,” concluded Selga.

The Homeless project was just one of many presentations exhibiting the broad range of topics that students undertook for their research. The Wellness and Health Fair successfully showcased competent and caring students who were well on their way to becoming competent and caring nursing professionals.

Chaminade’s School of Nursing is a four year, full-time undergraduate program that offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The unique program immerses students in nursing preparation with educational curriculum, human-patient simulations, community outreach projects, and service-learning and supervised clinical experiences. The curriculum for our undergraduates program is consistent with the Baccalaureate Essentials of Nursing produced by the American Association of Collegiate Nursing. The nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Student-Mentor Presents at National Conference

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Chaminade senior Erin Ah Sue and Chaminade accounting professor Wayne Tanna presented their collaborative research at the 24th annual conference of the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences (ASBBS) in Las Vegas this spring.

Titled “The Palolo (Elementary School) Stock Market Challenge,” their paper with an accompanying PowerPoint was accepted for competition under the educational leadership track for the “Classroom and Adjustment Issues at Home and Abroad” session. The competitive sessions were organized with an average of four papers presented. After each presentation, general discussion followed.

For the past 20-years, students at Chaminade have strengthened their neighboring community, Palolo Valley, through various service-learning projects, including the “Palolo Stock Market Challenge,” a fantasy investment simulation. Ah Sue, majoring in Nursing and Business Administration, was a recent student-mentor with the project. She and Tanna, her instructor, shared details and the results of the development and operation of the most recent project that assisted low-income students and families in the area. Ah Sue was the main presenter.

The project taught the participating Palolo students basic math concepts and developed financial literacy and an appreciation of the ethical and environmental impacts of business operations through the real-world contexts of saving and investing.

“The paper was more of an instructor’s manual for replicating the game at other universities and public schools around the country,” said Tanna, who has been involved in this project for many years.

Tanna and Ah Sue, who is also a Hogan Entrepreneur Program student, were able to attend other sessions during the March 23-25 conference, as well as the ASBBS awards luncheon with Virginia Gean of California Lutheran University as keynote speaker.  Gean spoke on “Success Stories of Women Leaders in Business and Education.”

Chaminade Celebrates Service Learning

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The Clarence T. C. Ching Conference Center in Eiben Hall was packed with students, faculty, staff and representatives from local community organizations at Chaminade University’s annual celebration of service learning.

Representatives greeted you from SHINE Hawaii as soon as you walked through the door. They shared how involved students had tutored immigrants in English and on passing citizenship tests. Environmental + Interior Design had a large number of projects on display including plans for the spaces at Holy Nativity School in East Oahu. There were nursing projects and business projects, environmental projects and teaching projects.

Alex Morris, a business major working on Professor Kido’s FAFSA project, said “I can afford school. Helping these students to find the means to afford a college education was like doing something that you would do for yourself but to someone who is not me.”

Joshua Fukumae, a senior majoring in Communication, served as an intern with Jarret Middle School helping to develop and maintain the school’s website. “I worked for a client to make sure that the website presented information in a concise way,” he said. Fukumae practiced skills that he would need in his career as well as served a client who needed help.

2017 Service Learning Day
Professor Wayne Tanna and Palolo Elementary students, who won the Stock Market Game

Guests from Palolo Elementary School also attended the celebration for special recognition. The SIFMA Foundation,  an educational non-profit organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of the financial markets for individuals of all backgrounds, awarded two teams at Palolo Elementary School first and second place in the Hawaii Elementary School division of The Stock Market Game for fall 2016.  Both teams were coached by business students from Chaminade University who were led by Accounting professor Wayne Tanna. The Stock Market Game™ is an online simulation of the global capital markets that engages students in grades 4-12 in the world of economics, investing and personal finance, and prepares them for financially independent lives. Medals and certificates were given out to the young winners, who received them with great pride.

The director of Service Learning, Candice Sakuda was pleased with Chaminade’s impact. According to Sakuda, learning through service has been ingrained in programs for decades with the impact of service learning coming through the convergence of civic engagement in the Catholic Marianist tradition.

Chaminade Accounting Students Provide Free Tax Preparation Service

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Chaminade accounting majors took on a taxing challenge this January.  They studied carefully IRS publications and forms, took federal exams, and got themselves certified by the IRS to do tax returns and give advice on budgeting strategies.  Referred to as “the Chaminade tax gang,” these certified students are led across the island by their Chaminade accounting professor, Wayne Tanna, in the pro bono preparing of tax returns for the needy. Each student will do a minimum of four tax returns (many do more) as part of Tanna’s service-learning accounting class project.

Professor Wayne Tanna and Chaminade students providing free tax preparation servicesTanna and various other accounting faculty have been offering this service-learning project since the 1980s. This is one of Chaminade’s longest running service-learning projects, started before the university referred to it as service-learning.

Tanna shared some numbers.  Consider that the average tax return preparation fee at a commercial tax preparer is close to $300.  Of course, there are computer programs, which need computers and servers, which also cost money.  Consider that the Chaminade tax gang work with the working poor and the working homeless, people who are due refunds but are intimidated by federal forms, are not familiar with the intricacies of ,say, Earned Income Credit (EIC), or do not have a computer, and just do not have the funds to otherwise file for refunds. The Chaminade students are able to assist these people in taking care of their legal and civic duties as U.S. citizens (i.e. filing their taxes) and then receive refunds. With their certifications, the Chaminade students can also provide basic tax and budget planning information. In the past, refunds to the needy have helped make ends meet or get some off the streets with enough money for rental deposits.

“By my count, we have helped the community to receive over $7,000,000 in tax refunds and credits over the past 25 years that I have been doing this with my classes.  We have also saved the working poor and homeless communities hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees that again they cannot and really should not have to pay,” said Tanna.

The newest “Chaminade tax gang” engaged with clients for the first time this year on January 29, at the State Capitol, partnering with VITA Hawaii.  To qualify for the free service, clients had to have household incomes of less than $55,000.  Walk-ins were welcomed in between scheduled appointments on a first come, first served basis.  According to Tanna, his students will have 18 additional opportunities to prepare taxes.  From Kalihi and Waianae to Palolo Valley and Ewa, there would be people to serve and numbers to crunch. His students remained eager to serve with calculators in hand.

“We do this as it is the best way to connect academic learning to the actual practice (of accounting) AND to demonstrate civic engagement as a part of our Marianist traditions,” Tanna remarked.

For more information on how to get free tax help in Hawaii, visit VITA Hawaii.