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From left to right HPU representatives with State of Hawaiʻi Governor Josh Green and Hawaiʻi Green Business Program representatives: Clarence Ncube (HPU sustainability coordinator), Regina Ostergaard-Klem (co-instructor), Gov Green,Rasjell Foster (HON student just behind Gov Green), Linda Lierheimer (Residential Honors Program director), Camryn Potter (HON student holding certificate), and Barbara Quimby (co-instructor). Image By Hawai‘i Green Business Program
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HON 2200 class students at the awards event Rasjell Foster and Camryn Potter.
Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Earth Week 2024 was honored as a Green Event Awardee by the Hawai‘i Green Business Program (HGBP). The recognition ceremony took place at the State of Hawai‘i Governor's office this past summer, celebrating businesses and organizations committed to sustainability in Hawai‘i.
Each spring semester, students in the HPU Residential Honors Program's (RHP) HON 2200 class, "Plastic Fantastic?", are tasked with organizing Earth Week on campus. The co-instructors for the 2023-24 academic year were Associate Professor of Environmental Science Regina Ostergaard-Klem, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Marine Science and Policy Barbara Quimby, Ph.D.
This past year's events, held from April 16 to 22, 2024, centered around the theme “Educating our ‘Ohana to Reduce, Reuse, and Rethink for a more sustainable future.” Activities included a book swap, clothes thrifting, upcycling crafts, and a food waste workshop. A notable highlight was the movie night featuring "ReUnite Us," a locally produced documentary about plastic in Hawaiʻi, followed by a panel discussion with representatives from local and state government, non-profits, and HPU Kumu Ramsay Taum.
"We are incredibly proud of our students for their dedication to sustainability and their hard work in organizing the Earth Week 2024 program at HPU,” Ostergaard-Klem said. “This recognition from the Hawai‘i Green Business Program highlights the impact of their efforts and our commitment to fostering a sustainable future for our community."
To earn the Green Event Award, students followed HGBP checklists to enhance the sustainability of their events. They implemented and documented practices such as recycling, food waste management, digital signage, and the use of local vendors. The State Energy Office conducted a site visit at HPU to verify that Earth Week met the criteria for certification as a Green Event. The HPU 2024 Earth Day program was one of six 2024 Green Event Awardees.
Congratulations to the 2024 RHP students in HON 2200! Special thanks are extended to Clarence Ncube, HPU Sustainability Coordinator, and Linda Lierheimer, Ph.D., RHP Director, for their guidance and support of Earth Week 2024 at HPU.
For more information on HPUʻs 2024 Green Events program organized by the 2024 RHP students, go to:
https://greenbusiness.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HPU_EarthWeek_2023-24.pdf
