Conference Workshops

(descriptions coming soon)

Workshop Session 1:
3pm - 4:15pm

  • by Johanna Inoke & Angela William

    This workshop will go through a presentation of knowing your rights if ICE were to show up to your door. We'll discuss what to do if someone in your community becomes detained and closing with an activity to practice your rights.

  • by Leilani Janes & Jenna Hickman
    How do you think society defines what a “scholar” is? Have you ever thought of yourself as a “scholar”? For many, this word centers on a formalized position within a higher education institution. This session will be led by two student-leaders from Pacific University as they present their research and photography project, “We Are Scholars”, leading participants through a large-scale banner exhibit and asking participants to explore and reflect how they are “scholars” in their own right. This workshop aims to redefine scholarship, showcasing the stories of NHPI individuals and how they ground themselves in their cultural knowledge and values. We hope you join us in this space to reimagine scholarship outside of the Western, colonized lens and come together to root ourselves in the way we can teach and learn from each other.

  • By Ashley Helenihi
    "Pasifika Timeline" will take an introductory look at moments in history that show colonial influence in the Pacific Islands, where that brings us today as Pasifika people, and how we can use history and our cultural roots to imagine our futures. Students will participate in an interactive presentation and timeline activity in this workshop.

  • by Bree Kalima, Alicia Nani Reyes, Jordan Kalawaiʻa Nunies, Kallie Lehua Matsuura-Chang, Kye Kukahiko
    The Pacific is full of creatives and artists who use different mediums to express their culture. This workshop uplifts contemporary and traditional styles of Hawaiian printing. We will explore printing practices that we are inspired by and engage in at Native Hawaiian Student Services at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. ʻOhe kāpala (bamboo stamping), screen printing, and Hawaiʻi’s own Printing Press, built in 1837 in Lahainaluna, Maui, will be some of the mediums we will explore in detail. Participants will be exposed to contemporary and traditional styles of Hawaiian printing while learning more about their origins and how this work serves as a pathway for expression and connection to their culture.

  • Go on a tour of the campus! You will see what OSU has to offer, special programs and services and what student life is like. We will also be showing you the main buildings for the PISA Conference.

Workshop Session 2:
10am - 11:15am

  • by Rachael Tamngin & Ronalei Gasetoto

    This workshop aims to share the various Pacific Islander led and centered research and projects taking place at the University of Washington and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. We will also talk about our Pacific Islander led research group known as Research Family and how our group has allowed us as Pacific Islander students to discuss the barriers and challenges of working within a museum and university space while also sharing how we shift these spaces towards serving our communities and students. We are practice based and dedicated to supporting Pacific Islander students, families, and communities which is evident in the research students do. This workshop will share Research Family stories and initiatives, as well as engaging activities to illustrate how we bring familial values into our spaces.

  • by Drea Camacho
    This session will confront candidly the challenges faced by first‑generation Pasifika college students. Whether you navigate this path independently or with the encouragement of loved ones, many of us have journeyed great distances in pursuit of a better life. We will explore the nature of resilience, the fortitude required to persist in higher education, and invite reflection on what your presence here in higher education signifies for you.

  • By Kareena Salvi & Tana Lepule
    Want to fight for change in your community? What does it mean to be an organizer? It's difficult to create change while also being a student. Join us to hear from long-time organizer in the PI-space Tana Lepule, and APIAVote's youth engagement organizer Kareena Salvi who will walk through stories and exercises to help you walk away with learning more about yourself and how to contribute to the movement of positive change and justice.

  • By Carol Matsuzaki
    Come be part of hands-on, action-packed activities that uplift Pacific Islander voices and student success across Oregon through the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Student Success Plan. This is a space to share what real mental health support looks like, speak up, and help shape the look and future of the Plan so it truly reflects the diversity and strength of Pacific Islander cultures.

  • By Pamela Fredrick Williams
    This workshop is designed with our Pacific Islander students and communities at the heart. Rooted in the values of vā(relational space), aloha, fa’aaloalo (respect), kuleana (responsibility), and collective care, this session creates a safe and affirming space to talk openly about basic needs, cultural responsibility, and navigating college systems. In many of our island cultures, we are taught to be strong, to give before we receive, to support our families back home, and to carry responsibility with pride. While these values are powerful, they can sometimes make it hard to ask for help — even when we need it. This workshop reframes support not as weakness, but as a way to strengthen the entire village. Together, we will explore what it truly means to thrive in college — not just academically, but physically, emotionally, financially, and culturally.

  • By Daniel Brown
    This workshop invites Pacific Islander college students living in the diaspora to explore their personal stories and relationships through the traditional craft of rope making, or tåli in Chamoru. In a relaxed and open environment, we’ll reflect on our connections to land, community, and identity while exploring values of inafa maolek (maintaining harmonious relationships), reciprocity, and respect.

Workshop Session 3:
11:30am - 12:45pm

  • by Rachael Tamngin & Ronalei Gasetoto

    This workshop aims to share the various Pacific Islander led and centered research and projects taking place at the University of Washington and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. We will also talk about our Pacific Islander led research group known as Research Family and how our group has allowed us as Pacific Islander students to discuss the barriers and challenges of working within a museum and university space while also sharing how we shift these spaces towards serving our communities and students. We are practice based and dedicated to supporting Pacific Islander students, families, and communities which is evident in the research students do. This workshop will share Research Family stories and initiatives, as well as engaging activities to illustrate how we bring familial values into our spaces.

  • by Drea Camacho
    This session will confront candidly the challenges faced by first‑generation Pasifika college students. Whether you navigate this path independently or with the encouragement of loved ones, many of us have journeyed great distances in pursuit of a better life. We will explore the nature of resilience, the fortitude required to persist in higher education, and invite reflection on what your presence here in higher education signifies for you.

  • By Kareena Salvi & Tana Lepule
    Want to fight for change in your community? What does it mean to be an organizer? It's difficult to create change while also being a student. Join us to hear from long-time organizer in the PI-space Tana Lepule, and APIAVote's youth engagement organizer Kareena Salvi who will walk through stories and exercises to help you walk away with learning more about yourself and how to contribute to the movement of positive change and justice.

  • By Carol Matsuzaki
    Come be part of hands-on, action-packed activities that uplift Pacific Islander voices and student success across Oregon through the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Student Success Plan. This is a space to share what real mental health support looks like, speak up, and help shape the look and future of the Plan so it truly reflects the diversity and strength of Pacific Islander cultures.

  • By Pamela Fredrick Williams
    This workshop is designed with our Pacific Islander students and communities at the heart. Rooted in the values of vā(relational space), aloha, fa’aaloalo (respect), kuleana (responsibility), and collective care, this session creates a safe and affirming space to talk openly about basic needs, cultural responsibility, and navigating college systems. In many of our island cultures, we are taught to be strong, to give before we receive, to support our families back home, and to carry responsibility with pride. While these values are powerful, they can sometimes make it hard to ask for help — even when we need it. This workshop reframes support not as weakness, but as a way to strengthen the entire village. Together, we will explore what it truly means to thrive in college — not just academically, but physically, emotionally, financially, and culturally.

  • By Dan Brown
    This workshop invites Pacific Islander college students living in the diaspora to explore their personal stories and relationships through the traditional craft of rope making, or tåli in Chamoru. In a relaxed and open environment, we’ll reflect on our connections to land, community, and identity while exploring values of inafa maolek (maintaining harmonious relationships), reciprocity, and respect.

Workshop Session 4:
2pm - 3:15pm

  • by Rachael Tamngin & Ronalei Gasetoto

    This workshop aims to share the various Pacific Islander led and centered research and projects taking place at the University of Washington and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. We will also talk about our Pacific Islander led research group known as Research Family and how our group has allowed us as Pacific Islander students to discuss the barriers and challenges of working within a museum and university space while also sharing how we shift these spaces towards serving our communities and students. We are practice based and dedicated to supporting Pacific Islander students, families, and communities which is evident in the research students do. This workshop will share Research Family stories and initiatives, as well as engaging activities to illustrate how we bring familial values into our spaces.

  • by Drea Camacho
    This session will confront candidly the challenges faced by first‑generation Pasifika college students. Whether you navigate this path independently or with the encouragement of loved ones, many of us have journeyed great distances in pursuit of a better life. We will explore the nature of resilience, the fortitude required to persist in higher education, and invite reflection on what your presence here in higher education signifies for you.

  • By Kareena Salvi & Tana Lepule
    Want to fight for change in your community? What does it mean to be an organizer? It's difficult to create change while also being a student. Join us to hear from long-time organizer in the PI-space Tana Lepule, and APIAVote's youth engagement organizer Kareena Salvi who will walk through stories and exercises to help you walk away with learning more about yourself and how to contribute to the movement of positive change and justice.

  • By Carol Matsuzaki
    Come be part of hands-on, action-packed activities that uplift Pacific Islander voices and student success across Oregon through the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Student Success Plan. This is a space to share what real mental health support looks like, speak up, and help shape the look and future of the Plan so it truly reflects the diversity and strength of Pacific Islander cultures.

  • By Pamela Fredrick Williams
    This workshop is designed with our Pacific Islander students and communities at the heart. Rooted in the values of vā(relational space), aloha, fa’aaloalo (respect), kuleana (responsibility), and collective care, this session creates a safe and affirming space to talk openly about basic needs, cultural responsibility, and navigating college systems. In many of our island cultures, we are taught to be strong, to give before we receive, to support our families back home, and to carry responsibility with pride. While these values are powerful, they can sometimes make it hard to ask for help — even when we need it. This workshop reframes support not as weakness, but as a way to strengthen the entire village. Together, we will explore what it truly means to thrive in college — not just academically, but physically, emotionally, financially, and culturally.

  • By Daniel Brown
    This workshop invites Pacific Islander college students living in the diaspora to explore their personal stories and relationships through the traditional craft of rope making, or tåli in Chamoru. In a relaxed and open environment, we’ll reflect on our connections to land, community, and identity while exploring values of inafa maolek (maintaining harmonious relationships), reciprocity, and respect.