Kapi‘olani Community College was awarded several grants from Hawaiian Electric as well as State Farm to establish a new program hosted through the Center for Resilient Neighborhoods to support the creation of the Resilience Corps Leaders (RCL) Award Program. The RCL program is a leadership training program combined with a community-based service award which prepares students to step into their brilliance as they take on the role of resilience leaders in the campus and broader community.
These students represent the next generation of sustainability and resilience researchers, professionals, educators and neighborhood residents who can integrate sustainability and resilience competencies into their careers and communities.
RCLs work with local partner organizations of their choosing to help our communities prepare for, absorb and bounce back better following natural disaster events and other stressors such as the Covid 19 pandemic so we can address these challenges together as a stronger one island ‘ohana that cares for all. (See Ola O’ahu Resilience Strategy to learn more about the City and Countyʻs plan for supporting resilience on Oʻahu).
The RCL program is the foundation of service in action as we strive for the highest to fulfill the Kapiʻolani Community College Ala Nu‘ukia Mission through the Center for Resilient Neighborhoods (CERENE) to enhance community-based student learning through service learning, undergraduate research and internships focused on building resilience in O‘ahu neighborhoods and communities.
Resilience Corps Leaders receive leadership training and 1:1 mentoring throughout the program to support them in professional development and achieving their career goals. RCLs also complete two community resilience trainings and receive a FEMA Community Resilience Certificate upon completion of this award program. Through the generosity of State Farm and Hawaiian Electric, students receive an $800 award stipend upon successful completion of the program.
The RCL Award Program supports the Kapiʻolani Colleges Sustainability Certificate Program. Students may combine the RCLA Award Program with their Sustainability Certificate Capstone course to receive Service-Learning Credit for their coursework! More information about the Sustainability Certificate Program can be found HERE.
Our Resilience Corps Leaders (RCL) are sharing their
brilliance and resilience across the island! Take a peek at this interactive map introducing our students in action through our Resilience Across Oʻahu Story Map developed by Iwalani Clayton.
Iwalani is the mastermind behind our CERENE website, and she has also been working as a student researcher supporting the creation of a Food Security Student Opportunities web portal. More information about her resilience research and service work can be found HERE, as well as profiles of our first two cohorts of Resilience Corps Leaders.
Our Resilience Corps Leaders (RCL) are also budding community social science researchers and biophysical scientists. You can check out some of their 2022
Student Undergraduate Research Presentations HERE. We also have a brand *NEW* research track for RCLs (call an “R-RCL”) for those interested in building their research skills. You can find more information about the R-RCL Program by visiting HERE.
Ready to apply to become an RCL? We are accepting applications now for our upcoming cohort.
Apply today! Click HERE for more information.
Additional Links:
Resilience Corps Leaders Campus and Community Project Partners
Resilience Corps Leaders Final Projects
The Resilience Corps Leadership Award Program is made possible through funding from our generous donors Hawaiian Electric and State Farm.
