{"id":217457,"date":"2025-06-13T15:59:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-14T01:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=217457"},"modified":"2025-06-13T15:59:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-14T01:59:52","slug":"radford-sustainability-college-credit-kapiolani-cc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/13\/radford-sustainability-college-credit-kapiolani-cc\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability success: High school students earn college credit from Kapi\u02bbolani CC<\/abbr>"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Students
Fieldwork through a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A pioneering dual-credit partnership between Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College<\/a> and Radford High School celebrated its fifth anniversary in May with a milestone achievement: 20 students earned Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>\u2019s Academic Subject Certificate (ASC<\/abbr>) in Sustainability<\/a>—16 seniors and four juniors—one of the largest graduating cohorts in the program\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

\"Students
Ecological data collection at the Honouliuli Wetland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ASC<\/abbr> in Sustainability introduces students to core sustainability concepts through coursework in environmental science, Pacific Islands studies and service-learning.<\/p>\n

High school students who complete the ASC<\/abbr> in Sustainability graduate with 14 college credits. The experience encourages students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world issues affecting Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s communities and ecosystems.<\/p>\n

“I feel as though I could use what I’ve learned from this program in college as a future architecture major at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa,” said Radford High School graduate Avalynn Cresencia. “This career has much to do with the environment and sustainable materials and practices.”<\/p>\n

Hands-on fieldwork<\/h2>\n

Over the past five years, more than 70 Radford High School juniors and seniors have enrolled in the program. The curriculum blends academic theory with hands-on practice, including fieldwork through a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where students engage in ecological data collection to support native species conservation at the Honouliuli Wetland.<\/p>\n

“This program has had a lasting influence—students aren\u2019t just learning about sustainability, they\u2019re actively contributing to it,” said Professor Wendy Kuntz, coordinator of the ASC<\/abbr> in Sustainability. “This Radford High School cohort is the latest success in a five-year partnership that has grown into a model for sustainability education.”<\/p>\n

\"Students
Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> and Radford High School dual-credit students at Honouliuli Wetland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Research, community engagement<\/h2>\n

The program also extends learning beyond the classroom through research and community engagement. Students complete a capstone project and present their work at Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>\u2019s Student Undergraduate Research Fair, tackling topics such as beach litter, fast fashion and mental wellness through cultural connection.<\/p>\n

College and Career Counselor Malia Kau, who coordinates the program at Radford, said, “Our partnership with Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College has been invaluable for our students. They\u2019re developing essential skills that will support their success beyond high school.”<\/p>\n

\"Grads
Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> and Radford High School dual-credit graduates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> program empowers high school students with hands-on experience in sustainability and conservation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[1048,63,73,71],"class_list":["post-217457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-dual-enrollment","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-sustainability","tag-uh-community-colleges","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t