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Samoan Community Education Forum Series
Topic: "Samoan Students: Challenges and Solutions"
DATE: Sunday June 4th 2000 o LIVE TIME: 1:00 PM ? 2:00 PM o TV-SAMOA CHANNEL 53

There will be a live one-hour TV forum, (series) on education centering on the challenges that Samoan students are experiencing in schools in the USA and possible solutions. The first one hour program (3-one hour part series) will be aired live on TV-SAMOA* (Hawaii) on Channel 53 on Sunday, June 4th, 2000 at 1:00 PM. The second and third series will be aired at a later date on TV-SAMOA in Hawaii, California and Washington. (TV-SAMOA regular time slots in Hawaii: Channel 53 on Monday 9pm, Wednesday 11am and Friday 3:00pm). The first forum will be in English and the second and third programs will be in Samoan. The public is welcome. Address is 1122 Mapunapuna St., or call 834-0007 ext. 140 for direction only.

A distinguished panel of leading Samoan educators and experts in the field of education (emphasis on the Samoan community) will provide an insightful indigenous analysis of some of the difficulties that Samoan students are experiencing in the US and how to initiate solutions. According to the program moderator, Tanielu Sataraka, "...We need to know how our own people perceive what the problems are, and how/what we see as solutions because only a genuine indigenous understanding of the dynamics of our children’s’ experience in education can bring true understanding and possible solutions."

According to latest statistics, Samoan students are not only doing poorly, most are at the bottom half of their classes. The Forum panelists are:

1. ETUALE SUAFO’A, BA: Radford High, Vice Principal.
2. Dr. SITIVENI HALAPUA**, Ph.D.: Pacific Islands Development Program Director, East West Center Institute. He is an advisor and consultant to several international consortiums of Pacific nation governments.
3. Rep. BOB McDERMOTT**, MBA: Hawaii Legislature, Committee on Education (married to a Samoan)
4. PAPALIITELE Dr. F. AVEGALIO**, Ed.D: School of Business Management Professor, UH. American Samoa Community College former President.
5. Dr. BOB FRANCO**, Ph.D.: University of Hawaii KCC Professor of Anthropology. Over 20 years of research and has authored several publications on demographics/statistics/migration of Samoans in the US.
6. MIKE GABBARD**, M.Ed.: Congressional Candidate, former high school and college instructor in American Samoa.
7. GUS HANNEMANN: Businessman and former American Samoa legislator
8. SIUA'I LAUFOU, MA: Taught at Kahuku and currently at Kamehameha and Damien High schools
9. ROWENA REID, MA: BYU lecturer. Taught in American Samoa for many years
10. LEIATAUA VAIAO ALAILIMA, MA: High Chief and former Member of Parliament. Samoan material researcher.
11. Dr. FAY C. ALAILIMA**, Ph.D.: Author and former University of Hawaii Professor
12. Dr. SISI ALAILIMA, MD: Physician in Honolulu

A pre-recorded segment by Governor Ben Cayetano, Dr. Paul LeMahieu, Hawaii’s DOE Superintendent, Dr. Seui (American Samoa DOE) and Dr. Leulu F. Vaa (National University of Samoa) will be included

Host/moderator: Tanielu A. Sataraka, an international journalist and a former college lecturer. He has worked in radio/newspaper/television for over 15 years.

** English Forum only