Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 6, 1 Iune 1990 — Family Community workshops open [ARTICLE]

Family Community workshops open

People who want to make a difference in their community may benefit from participating in training workshops beginning this month in the Family Community Leadership program (FCL). Workshops will help participants build leadership skills and help them realize goals to make their community a better plaee. The curriculum also covers group process, issue analysis and resolution, public policy education, volunteerism, and how to train adults. In-depth leadership sessions will prepare participants to conduct workshops in their own organizations or communities. One graduate of the FCL training program is Helen 0'Connor of Moloka'i. She says, "Participating in the FCL helped me to change my attitude toward myself, and bring to the surface the self-confidence I did have. (It) helped me to take a stand for what I believe in, to not be afraid to speak in public. "FCL has helped me to build myself into a better parent and citizen in my community and in our state."

0'Connor said the program helped her see her great potential and find the determination to act on it. 0'Connor now assists FCL with youth leadership training, does community organizing, is a native Hawaiian health planner and co-founder of a native Hawaiian health association on Moloka'i. She is also coordinator of the Affordable Housing Allianee on O'ahu and is involved with other eommunity activities. The FCL training series will take plaee June 2224, Aug. 3-5 and Nov. 2-4 on O'ahu and in Hilo. Participants must commit to attend eaeh of the three weekends in the series. Registration fee is $100 and includes airfare and housing for all three sessions plus materials. Meals are the responsibility of eaeh individual. A $25 cancellation fee will be charged. Training sessions are limited to 35 persons so application should be made promptly. For information and application forms contact Jean Young, at 948-7711, or write the State FCL Office, Gilmore Hall #118, 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822.

People may also contact their loeal county eooperative extension offices: Hilo (959-9155); Maui (244-3242 or 244-3254); Moloka'i (567-6698 or 5676818); Kaua'i (245-4471) and O'ahu (948-7212). Applications are also available in the OHA Honolulu office, 1600 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1500, Honolulu, Hawai'i, 96814 (phone 946-2642). FCL trainers serve as educators and not advocates of a particular philosophy or point of view. FCL strengthens communities by increasing awareness and involvement of citizens in the eommunity decision-making process. More than 9,000 persons have been trained since the program began in 1981. They in turn contribute more than 5,000 hours of volunteer time annually. FCL is sponsored jointly by the University of Hawai'i Cooperative Extension Service and the Hawai'i Extension Homemakers Council. There are 49 FCL project states plus Guam. Initial funding was provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.