CERENE hosted guests from Amerika Samoa this week. Resilience Corps leader alumni and Transcending Barriers to Success in Economics Peer Mentors (Graphic artist extraordinaires) Iwalani Clayton and Kaua Kalaiwa’a mentored guests in building a new website for the Amerika Samoa Humanities Council (ASHC). Dr. Robert Franco is collaborating with ASHC in developing an open-source text-book on American Samoa History written by local authors and available to all on their newly built website.

CERENE Seminar 

• Topic: Aloha ‘Āina x Economics: Research on Red Hill Crisis and Home Prices in Hawai’i 
• Quest Speaker: Sadichchha Shrestha, PhD Student of Economics, UH Mānoa. 
• When: Wednesday, November 27th, 12:00 PM Lunch Social | 12:30 – 1:30 PM CERENE Seminar
• Where: In-Person (Olona 115) or online via Zoom. Click Here!
  • Meeting ID: 994 3463 1031
  • Passcode: resilience

Let’s dive into critical research on the impacts of the Red Hill Crisis and how it shapes our local housing market with guest presenter and UHM PhD Economics student, Sadichchha Shrestha.
Stay inspired by the connections between community resilience, sustainability, and economic insights.

 Bring your lunch, snacks to share, and enjoy fresh coffee & popcorn!

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Join us as we learn about Resilience Leadership in Action!

🌿✨ Kū Pūnāwai Series Presents: FOREST BATHING (SHINRINYOKU) ✨🌿

🌿✨ Kū Pūnāwai Series Presents: FOREST BATHING (SHINRINYOKU) ✨🌿

Experience Kapiʻolani Community College like never before!

Join Dr. Miku Lenentine on December 5th, 3:00 – 4:30 PM, for a 1.5-hour guided forest bathing walk. Connect deeply with nature, explore hidden campus gems, and take a refreshing pause from daily life.

🍃 What to Expect:

• Awaken your senses and slow down
• Discover familiar spaces anew
• Enjoy a peaceful “wild sit” and tea ceremony

📅 Details:
🗓 Date: December 5
⏰ Time: 3:00 – 4:30 PM
💵 Registration Fee: $19.00

👉 Register Here: https://go.hawaii.edu/bVy

📍 Kapiʻolani Community College
📞 (808) 734-9211
✉️ kccocet@hawaii.edu

Kapiʻolani Community College is an EEO/Affirmative Action Institution.

#ForestBathing #Shinrinyoku #NatureConnection #KapiolaniCommunityCollege #KūPūnāwai #RestoreAndRefresh #TeaCeremony

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🌱 Renewable Energy Seminar: Moloka’i & Oʻahu 🌞

Join the Center for Resilient Neighborhoods for an engaging session on renewable energy and community-based planning.

📅 Date: Wednesday, November 13th
📍 Location: Olonā 115
🕛 Time:

12:00 PM: Lunch Social
12:30 PM: CERENE Seminar

Guest Presenter:
Sebastien Selarque from SHAKE Energy

Bring your lunch and snacks for a brown bag seminar! Fresh coffee and popcorn will be provided. ☕🍿

🔗 Zoom Option: https://go.hawaii.edu/n6y

For more info, contact: cerene15@hawaii.edu or visit cerenehawaii.org.

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Dive into topics on local food security, resilient communities, and the power of community gardens

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Take time to reflect and recharge this season with a special seminar focused on wellness for resilience.

 Led by Dr. Miku Lenentine, a Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor, this session offers a chance to connect with others and engage in practices that support community resilience and personal well-being. 

This is a great opportunity to connect, relax, and recharge with others! Let’s make Wellness Wednesday a cornerstone of resilience and growth. Don’t miss it!

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Join us for an engaging session on Indigenous Research Methods for Climate Resilience and Economics!

Guest Speaker: Dr. Kamakana Aquino, Coordinator of Hui ʻĀina Pilipili at UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences.

🗓 Date: Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024
🕛 Time: 12:30 – 1:30 PM
📍 Location: In-person at Olona 115 & Zoom

Learn about the 6 R’s of Indigenous Research Methodology and how traditional knowledge can address today’s climate challenges.

For more details, email: cerene15@hawaii.edu

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Aloha mai,

We are presenting the first of three brown bag seminars focused on Climate and Community Resilience in the Pacific!

We will be hosting this series for the next 3 weeks. Please join us, bring your lunch (or zoom in)! Feel free to share with students, staff or others you think might be interested!

Climate and Community Resilience in the Pacific: Brown Bag Seminar Series

Join us for a series of engaging brown bag seminars on Wednesdays: 9/24, 10/2, and 10/9 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM, both in-person at Olonā 115 and online. Explore how community-based resilience hub research on Oʻahu connects with participatory action research and GIS tools, blending Indigenous and Western knowledge systems. Bring your lunch (and snacks to share!) while enjoying fresh coffee and popcorn! ☕🍿

RSVP for Virtual Access: go.hawaii.edu/n6y

Featured Presenters:

• Dr. Miku Lenentine, CERENE Program Coordinator
• Hedsey Rowa, TBSE/CERENE Student Leader
• Brianna Donnelly, CERENE Assistant Coordinator
• Dr. Gregg Nakano, Security Advisor, Kwajalein Government

👉 Email cerene15@hawaii.edu for more information. All welcome!

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CERENE Examples from Hawai’i and the Marshall Islands: Community-Based Research for Community and Climate Resilience

🗓️ When: Wednesday, September 25
📍 Location: Olonā 115 & Online
🕒 Time: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

RSVP for Virtual Access:
go.hawaii.edu/n6y

Join us to learn about community-based research for climate resilience in Hawai’i and the Marshall Islands. We’ll share highlights from our student-led, community-partnership focused research and learnings from Oʻahu’s resilience hubs and applications for Ebeye. Bring your lunch (and snacks to share! 🍪 🥨 🍭), and enjoy fresh coffee and popcorn! ☕🍿

👉 Email cerene@hawaii.edu with any questions. All welcome!

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Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) Resilience in Hawaiʻi program

CERENE coordinator Dr. Miku Lenentine and student leaders from Kapiʻolani Community College, Kaua Kalaiwa‘a and Victoria Escalona participated in Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) Resilience in Hawaiʻi program.

Mahalo to WiRE for the invitation and organizing this timely and lively discussion, which covered the City’s climate adaptation strategy and guiding policy document, Climate Ready Oʻahu; Hawaiian Electric’s resilience strategy and critical community hubs; and CERENE’s leadership in community-based resilience capacity building and networking.

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PICARD – Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Research and Development Symposium

CERENE coodinator, Dr. Miku Lenentine, and Resilience Corps Leader, Hedsey, attended the PICARD, Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Research and Development Symposium. It was eye opening and interesting to learn about the innovative ways they are developing to help places at risk due to climate change.

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Kaimuki Microgrid Project Meeting

CERENE Coordinator and Student Leaders were honored to attend a Kaimuki Microgrid Project meeting with important leaders of FEMA, the DOE, and other faculty members of Kapiʻolani Community College at Kaimukī Middle School. The project will install a back-up battery system connected to the campusʻ solar PV system and will support other neighborhood-level resilience planning through partnership with the CERENE Center for Resilient Neighborhoods at Kapi‘olani Community College.

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Field Research Training at Hale O Ike

[Posted Aug 27 2024]

In April and May, CERENE hosted two field research training at Hale o Ike focused on community and culture. Participants delved into various indigenous research methodologies, learned about systems thinking, and explored resilience practices for disaster preparedness. They also gained insights into reducing ecological footprints by monitoring waste, water, and energy usage. Additionally, attendees had the chance to engage in forest restoration and invasive species removal activities. The weekends offered a blend of sunrise meditation, yoga sessions, informative lectures, connecting with nature, and teamwork, providing a holistic and enriching experience for all involved. 

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CERENE Student Leaders Graduate! and Celebrate for Spring 2024!

[Posted May 11th 2024] | Article URL

We joined in celebrating the remarkable achievements of our CERENE Student Leaders as they graduated from Kapi’olani Community College this Spring 2024! This special event honored their dedication, leadership, and positive impact on our community. We gathered to applaud their success and inspire the next generation of changemakers.

Together, we marked this milestone with joy and appreciation for their hard work and commitment, celebrating the future they are poised to shape!

Special thanks to Hawaiian Electric for funding our Resilience Corps Leaders, and to the amazing support staff at Kapi’olani Community College and Faculty Instructors, Mentors and Guides. Congratulations everyone! We did it again!

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CERENE SURF-ing Spring 2024

[Posted May 10th, 2024] | Article URL Link

(SURF = The Student Undergraduate Research Fair! )

Our amazing cohort of CERENE students (Resilience Corps Leaders and TBSE Student Leaders in Economics) presented at SURF (Kapi’olani’s Student Undergraduate Research Fair). Students shared presentations on Nature Based-Solutions for Fire Mitigation on Diamond Head, Climate Health Impacts and Observations during a clinical “shadowing” experience, Food Security in the Federated Stated of Micronesia, Remote sensing for fire risk mapping and more! Congratulations cohort 5 for your amazing work this year!

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CERENE at UHM Sustainability Conference

Sustainability and Climate Change Conference and Biocultural Restoration Workday!

[Posted May 10th, 2024] | Article URL

Our CERENE Student Leaders, and Kapi’olani Community College faculty dedicated to climate change, sustainability and resiliency gathered for a weekend workshop and discussion hosted at UH Manoa. The conference brought together national and local organizations who have joined forces to support and inspire faculty and other formal and informal educators, including graduate students, to integrate social, economic and environmental sustainability into undergraduate education.

The gathering was organized by University of Hawaiʻi faculty and staff and is sponsored by the national Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the national Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities’ (SENCER) Center for Innovation West, the EPSCoR-funded Transcending Barriers to Success in Economics (TBSE), the Western Region Continuums of Service Conference 2025, the UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences, and CERENE at Kapiʻolani Community College.

Our CERENE Student leaders, Nicole and Nimue were able to join in to provide the student perspective along with faculty from Philosophy, Economics, English, Anthropology, Hospitality and CERENE. After discussion with others one of our BIG take-aways, is the focus on Kin-ship and Relationship being at the heart of sustainability, resiliency and climate change education. The newly published paper by Chip Fletcher and our own Kap’CC English faculty, Krista Hiser lays this out nicely (this was one of the papers we discussed at the conference) — but really, at the heart of the future of our work we all agree is place-based (neighborhood scale) kinship!

To read more about the event visit: https://socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/sustainability-and-climate-change-across-the-curriculum/

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CERENE at AAG

The American Association for Geographers

[May 2nd 2024] | Post URL Here

Our CERENE Student Leaders at Kapi’olani Community College positively glowed with pride as they presented for the first time at a National Scientific Conference. They shared their work on Islandwide Resilience Planning with Action 15, and the O’ahu Resilience Hubs Network — exploring the intersection with Emergency planning and Aina-Spaces. The Sacred, and Self Sufficient! It was well received and our students, staff and faculty had a wonderful time!

Mahalo nui loa for all who made it possible to attend and share this work! Supporting bright hearts and minds for the future of a resilient and prosperous Hawai’i.

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MSU Humprey Fellow’s experience in CCRP at Kapi’olani Community College – Hosted by CERENE (repost from original article)

PIM Kaewmanee

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3 articles Following

Posted – March 14, 2024

I never imagined that my spirit would undergo such tremendous growth in just 7 days during the Community College Residency Program at Kapi’olani Community College. How COME?

Dr. Miku Lenentine from the Center for Resilient Neighborhoods (CERENE), KPCC, welcomed me into her home with the warmest heart, making it feel like my home away from home for those seven days. Instead of the typical activities for visiting scholars like welcoming dinners and campus tours, I was immersed in a plenty of wonderful experiences.

Right from the first day, I was swept into an AMAZING evening book club. This wasn’t your ordinary book club; it was a forum where Dr. Miku and the members delved into the complexities of “Emergent Strategies” by Adrain Brown. It was no easy read, but the discussions extended beyond the book, touching on life situations, work challenges, and the collective movement towards a better society and environment. This unofficial inaugural meeting set the tone for reshaping my thoughts and expectations for the entire visit.

The “60 years of Hawai’i Community College” conference unveiled a whole new world of conference program design. What struck me was their human-centered approach, evident in the packed schedule featuring diverse and fascinating themes across 4 sessions in 29 rooms. The day began with enchanting Hawaiian songs and Hula dance, introducing the 8 campuses of the U.Hawaii system. They even incorporated rooms for relaxation, offering activities like Yoga and escape room challenges. The conference concluded on a delightful note with a herbal stream aromatherapy session, leaving us with the unforgettable scent of Hawaii.

Click HERE to read full article on LinkedIN

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Thrive Flow:

Wellness for Resilience, Renewal and Thriving!

Join us for a rejuvenating 45-minute mindfulness break that integrates yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. All levels. All welcome. Pause. Thrive. Flow.

RSVP to reserve your spot, or drop on by (drop-ins available as space allows).

Please dress comfortably and bring a mat or towel for floor-based practices — and maybe a blanket to keep warm as the room can be quite cool. We’ll be seated on the floor, so plan accordingly. Cushions and bolsters will be available for use. No need to change clothes as long as you’re comfortable.

Note: Latecomers are welcome! Feel free to join at any time, whether for the full session or just a 15-minute break.

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Visiting Humphrey Fellow Sustainability and Resilience Presentation on Thailand Forest Communities

Sustainability Across the Curriculum Virtual Forest Bathing Event!

A UH System-Wide invitation for Faculty, Students & Staff and community members! RSVP Here: https://go.hawaii.edu/iin

Virtual Forest Bathing! 

Enjoy the healing benefits of the forest right from your desk or smartphone.

All students, staff, faculty and community members are welcome to join. Come forest bathing with us! Learn More Here.

Celebration of Sustainability let’s take a moment to celebrate the excellent work taking place across our many campuses. We will share an offering of gratitude and celebration for all, and highlight some of the amazing work taking place right here at Kapi’olani Community College.

Message from the Chancellor Join us for a message from Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi on sustainability!

Speaker Panel  Dean Richards, Mike Ross, Kohlby Soong, Alissa Kashiwada and Krista Hiser

Learn what others are doing and innovative new practices in sustainability as we mālama’aina  and each other. Network and make new connections for cross-campus sustainability collaboration! Questions! Collaboration? Ideas? Email Dr. Kuan-Hung Chen at kchen@hawaii.edu

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JABSOM Mindful Practice w/ CERENE and Virtual Forest Bathing

Please join us for our JABSOM Mindful Practice session on Wednesday, February 7th, 2024 from 12:30-1:00 pm.  

We hope that you can join us for a 30-minute break in your day to join us in listening to a Mindful Practice presentation by our returning special  guest speaker Dr. Miku Lenentine, Program Coordinator, Center for Resilient Neighborhoods, Kapiolani Kul Nui Kaiaulu, Kapiolani Community College, University of Hawaii. Dr. Lenentine will be taking us on a virtual forest bathing in the JABSOM Mala La’au Lapa’au. 

We are looking forward to seeing you all there!

NEW: Check out our Mindful Practice Repository for previously recorded sessions and shared materials HERE!

Click HERE to register for just one or all of the sessions for 2024, then check your email for a Zoom confirmation with the login info. 

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Seminar and TBSE Talkstory!

Economists in Aloha ‘Āina

Keli’i KotubeteyFounder, Assistant Executive Director of Paepae o He’eia

Keli’i, a native of Kailua, O`ahu is currently the ‘Āina Momona or CBED Coordinator. As such this former educator and fiscal manager of the organization is now responsible for bringing awareness of the fishpond to the community while also leading the production and sale of He’eia fish and limu. Keli’i is a 1996 graduate of Kamehameha Schools who received a BA in Economics from Whitman College and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Hawai’i.

Wednesday, Nov. 29th
Seminar 1-2pm
Talkstory 2-3pm

Location:
Social Science Multipurpose Room –  Olonā 115
Snacks and refreshments provided!

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Join the CERENE Writing Room!

Ready to level up your writing and build an enduring habit?
Join us in the CERENE Virtual Writing Room online via Zoom every Wednesday.

Register below to receive the zoom link, and we will see you there!

Sign up here: https://go.hawaii.edu/B6y

The CERENE Writing Room is open to students, faculty and staff.

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CERENE Writing Room Rules:

• Log in 5 minute early to set up and enter your writing goals.
• At the start of hour as people join you can unmute to share aloha, but other than that NO Talking!
• At the end of the hour write your writing progress / goals achieved in the chat
• Optional unmute to share aloha before leaving (keep it super short!).

That’s it! See you there.

Write, write and write!

Mahalo nui loa, Dr. Miku

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 Kapi’olani Community College Faculty Sustainability Celebration and Forest Walk

September 2023

 Kapi’olani Sustainability Faculty getting CERENE on campus with this short form version of forest bathing (sometimes called Shinrinyoku or 森林浴) , meditation and a forest tea ceremony to celebrate sustainability on campus and support resilience and restoration of bodies, hearts and minds with the ʻāina.

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Dear Students, Faculty, and Friends,

Greetings! I hope this email finds you in good health and spirits. As we all know, the past few months have been challenging for everyone, and it’s more important than ever to prioritize our mental and physical well-being. With that in mind, I am delighted to invite you to a Wellness Meditation Session with CERENE on April 26, from 10 AM to 11 AM at the Second Floor Lama Library. Dr. Miku (CERENE Program Coordinator) will be leading the meditation session.

Dr. Miku is an experienced meditation teacher who has been practicing meditation for over a decade. Her approach to meditation is unique and incorporates elements of mindfulness, breathing techniques, and visualization to help individuals achieve a state of inner peace and relaxation.

Here are the details of the session:

Date: April 26, 2023 Time: 10 AM – 11 AM Venue: Second Floor Lama Library

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Pohukaina Food Pantry Produce Distribution

March 2023

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Genki Ball Making with the Waikīkī Community Center

March 5th 2023

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Malama Kapi’olani 2023 – Food Resilience supporting the KapCC Culinary Garden

March 2023

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Weaving for resilience!

Intergenerational weaving of yarn leis for upcoming Continuums of Service Conference.

March 2023

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Vulnerable Communities Resilience Workshop at the Waikīkī Community Center

September 21 2022

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ʻOhana Produce Plus Food Distribution

September 23, 2022