Micronesians United – Big Island (MU-BI) and several non-profit organizations in Hawaii; namely, Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE), The Learning Coalition (TLC), and We Are Oceania (WAO) – are co-sponsoring a research study to determine the feasibility of establishing a Micronesian-focused charter school or other educational programs in Hawaii. They have contracted a team of doctoral students in the College of Education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa to conduct the research and present their findings in December, 2015.
The Research Team is scheduled to conduct several gender-based Sharing Circles (focus groups) with key stakeholders from the Micronesian community on Hawaii Island, Maui, and Oahu who are interested in the education of Micronesian children. If you are interested in being a part of these informal talk story circles, please contact the various leaders of the sponsoring organizations (their names and contact info are below). The results of these focus groups and other research methods will provide valuable information for the field of indigenous education and more specifically Micronesian culture-based education.
Hawaii Island
(Sponsored by MU-BI)
- Men: Saturday, June 27, 2015, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, UH Hilo, Kanakaʻole Hall (K) Room 122 (Contact: Dr. Craig Severance, 808-640-1670) – map & direction –
- Women: Saturday, July 11, 2015, 8:00 – 10:00 am, UH Hilo, Kanakaʻole Hall (K) Room 122 (Contact: Tulpe Day, 808-333-1571) – map & direction –
Maui
(Sponsored by FACE)
- Female: Monday, July 13, 2015, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Location – to be determined (Contact: Tasha Kama, 808-879-3195)
Oahu
(Sponsored by WAO)
- Men: Friday, July 3, 2015, 9:00 – Noon, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, 720 N. King St., (Contact: Jojo Peter, 808-393-4235) – map & directions –
- Women: Friday, July 3, 2015, 9:00 – 12:00 pm, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, Classroom 1 (Contact: Josie Howard, 808-425-0327) – map & directions –
———- Important Information ———
Activities and Time Commitment: If you agree to participate, you will be interviewed in a small group consisting of other community members from the Freely Associated States (FAS) diaspora. The focus group discussion will last about 2 hours and may be audio and video recorded so that we can have a written record that can be analyzed later. The focus group activity will be informal, a time to share your experiences as a member of the Micronesian diaspora in Hawai`i who is interested in education for Micronesian children.
Benefits and Risks: While you will receive no direct benefit from participating in this study, your sharing is meaningful and will help the four client organizations to better understand the community demand and interest in establishing a Micronesian culture-based educational program. We believe there is little or no risk to you in participating in this project. If, however, you are uncomfortable with any of the interview questions, we will skip the question, or take a break, or stop the focus group, or you may withdraw from the study altogether.
Confidentiality and Privacy: During this research project, all data from the focus groups will be kept in a secure location. Only the researchers and their graduate advisors will have access to the data, although legally authorized agencies, including the University of Hawai`i Human Studies Program, have the right to review research records.
After the focus group sessions are transcribed, the research team will destroy the audio and video recordings. No names or other personally identifying information will be used in the writing of this research project. In typed transcripts, a pseudonym or fake name will be used; your real name or other personally identifying information will not be used. If you would like a summary of the findings from the final report, please contact Ed Noh (ednoh@hawaii.edu).
Voluntary Participation: Participation in this research study is voluntary. You can choose freely to participate or not to participate. In addition, at any point during this project, you can withdraw your permission without any penalty or loss of benefits.
Questions: If you have any questions about this project, please contact Ed Noh (ednoh@hawaii.edu) or email graduate advisor Dr. Mary Hattori (maryh@hawaii.edu). If you have questions about your rights as a research participant in this project, you can contact the University of Hawai`i, Human Studies Program, by phone at (808) 956-5007 or by email at uhirb@hawaii.edu.
If you agree to participate in this project, please contact Vid Raatior (raatior@hawaii.edu or 808-430-2017). You will be required to sign the following consent form at the talking circle.
————– At the Meeting, Participants will Sign this Waiver Form ————–
Signature for Consent:
I agree to participate in the research project entitled, Feasibility Study for the Establishment of a Micronesian-Focused Charter School or Other Educational Programs. I understand that I can change my mind about participating in this project at any time by notifying the researcher.
Your Name (Print): ________________________________________________________
Your Signature: ___________________________________________________________
Date: _____________________