Cooperative Extension agent Robert Cating (PEPS) recently completed a course in floral design to help him understand the needs of floral designers for tropical flowers and foliage. To prepare for a floral design workshop for youths, he conducted a hands-on practice session using faculty, staff, and student volunteers at the Komohana Research & Extension Center. Some stunning creations resulted!

The Center on the Family, the state grantee for the nationwide KIDS COUNT project, has released the 30th edition of the KIDS COUNT^® Data Book, an annual data study funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that examines trends in child well-being. The Data Book uses 16 indicators to rank each state across four domains—economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. This year it shows that Hawai‘i ranks 24th of the 50 states in overall child well-being.

Crucial learning can happen in a classroom. But in a newly published article, two CTAHR scholars are showing that’s not the only place it happens. Kent Kobayashi and Kauahi Perez (both TPSS) wanted to introduce more student-centered, active learning to supplement lectures and to promote and enhance student engagement. So they turned to approaches such as the flipped classroom, BYOD (bring your own device), and virtual field trips, which promote peer teaching and allow students to take ownership of their learning.

We are saddened to report the passing of PEPS alumna Dr. Verna Subere. Verna graduated cum laude with a B.S. in agriculture and an M.S. in entomology from Leyte State University in the Philippines and then worked as a scientist at Dole Philippines before coming to CTAHR in 2004 to pursue her Ph.D. in tropical plant pathology.

Members of the CTAHR ‘ohana are invited to participate in a Sustainability Fair sponsored by Kapolei Shopping Center on Saturday, June 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a free event targeting communities from Ewa Beach to Wai‘anae. There’s no cost to participating organizations.