Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 2004 — Advisory committees raring to go [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Advisory committees raring to go

Aloha mai kākou. Early this year, I requested that an advisory committee on education and an advisory committee on health be created. In response to my request, the Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment (BAE) chairperson, Trustee Colette Machado, has decided to create three advisory committees. The third advisory committee would address human services issues. I have accepted the chairperson's position for the Advisory Committee on Education (ADCOEDU) with mueh enthusiasm. Eaeh advisory committee is allowed no more than five members to serve. Moreover, the members need not only be OHA trustees. Trustee Oswald Stender, Kupuna Betty Jenkins (retired teacher) from the private sector and Puanani Wilhelm of the DOE (Hawaiian programs) will represent the puhlie sector. The fifth person will be announced shortly. The advisory committees are subject to Chapter 92 HRS, the "Sunshine Law" according to OHA's legal folks. Therefore, agendas will be filed accordingly in advance of all meetings. If you are not on OHA's meeting agenda mailing

list, and wish to be notified, please eall my office at 594-1879 to have your name included. BAE Chairperson Machado will officially announee the creation of the three advisory committees at its next meeting, and that will serve as a formal notice that the advisory eommittees may proceed with their business at hand. The goal of the Advisory Committee on Education (ADCO-EDU) is to address the intent of the federally enacted No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The committee will be looking into how the act addresses the needs of our Hawaiian keiki and 'ōpio especially. We will also be reviewing OHA's Strategic Plan goals that address education and how they might eompliment the act. Further, ADCO-EDU intends to review the previously established OHA Education Foundation status to see if it ean benefit the needs of our Hawaiian people seeking educational grants that are not otherwise offered. The whole subject of education is quite comprehensive, and our scope may seem overwhelming, but this ADCO-EDU is ready to take on the task of assisting in creating better and

more educational opportunities for our Hawaiian people. As we review and learn about the world of education for Hawaiians, it will be the role of this advisory committee to report its findings to the Committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment. It will then be the kuleana of the BAE chairperson and committee members to act with determination on its findings. I've also been asked to participate as a member of the Advisory Committee on Health. Trustee Akana will chair that committee. Those who have been reading my monthly articles know that I too am extremely interested in the world of health. The advisory committees are raring to begin work in their respective kuleana. If you have any suggestions for any of the committees, please feel free to email or send them in to me. Of course you are invited and weleome to attend meetings as they are scheduled. As always, my staff and I invite your comments on the above or any other concerns within our purview. My OHA access numbers are: phone 594-1854, fax 594-0210 and e-mail address dantec@oha.org. A hui hou, mālama pono. ■

Dante Keala Carpenter Trustee, O'ahu