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Samoan Students in the USA: Problems and Obstacles

For immediate Release
Samoan Community Education Forum

Topic: "Samoan Students in the USA: Problems and Obstacles"
DATE: Sunday December 5th, 1999 TIME: 3:00pm ? 4:00 PM
TV-SAMOA CHANNEL 53. (Live)

There will be a live one-hour TV forum, (a series) on education centering on the problems and obstacles that Samoan students are facing in schools in the USA. The first program will be aired live on TV-SAMOA (Hawaii) on Channel 53 on Sunday, December 5th 1999 at 3:00 PM. The same series will be aired at a later date on TV-SAMOA regular time slots in California and Washington.

A distinguished panel of leading Samoan educators and experts in the field of education (emphasis on the Samoan community) will provide an insightful 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, "...only a genuine indigenous understanding of the dynamics of our children in education can bring real and long lasting 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:

LUAFATA SIMANU-KLUTZ, M.Ed., (Ph.D. candidate): Education Specialist for the state of Hawaii and a consultant for several Pacific nations. Co-author of a recently published book "Samoan Word Book". Taught in both (Western) Samoa and American Samoa.
ETUALE SUAFOA, B.A. M.A (candidate): Radford High, Vice Principal
LAPREAL SAMITA BURGESS, B.Sc.: Nanakuli teacher/counselor. Has been teaching for over 25 years in Hawaii
Dr. CAROLINE SINAVAIANA-GABBARD, Ph.D.: University of Hawaii, Professor of English. Taught many years in American Samoa.
OFA MOEAI, M.A.: Brigham Young University-Hawaii Counselor. Dr. SITIVENI HALAPUA, Ph.D.: Pacific Islands Development Program Director, East West Center Institute
Rep. BOB McDERMOTT, MBA: Hawaii Legislature, Committee on Education (married to a Samoan)
PAPALIITELE Dr. F. AVEGALIO, Ph.D.: University of Hawaii Professor, School of Business. American Samoa Community College former President. Consultant for several Pacific nations.
Dr. BOB FRANCO, Ph.D.: University of Hawaii KCC Professor of Anthropology. Over 20 years of research in the Samoan community. Several publications on demographics/statistics/migration of Samoans in the US.

Host/moderator: Tanielu Aiono Sataraka, a former college lecturer and an international journalist. He is a Samoan language/cultural consultant and currently the editor in chief for Samoa International newspaper. He has worked in radio, newspaper and television for over 10 years.

For more information: (808) 637-3530 EMAIL: samoamedia@netscape.net