Skip to main content
College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Give to the College

Pacific Islander Civil Rights: Cultural Renewal, Leadership and Service Seminar

Please thoroughly review this page in its entirety before accessing the application. It contains crucial information you need to know prior to completing your application. Feel free to send questions or concerns to

civilrights@byu.edu

Pacific Islander seminar meeting

Purpose:

 

In 2016 President Worthen introduced the concept of “Inspiring Learning”, a process by which
we “inspire our students to learn…and that [this] learning leads to inspiration.” This two part process fulfills the purpose, mission, and AIMS of a BYU education. In his talk by the same name, President Worthen notes that students “should experience learning that renders them

not only . . . capable of meeting personal challenge and change but . . . also [of bringing] strength to others in the tasks of home and family life, social relationships, civic duty, and service to mankind.”

 
He also noted that inspiring learning more often occurs outside of the traditional classroom, in what are called “experiential learning activities”, such as study abroad, field work, and applied service experiences. The purpose of the Pacific Islander Renewal and Service Seminar is to provide a truly “inspiring learning” experience for students with significant connections to the Pacific Islands as they prepare for a lifetime of service to Christ, His Restored Church, their families, and communities.

  • Encourage and foster a “community of belonging” for NHPI students at BYU
  • Provide a setting where student cans develop leadership skills that help them make a difference in
    the restored church of Jesus Christ, families, and communities
  • Provide students with knowledge, skills, resources, personal connections, and networks necessary
    to succeed in their education at BYU
  • Help students connect with NHPI cultural heritage in a way that will protect against physical and
    mental health problems common to marginalized Native groups.
  • Increase faith in Jesus Christ in a way that leads to live long conversion to Him

Student Expectations:

  • Diligent Student
    • This seminar is a class where diligent effort is required. Students are expected to come to class well-prepared, having completed their weekly assignments, and ready to engage in meaningful dialogue.
  • Engaged Participant
    • This seminar will consist of a group of diverse individuals who will engage with the topics of history, cultural renewal, mental health, service, and introspective growth. Because of the weight of these topics, students are expected to communicate with respect, compassion, and honesty
  • Active Citizen
    • This seminar is designed for students to develop an informed perspective on Pacific Island history and current cultural climate, as well as personal histories and growth. With this understanding, students will be more prepared to cultivate racial equality and cultural connections within their everyday interactions, among their friends and families, and throughout their broader communities.

Seminar Highlights:

 

Students in this course will come to understand the impact of cultural erosion and loss on the physical and mental health of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI), and the importance of drawing upon the strength that comes from cultural identification. The course will provide an opportunity to connect with indigenous ways of understanding and health through a Pacific Islander Renewal and Service Seminar. This seminar will include a semester long academic class in Winter 2024, multiple opportunities to provide meaningful community service to NHPIs both in Utah and in the Pacific, and a leadership/service trip to Samoa and Tonga. A major portion of the course will focus on how to improve physical and mental health among NHPI students on campus, engage successful in university life, and help them become leaders in Church, family, and community settings. As always at BYU, one AIM of the course is to spiritually strengthen participants and help them become lifelong converts to Christ.

As part of the trip, we will visit and experience:

-Pre- and post-seminar reunions and gatherings
-In-depth classroom discussions regarding NHPI history and cultural renewal
-Sites of Native Hawaiian colonization and subsequent cultural renewal on Oahu
-Sites that are sacred to Native Hawaiians and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
-The Laie Temple
- Community service in Samoa to gather data regarding Alzheimer’s Disease on the Island
-Train individuals and families on practices that can protect against AD.
-Provide service to local secondary school students and members of the Christ’s restored church
-Meet with Samoan Chiefs and government officials
-Participate in traditional ceremonies
-Engage in activities related to ecological renewal and preservation
-Sites sacred to Christ’s restores church in Samoa, including the temple
 

Attendance Requirements:

  • Minimum Requirements:
    • Be registered as a daytime-continuing student at BYU for the Winter semester
    • Complete application by deadline
    • Must be able to attend seminar trip for all days outlined

  • Acceptance considerations:
    • Not all applicants will have the opportunity to be interviewed
    • Seminar administrators will select applicants for interviews to make some determinations regarding the applicants':
      • Connection to, interest in, and/or understanding of Pacific Islander history
      • Interest in and potential for actively participating in community building and mentorship
      • Commitment to the Seminar as an academic experience
    • Commitment to generating, facilitating, and participating in dialogue about potentially sensitive matters in a forthright, thoughtful, courteous, and constructive manner
    • Gender ratios must be taken into account to ensure appropriate and cost-effective hotel accommodations
    • Class standing will also be factored into the final decision, because it impacts:
      • The number of times a student will have future opportunities to participate should they not be selected
      • The amount of time to serve in, or be served by, a mentoring relationship.
  • Samoan language experience preferred

 

Important Dates:​

  • September 22
    • The application is due by 11:59 pm without exception
  • October/November (post admission notification)
    • Striving to create a "beloved community" amongst Seminar faculty, administrators, and students, at least one informal social gathering will be organized to invite participants past and present.
  • Winter Semester (Fridays)
    • Class will take place each Friday (time and room number to be determined). To facilitate conversation and make allowance for processing the material, class will last 1 hour and 30 minutes, most likely 12:00-1:30pm on Fridays. Conflicts with other classes, even for small overlaps, will disqualify students from participating.
    • Attendance will factor heavily into the final grade, and so every necessary preparation is required to not only ensure no class periods are missed, but also promptness and full attendance for each class period.
  • April 29-May 10
    • We anticipate leaving Monday morning and returning Friday evening. Specific departure and arrival times are to be determined.
  • Spring term presentations
  • Early April
    • Similar to the late-Fall gathering, Seminar faculty, administrators, and students past and present will be invited to an informal gathering.

Cost:

  • The Civil Rights Seminar is made possible by the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences and generous donors, which covers the entire cost of participants' airfare, hotels, and transportation, as well as some meals. Students are responsible for the following remaining expenses, which will most likely include, but are not limited to:
  • ​ Lunches & Snacks- when not provided by trip
    • $50
  • Dinners (estimated at $20/day when dinners are not provided)
    • $60
  • Entrance fees to museums, historic sites, etc.
    • Approximately $40
  • Personal souvenirs
  • Class texts will be included in syllabus

Seminar administrators do not want financial concerns to be an impediment to participation. If a student is admitted and the information outlined above seems prohibitive, please contact the Seminar at civilrights@byu.edu.

 

Application & Selection Timeline:

 

The seminar application will become available September 1. The application must be completed in its entirety by 11:59 p.m. on September 22. Applications submitted by the deadline and that demonstrate minimum eligibility will be reviewed for interview consideration. Applicants selected for interviews will meet with 2 or more Seminar faculty/administrators. The applicants who are ultimately selected for the Seminar will be determined by:

  • The number of applications received
  • The number of eligible applicants
  • Interview insights and information
  • Group dynamics
  • Program logistics

Final decisions for all applicants, regardless of interview status, will be communicated by November 15. Although unique, the Civil Rights Seminar is not the only way to learn more about the Pacific Islander history, civil rights and cultural renewal. Regardless of whether or not you have an opportunity to participate in the Seminar, you are encouraged to explore classes and other opportunities. Specific course offerings include, but are not limited to:

GEOG 280 The Pacific Islands
Dance 175 Polynesian Dance, Beginning
Dance 275 Polynesian Dance Technique 1
Samoa 101/102: First-year language study: Samoan
Samoa 201/202: Second-year language study: Samoan
Samoa 330: Advanced Language Proficiency Through Cultural Studies: Samoan
HLTH 210: Foundations of Public Health
HLTH 425 Working with Vulnerable and Diverse Populations
 
If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding the Civil Rights seminar application or process, please send an email to: civilrights@byu.edu.

Click here for the Civil Rights Seminar Application