{"id":199901,"date":"2024-06-26T10:13:45","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T20:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=199901"},"modified":"2024-06-26T10:13:45","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T20:13:45","slug":"nh-youth-get-taste-of-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/06\/26\/nh-youth-get-taste-of-college\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer program gives Native Hawaiian youth college experience"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Students designed their waʻa<\/span> (canoe) using a 3D<\/abbr> modeling program and 3D<\/abbr> printer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This June, nearly 100 Native Hawaiian students from grades 6–12 across Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and the continental U.S.<\/abbr> got a taste of college life through a free residential summer program at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa. Now in its 35th year, N\u0101 Pua Noʻeau<\/span> (NPN<\/abbr>) UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa<\/a> aims to increase the number of Native Hawaiian students attending and graduating from UH<\/abbr>. <\/p>\n

During the 13-day Summer Institute, students live near campus and participate in interactive STEAM<\/abbr> (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) activities that emphasize cultural identity. The students get a first-hand experience of what attending college can be like.<\/p>\n

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3D<\/abbr> waʻa<\/span> model<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“What has always been profound and foundational for the students over the past 35 years is that they’ve been coming to our program with an open mind, with the potential, the capacity and the interest to participate in all of the different pathways that we offer through our N\u0101 Pua Noʻeau<\/span> programming,” said Kinohi Gomes, director of N\u0101 Pua Noʻeau<\/span> UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, who has been involved with the program for 30 years. <\/p>\n

NPN<\/abbr>, which is part of the campus’ Â鶹´«Ã½nuiākea<\/span> School of Hawaiian Knowledge<\/a> and Native Hawaiian Student Services<\/a>, has significantly expanded its program this summer. From June 17\u201328, 46 middle and high school students are engaging in a variety of hands-on activities such as brain anatomy, auto CAD<\/abbr> (computer-aided design), haku mele (song composition), lei making and cooking.<\/p>\n

Kavin Ing, a Kamehameha Schools Kap\u0101lama graduate and incoming engineering freshman at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, is learning to 3D<\/abbr> print a Â鶹´«Ã½nuiākea<\/span> waʻa<\/span> (canoe). Graduate students from the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Native Hawaiian Science & Engineering Mentorship Program<\/a> are teaching the teens how to design and 3D<\/abbr> print at Holmes Hall on campus.<\/p>\n

“This is my third year of taking the engineering pathway,” said Ing. “I wanted to guide myself down that path because that’s what I plan to do in the future, and this program has really helped me prepare for that.”<\/p>\n

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Kavin Ing shows off his 3D<\/abbr> waʻa<\/span> model.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Summer Institute activities include:<\/p>\n