Working beyond what was required

Working beyond what was required The Nuclear Summit in Oregon was not only focused on the three-day event in Oregon. It came with an extensive networking program with REACH-MI pioneering greater awareness through outreach utilizing modern contemporary means of communication such as Facebook, community advertising through fliers in collaboration with The Pub, working with journalists and media outlets, and of course networking with key players in REACH-MI across Hawaii and the Oregon State applying the Marshallese extended family network to its fullest.

Initial Networking The first ever Nuclear Summit was advertised online, email, and through person to person contact with President Rosania Bennet informing key players in government and non government such as the Marshall Islands Law Society, Minister Brenson Wase, Minister John Silk, and President Dr. Hilda Heine. Utilizing the extended family network that is largely characteristic of the Marshallese people, REACH-MI member Angeline Heine also contacted her networks in Oregon and of course her existing colleagues and family in the Marshall Islands. With the help of Assistant Secretary Molly Helkena, the word of the Nuclear Summit was also able to reach several Marshallese Citizens in Oregon. REACH-MI Treasurer Lani Kramer also extended her reach with her respective connections in Oregon and increased the level of participation at the actual Summit. The effective online communications would not have been possible however without the extensive ability of REACH-MI Communications Director Ms. Val Ysawa who worked closely with Washington D.C. DPR Jr Aini, with President of Marshallese Oregon Community David Anitok, and with Executive Director of the Marshallese Education Initiative based in Arkansas Ms. April Brown.

Resource Conservation for full Benefit and Maximum Output To fully utilize the awarded donations, REACH-MI took the initiative to extend its network in Seattle, Washington as well as in Honolulu, Hawaii. REACH-MI Secretary Desmond Narain Doulatram, in collaboration with REACH-MI representatives in Hawaii Ms. Dorianne Tarjikit Kabua and Ms. Pisila Tukia1 helped drafted a concept curriculum to be in line with REACH-MI’s goals as well as with RMI’s efforts in addressing the Nuclear Legacy. The Curriculum Concept draft was worked out in accordance with the SPC Canada Fund in which REACH-MI President Rosania Bennet and Ms. Tarjo Arelong are drafting. In an effort to fully utilize existing resources without needing to reinvent the wheel, it was suggested by REACH-MI members Desmond Narain Doulatram, Pisila Tukia, and Dorianne Kabua that we keep the curriculum in line with

1 Ms. Pisila Tukia is a recent REACH-MI recruit and is based in Hawaii. She along with Ms. Dorianne

Tarjikit Kabua are REACH-MI representatives in the state of Hawaii. Ms. Tukia is a Tongan American who is from Arizona where a lot of Marshallese reside. Ms. Tukia knows these Marshallese people and she was recruited not only for networking purposes with the Marshallese Community but also with the Tongan community in the United States who are a valuable resources for us Marshallese Islanders and Pacific Island Communities in general.

the MIHS WASC targets painting reference to the critical areas as well as the existing trainings that were conducted by MOE under the leadership of then Minister and now current President Dr. Hilda Heine.

Brief Background on existing Initiatives In 2012, MIHS under the leadership of then Principal and now Public Schools Commissioner Evelyn Konou2 addressed the WASC Critical Area 2 (See Attached 2012 WASC Report Pg 24 and Appendix G) which stated that “the School in Collaboration with the Ministry of Education needs to identify and implement research-based staff development programs that will provide teachers with strategies utilizing action based research to improve quality instructions. These initiatives were indeed undertaken through the leadership of former Education Minister and current President Dr. Hilda Heine where the Ministry of Education in collaboration with PREL did in fact conduct two workshops in July 2012 entitled “Writing to Read Across the Curriculum” where REACH-MI member Desmond Narian Doulatram completed. This was done to “improve the quality of instruction by identifying the right teaching strategies and approaches to be used in classrooms” and REACH-MI wants to fully utilize existing resources in its drafted concept curriculum to do just that. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, MIHS takes note that Marshallese students are more inclined to remember subject content when it is deemed relatable to the students and sparks interest.

REACH-MI in its efforts to design a nuclear based curriculum is offering the following sample proposal utilizing the PREL research based approaches sponsored by MOE in our joint effort to fully utilize what we have. Signal words as was with the Writing to Read Across the Curriculum Training (conducted by PREL) will be used to provide students the proper language structure to cognitively apply proven research based compare and contrast techniques taught by PREL using premade sentences that detail the Marshall Islands Nuclear legacy. By applying the research based approaches that PREL taught to MIHS staff, we not only fulfill our obligations to meet continued accreditation obligations through actively living to our promises but we fully utilize the spent resources to its ultimate capacity by combining our nuclear history through English techniques thereby killing two birds with one stone. This is not a new concept as the English textbooks do in fact teach history, the only difference is that it is an American English textbook thus not at all relatable to Marshallese students and thus decreases interest. By initiating relatable subject content into the students learning environment, interest is sparked and students not only retain history but they are then able to cognitively use these historical facts through proper grammatical usage of the English language thereby killing two birds with one stone; they not only learn history but they also learn the comparison and contrast research based techniques by PREL thereby improving their literacy and long term memory.

2 REACH-MI member had the priviledge of meeting with Commissioner Konou on his flight to Hawaii

and she has expressed interest in a Nuclear Legacy Curriculum and has already pinpointed REACHMI to the right people.

The benefits of concept proposal curriculum by REACH-MI is as follows: • • • •

RMI gets its moneys worth by fully utilizing existing resources Students learn History in the process of improving Literacy History is thereby retained in memory through active involvement in writing it Cognitive development improves as students then master basic Nuclear history facts and then apply it in everyday life as students also take their worksheets home like a textbook

The reason why this will lead to cognitive development being fully realized at its peak is because this is real relatable history that entails actual Marshallese student Identity. These aren’t just made up stories but actual historical facts that constitute the students’ sense of identity and belonging to a greater picture. Marshallese students not only improve writing but also learn history and take ownership of it and this provides them with the opportunity to improve cognitive memory in design through active application in writing.

These knowledge will register because it is their history/identity and these are knowledge in which students will keep forever and use forever as it is who they are for this is the historical reality of the Marshall Islands and its people.

Nuclear Summit Program The Nuclear Summit in itself was designed in consideration of the Youths of the RMI who constitute a huge portion of the Marshallese population totaling at 46 percent.

It brought in a diverse group of people, American and Marshallese alike, as well as people of various age categories. Minister John Silk (See attached Press Release) set the tone of the program in March 27, 2016 in his keynote address which highlighted the ongoing difficulties RMI faces in obtaining some modicum of justice. Using his Bikinian granddaughters as an example, Minister John Silk skillfully brought the crowd to the issue of the RMI’s Nuclear Legacy.

The second day of the program on March 28, 2016 was a workshop conducted by the Marshallese Education Initiative based in Arkansas, REACH-MI, and of course the Oregon Marshallese Community. The Workshop featured a keynote address from Dr. Holly Barker from the University of Washington who brought in a skilled group of Pacific Island students from the University of Washington who helped facilitate the workshop. The program paid reference and honored Youths in Action in the Marshall Islands and in the United States where a significant Marshallese population resides.

The entire focus of the program was on Youths and thus a significant portion of the program focused on Youth Action and what Youths can do in effecting change particularly in providing alternative avenues for awareness raising. Using examples such as poetry from Ms. Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner and public speeches from Ms. Selina Leem, the workshop facilitators then asked the participants to give their ideas and respective experiences as to what we can do to provide greater awareness. Building confidence was suggested by Ms. Malia Debrum’s group as it is generally known that our Youths lack

this quality when pushing for awareness. Dr. Holly Barker’s students from the University of Washington highlighted the fact that everyone must play their part, not just Marshallese, as they too take pride in helping Pacific Island communities such as the Marshall Islands. However, the main desire of the participants is to push the RMI’s nuclear legacy into the school curriculum not only in the United States where there exist a shared Nuclear Legacy but also in the Marshall Islands.

The end of the program was the award ceremony conducted in which Mr. David Anitok, President of the Oregon Marshallese Community introduced key people who made the Oregon May Day festivities a success including the Reverends who helped out, Minister Kalani Kaneko, and of course REACH-MI Communications Director Val Ysawa who paid reference to the fact that the entire program would not have been successful without the enthusiasm and hospitality of the Oregon Marshallese Community.

Attachments: -Press release -Financial Report -MIHS 2012 WASC Report -Children in the Republic of the Marshall Islands: An Atlas of Social Indicators

References UNICEF. Childen in the Republic of the Marshall Islands: An Atlas of Social Indicators.

UNICEF Pacific, 2013. Print MOE. Marshall Islands High School Three-Year Term Progress Report. MIHS, 2012.

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