Hawai‘i Community College to Offer New Sustainability Certificate

Hawai‘i Community College is offering a new Academic Subject Certificate (ASC) in Sustainability starting in the Fall 2021 semester that aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge to help address some of today’s biggest challenges.

Like sustainability itself, the Sustainability Academic Subject Certificate is interdisciplinary, and the certificate encompasses Hawaiʻiʻs geography, traditional sustainable practices, climate change and mitigation science, aloha ʻāina, and more.

“The need for individuals with knowledge about sustainability is growing, in our island communities, in our world, and in our workforce,” said Hawai‘i Community College Sustainability Initiatives Coordinator Charlotte Cheek. “Graduates with this certificate will learn how to be part of the solution. No matter what career you are pursuing, sustainability is a valuable component.”

Students will have opportunities to pursue their passions and learn in dynamic places, ranging from loʻi kalo (taro patches) to science labs.

The certificate consists of four Sustainability (SF) Designated Classes, which are three credits each. Students take one SF course in each of the following areas: Natural Science, Social Science, and Hawaiian Studies. In addition, they take one more three-credit SF class of their choice. Students may also apply up to six credits of SF classes from other UH campuses toward the certificate.

The certificate can be earned alongside any Hawai‘i CC degree program.

“I would like to express how incredibly excited we are about the debut of our Academic Subject Certificate in Sustainability,” said Drew Kapp, Geography Instructor and Co-Chair of the Academic Sustainability Committee. “Many members of our Kauhale have already been teaching, learning, working and living sustainability, and it’s just amazing that now our students can earn a certificate in a subject that speaks to this holistic understanding of and relationship with our ʻāina, wai, kai – so very appropriate, timely and critical for Hawaiʻi nei.”

For more information, contact Drew Kapp at dkapp@hawaii.ed or Kristine Kotecki at kotecki@hawaii.edu.