The University of Hawaii opened a UH-American Samoa Campus facility in Puapua on Tuesday with Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga as the invited guest speaker.
The opening ceremony is the culmination of a 45-year education partnership between the University of Hawaii (UH) and American Samoa, which began in 1979 when the University of Hawaii was granted the first teacher education contract under a Teacher Corps Program grant.
The American Samoan Teacher Corps program, operational from 1979 to 1981, evolved into the Territorial Teacher Training Assistance Project (TTTAP), which continued its impact from 1981 to 1997.
From 1997 to the present, the University of Hawaii, in partnership with the American Samoa Community College, has been at the forefront of the Cohort Teacher Education Program.
This program has allowed in-service teachers to pursue a high-quality, nationally accredited Bachelor of Education degree, while remaining at home with their families, communities, and schools.
In his remarks, Governor Lemanu thanked the University of Hawaii for its continuous dedication to meeting the teacher education needs of American Samoa.
“This 45-year partnership is a testament to the shared vision of providing our teachers with the tools they need to thrive,” he said,
Attending were University of Hawaii, President David Lassner, Chief Global Vice Provost Brent White, Dr. Ivy Yeung, and PACMED Director Deborah.
President Lassner acknowledged UH’s 40-year presence in American Samoa, emphasizing the profound connection between Hawaii and American Samoa, given the shared challenges faced by their communities.
