In this edition of our newsletter, we highlight the inspiring graduations on the neighbor islands and celebrate the signing of bills to help with the cost of living in Hawai‘i. We also signed bills supporting our Native Hawaiian communities, making health care more accessible and helping our health care workforce stay in Hawai‘i. (Read more)

Governor Josh Green, M.D., First Lady Jaime Kanani Green, and festival organizers had the honor of hosting the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) in Hawai‘i for the first time in the festival’s 52-year history. This event is the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific Islanders and brought together 25 nations from across the Pacific. Various events were conducted on O‘ahu from June 6-16, 2024, showcasing and celebrating each nation’s arts, culture and traditions. (Read more)

Governor Josh Green, M.D., recently signed two major pieces of legislation, House Bill (HB) 2404 and Senate Bill (SB) 1035, into law. HB 2404 provides significant tax relief to Hawaiʻi’s families. It’s the largest income tax cut for working families in the state’s history and makes the tax code more progressive. (Read more)

NATIONAL RECRUITMENT FOR NEXT UH PRESIDENT IS UNDERWAY

The national recruitment for the next president of the University of Hawaiʻi 10-campus system officially began in May 2024 with the goal of having a new president in place by early 2025.

The UH Board of Regents (BOR) approved the position description and leadership profile at its May 16 BOR meeting. Both were based on feedback provided through six public forums on four islands (565 people attended in-person and virtually) and a public survey (2,093 responses), along with input from the regents and the Presidential Search Advisory Group (PSAG). PSAG also developed the position description and leadership profile. (Read more)

COMMENCEMENT SEASON HIGHLIGHTED BY UH GRADUATIONS ON MAUI AND MOLOKAʻI

Commencement season wrapped up in May 2024, with dozens of high school and college graduation ceremonies across Hawaiʻi, including two very special University of Hawaiʻi (UH) Maui College graduations.

On May 9, UH Maui hosted its first commencement since the 2023 wildfires, with about 220 students participating. The theme of the ceremony was “resilience.” (Read more)

PRESERVING THE NI‘IHAU DIALECT THROUGH STUDENT-CREATED BOOKS

On the West side of Kauaʻi, a small but determined charter school is working to preserve a language important to its community. Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha, the only ‘Ōlelo Ni‘ihau immersion school in the state, has empowered its students from preschool to 12th grade to author more than 400 books in the Ni‘ihau dialect of the Hawaiian language since 2018, creating a vibrant literary legacy. (Read more)