Annual Student Congress on Sustainability

The three-day Student Congress on Sustainability is an annual event hosted by HPA and The Kohala Center. All Hawai‘i Island public, private, and charter high-schools are encouraged to send student and faculty delegates to participate. The Student Congress on Sustainability provides students with an opportunity to build awareness and to collaborate on student-driven environmental initiatives.

The Student Congress on Sustainability 2009 was held at the upper campus of Hawai‘i Prepatory Academy on June 11-14. The second annual congress featured speakers, workshops, a full-day excursion, and time for students to discuss and exchange ideas. Speakers included Captain Charles Moore, founder of Algalita Marine Research Foundation; Henk Rogers, founder of Blue Planet Foundation; and Dr. William Steiner, dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. Workshops featured topics in agriculture, compostable products, reefs and oceans, hydrogen cells, electric cars, biofuels, and energy audits. Delegates also participated in an excursion to diverse island farms featuring aquaponics and hydroponics.

To participate, students may contact their principals, or HPA's Congress Chair Karen Yamasato at 808-895-1106
(e-mail kyamasato@hpa.edu, fax 881-4071). 

For more information, contact Samantha Birch at 808-443-2755 or sbirch@kohalacenter.org.

Student Congress on Sustainability Newsletter
August 2009
October 2009