Programs
The Center engages in various programs aimed at strengthening Pacific Islander communities and facilitating student success, leadership and achievement.
Peer Mentor Program
A peer mentor is another experienced UH Hilo Pacific Islander student who will help and guide you through your transition to UH Hilo during your first year at UH Hilo and help you be successful. All new Pacific Islanders are invited and encouraged to sign up for a free peer mentor.
PacYES: Pacific Islander Youth Empowerment Day
PacYES is an annual event that brings Pacific Islander high school students and their families to the UH Hilo campus to motivate, inspire and inform them about higher education opportunities and resources and various careers. The event is designed to expose high school students to college student role models and encourage them to pursue higher education.
Speakers & Visiting Delegations
The Center hosts and sponsors guest speakers and visiting delegations (governmental and non-governmental) from throughout the Pacific Islands and other parts of the world who educate, inform, and inspire the UH Hilo community on matters of importance to the Pacific region and its peoples.
Community Outreach
The Center invites Hawaiʻi-based non-profit organizations and schools that serve Pacific Islanders to partner with us to host student leaders or interns in their organizations and schools. We can work together with hosting agencies to design one-time or ongoing programs that empower Pacific Islander communities. Such community service projects have the added benefit of not only developing students’ leadership and mentoring skills and making connections between classroom learning and outside-of-classroom learning that occurs through experiential education, but also impacting the success of future generations of individuals from the target population.
What's Your Story?
A digital storytelling project that chronicles the stories of Pacific Islanders in Hawaiʻi. The goal is to educate the general public on the many positive ways that Pacific Islanders contribute to the community in Hawaiʻi. The video interviews and narratives are shared on the PISC YouTube channel for the general public.