Miracle Sile from SYEP

The Pacific Center in Human Security enjoyed the presence and help of the ASG-HR Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) participant, Miracle Sile. Miracle, a junior from Tafuna High School, is a dedicated and hardworking individual who helped and worked closely with our Office Assistant, Sina Falaniko. We wish Miracle all the best in her future endeavors.

Welcome iEM Students

Making history! We welcome all our students taking our first inclusive-Emergency Management (iEM) courses this semester, especially our scholarship cohort. Twenty-one students were awarded the iEM scholarship and will be funded til their prospective graduation date in 2026. The scholarship covers iEM degree program-requirement courses, textbooks, uniforms, and more. The first iEM offered this semester is IEM 150: Introduction to Emergency Management and Homeland Security, IEM 155: Introduction to Human Security, and IEM 170: Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness. We look forward to the progress and success of our students. Stay tuned!

To find out more about our iEM courses and degree program, visit our website.

iEM on FEMA HiEd College List

The American Samoa Community College is now on the FEMA Higher Education College List, with our newly established Associate of Science degree in inclusive-Emergency Management. The FEMA HiEd College List shows colleges and universities across the nation and its territories that have emergency management and related field degree programs. We are honored and excited to be recognized at this Federal level.

PCHS Staff Training for Emergency Management

Project Manager/Chairperson Rosalee Shoulders and Communications Manager Katrina Helsham from the Pacific Center in Human Security (PCHS) attended FEMA training MGT 318: Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Operations and Planning for all-Hazards Events on July 31 - August 1 at the AS Department of Homeland Security. The free training included learning the different processes that could be applied for EOCs and a practical exercise for trainees to be familiar with the different roles during an active EOC and hazard event. The training was conducted by trainers from Texas A&M Engineering, Extension Service (TEEX), and all trainees were awarded a certificate and earned 1.6 CEUs.

Capacity Building Retreat for PCHS Staff

The annual Capacity Building Retreat for the Pacific Center in Human Security (PCHS) staff took place from July 1 - 3, 2024. Staff received professional development from in-house administrators and off-island partners during the three-day event. ASCC Vice President Dr. Letupu Moananu provided a section on aligning our work with the ASCC institutional plan, and Human Resource Officer Sereima Asifoa covered ASCC personnel policies. Our new partners from the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM), Mia Sanati, Grants & Research Program Manager, and John Ware, Executive Assitant to Chief Executive Officer, presented on the I-DIEM organization and their continuous efforts for improving diversity and inclusion in the emergency management field. An annual invitation to continue the collaborative discussion amongst the Triagency Partners was extended. The annual retreat helps PCHS staff stay current and informed of ASCC policies and procedures and the developmental disabilities field. The Center's reported data, activities, and programs, were also covered to celebrate achievements, but also to identify needs and improvement to help with future planning.

PCHS | pchs@amsamoa.edu | (684) 699 - 2722 ext. 4202

The UCEDD It! Newsletter is funded by the Pacific Basin UCEDD Public Health Workforce - Hawaii grant.

Award # 90UCPH0054.