CERENE February Neighborhood News

Xīnnián hǎo" (新年好) and Gong hei fat choy" (恭喜发财)! 🐉🐉🐉

As February unfolds, entering the second chapter of the year, we hope you find yourselves surrounded with love in the air and the promise of spring on the horizon. With the spirit of Valentine's day still lingering, it's a time to cherish and celebrate the bonds that enrich our lives. Let's enter into this Lunar New Year with joy, new beginnings, and hope for a resilient new year! Simultaneously, we honor Black History Month, recognizing the resilience, achievements, and cultural heritage of African Americans that enrich the fabric of our society. We also celebrate Mahina 'Ōlelo Hawai'i this month uplifting and supporting Native Hawaiian culture and language.

CERENE has a new issue of all your resilience news from across the island! We hope you enjoy, and mahalo nui loa for all the work you do for resilience in your own life, for your family and friends and in your community.

Wishing you a February filled with love and celebration.

Mahalo Nui Loa

Chris Pascua, Dr. Miku, and the CERENE Team

Resilience Hubs Nominations: Your Input Needed!

We're reaching out to you, our neighbors and friends, to voice your ideas for ideal locations for Resilience Hubs and to invite those interested in hosting a hub to sign up. Do you know of a space in your neighborhood or community that could serve as a vital resource during times of need? That you consider a "trusted gathering place"? Nominate it using the link provided in the button below.

We're excited to announce our latest endeavor, the Kaimukī Microgrid Solar Energy Project, aimed at strengthening localized energy resilience for neighborhoods surrounding Lēʻahi (Diamond Head). With funding from FEMA's BRIC Program, we're working with the Department of Education to enhance Kaimukī Middle School (KMS) with a photovoltaic (PV) integrated microgrid and battery backup, enabling it to operate independently of the grid. We're also empowering communities to develop similar projects and engage in long-term resilience efforts using this as a model. Learn more about this project here or read the recent UH News Press Release Here and join us in building a more resilient future for our community.

The PV system at Kaimukī Middle School (KMS) was installed as part of the Renewable Energy Generation program, initiated by the Hawaiʻi Department of Education to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Although the program focuses on energy-generating PV systems, it initially did not include energy storage. However, recognizing the critical role schools play as disaster shelters, there arose an opportunity to enhance disaster preparedness by adding grid-independence and energy storage. Situated in East Honolulu, one of the state's most densely populated areas, KMS serves as a designated shelter with up to 1,607 spaces. In 2012, Hawaiʻi Pacific Solar, LLC completed the PV system installation at KMS, with ownership resting with them until 2035. At the end of the contract, the Department of Education (DOE) will purchase the system. As part of our current project, we're enhancing the system's resilience by developing grid-independent capabilities and installing battery backup. Owned by DOE, this backup system will ensure vital campus buildings remain powered during emergencies, providing 8 to 12 hours of grid-independent power, with additional needs met through temporary connections to the microgrid.

CERENE recently welcomed three K-12 campus visits where we connected with over 200 students engaged in a hands-on activity of creating their own resilience hubs. We are eager for our future visits from students to the KCC campus, and we're excited to continue imparting valuable lessons on resilience and disaster preparedness.

Niu Mea Nui [Beloved and Important Coconut] @ Kapiʻolani Community College

CERENE Student Leaders and Faculty Fellows learned about NIU [coconut] and why it is a MEA NUI [beloved and important resource] with Lance Mahi LaPiere's Kūkalahale Program.

CERENE participated in the Inter-Island Sustainability Educational Symposium hosted by the University of Ryukyus at UH Hilo exploring how Okinawa, Taiwan and Hawai'i can support each other in being more resilient to the impacts of climate change and future challenges. Many important topics were discussed, but a quote that stood out to us was how can the 'Indigenous people of the three lands take the lead in this work? Participants of the symposium were all dedicated to supporting this, and we look forward to future collaboration.

Skip to the video reply section at the end of the newsletter to learn more about how CERENE supports resilience from the inside out! What we do in blue skies (non-emergency times) matters to support our response when the storm comes.

National Disaster Preparedness Training Center Third Thursday Virtual Event Topic:

For more information contact: Karen Awana (kawana88@hawaii.edu)

Join us for an enriching experience in the Community Resilience (AWR-228) training course, FEMA certified and listed in the FEMA National Training and Education Division (NTED) Catalog. This two-day training, hosted by the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC) at Kapiolani Community College, will equip you with essential knowledge and strategies to enhance community resilience to natural hazards.

Costs: Free for readers of this newsletter as co-learners in our resilience hub learning community!

Don't miss this opportunity to contribute to community resilience. Register now and be part of a transformative learning experience. We look forward to your participation!

Other upcoming trainings include:

AWR-362: Flooding Hazards

March 20 - 21, 2024; 1pm - 5pm (Central) Register for this delivery

AWR-379: Coastal Hazards Awareness

February 21 - 22, 2024; 1pm - 5pm (Pacific) Register for this delivery

As climate change continues to impact housing stability and affordability, urgent action is needed to transform Oahu's housing sector. The Urban Institute's recent research provides a comprehensive framework for advancing climate-resilient housing, focusing on four pillars of action: policy and finance, neighborhood and community infrastructure, housing stock, and social capital. By integrating sustainability, resilience, and environmental justice principles, this framework is meant to help guide housing developers, planners, policymakers, and advocates with the tools and resources needed to address the challenges posed by climate hazards. With the recent passage of federal legislation and increasing policy action at the state level, there are now new opportunities for resilient housing coalitions to leverage political and economic momentum. To learn more and access the full report click the button below!

In October 2023, the Energy Office completed the Oahu Energy System and Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability and Resiliency Assessment, a FEMA Advance Assistance-funded effort. This assessment of Oahu's primary energy supply, distribution, and demand networks and the State's critical infrastructure and the dependencies of Community Lifeline Key Customers, 28 energy hazard mitigation measures were identified in this effort with a five-year implementation plan to improve the resiliency of critical energy infrastructure.

Join in for this special replay recording of Kapi'olani Community College's Spring Celebration of Sustainability and Resilience! This was a UH system-wide event and open to our community island wide and beyond. We had over 72 people tune in to hear about updates and innovations on campus including sustainability remarks from Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi, a spotlight on our Culinary Institute of the Pacific's efforts to support food security and much more! Click the links below to hear each of the presentations (or select the video playlist to watch them all).

1) Land Acknowledgement and Forest Bathing (Shinrinyoku - 森林浴)
2) Sustainability Message from Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi
3) SAC Impact Message & CIP Sustainability with Grant Itomisu
4) Mike Ross, Native Hawaiian Plant Council
5) Kohlby Soong, Alex Salinas-Nakanishi and Student Leaders
6) Alissa Kashiwada, Aloha Club

We're thrilled to share information about two incredible grant opportunities that could empower your community projects and plant the future seeds for research endeavors:

National Science Foundation
Civic Innovation Challenge
Funding Opportunity Number: 24-534
Full Proposal Deadline: May 01, 2024
Summary: The Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) is a research and action competition that accelerates the transition to practice of foundational research and emerging technologies into communities through civic-engaged research. By addressing priorities at the local scale that are relevant across the US, CIVIC is laying the foundation for a broader and more fluid exchange of research and technology capabilities and civic priorities through joint partnerships involving civic partners and the research community. CIVIC funds projects that pilot state-of-the-art solutions to community challenges over 12 months, following a six-month planning phase, and have the potential for lasting impact in the partnering community as well as the potential to be scaled and implemented in other communities.

National Science Foundation
Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks
Funding Opportunity Number: 24-533
Full Proposal Deadline: May 15, 2024
Summary: The goal of this solicitation is to fund convergent research and education that will advance sustainable regional systems science, engineering, and education to facilitate the transformation of current regional systems to enhance sustainability. To further the advancement of SRS science, engineering, and education, NSF will support proposals for Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks (SRS RNs). Sustainable regional systems are connected urban and rural systems that are transforming their structures and processes collaboratively with the goal of measurably and equitably advancing the well-being of people and the planet. The purpose of the SRS RNs competition is to develop and support interdisciplinary, multi-organizational teams working collaboratively to produce cutting-edge convergent research, education, and outreach that addresses grand challenges in sustainable regional systems.

Send Us Your Grant Opportunities! Do you have grant opportunities or funding announcements you'd like to share with our community? We'd love to help spread the word! Please send us the details, and we'll include them in our announcements. Together, let's support each other in making a positive impact.

For more information and to submit grant opportunities, please contact CERENE at CERENECENTER@GMAIL.COM. Special thanks to the KCC GO (Kapi'olani Community College Grants Office) for supporting this work and sharing opportunities.

📅Fridays from 9:00AM - 1:00PM, on February 9th, March 15th, April 12th, and April 26th.

If you're interested in joining these events please sign up or share this link.

The Resilience Corps Leadership Award Program is made possible through funding from our generous donors Hawaiian Electric and State Farm.

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