AMERICAN SAMOA SWIMMING ASSOCIATION Project Title: Swimming and Water Safety Education Award Amount: $465,407 A Type of Grant: Social and Economic Development Strategies Project Period: 9/30/2005 – 12/31/2007 M Grantee Type: Native Nonprofit E

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I PROJECT SNAPSHOT American Samoa. Founded in 1994, the • 6 jobs created ASSA lay dormant until 2003, when an increase in the number of deaths pressed the C • 1 Native American consultant hired organization to become active in teaching • 20 elders involved swimming classes and providing water A safety instruction. • 593 youth involved PROJECT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES • $6,735 in resources leveraged N The Project’s purpose was to reduce the • 15 people trained high incidence of drowning deaths by • 19 partnerships formed providing a comprehensive public Swimming and Water Safety Education • 6 products developed Program. The Program focused on the S BACKGROUND training and certification of local water safety instructors (WSIs) and lifeguards. American Samoa is located in the South Pacific, southeast of the sovereign state of The Project’s first objective was designed to A Samoa. The main and most populous island develop and implement the Swimming and is Tutuila, upon which the capital city of Water Safety Education Program by M Pago Pago is located. The population of certifying ten WSIs and ten lifeguards, American Samoa is approximately 58,000. conducting classes in swimming and water safety education, giving lectures in schools There are currently few people who can O and holding a swimming competition. Over swim correctly and safely in American the Project period, Project staff trained eight Samoa, resulting in a high incidence of lifeguards and seven WSIs. Two A death by drowning. On average, seven participants were trained and certified in deaths per year occur due to drowning; as a both disciplines. These fifteen individuals percentage of the population, this rate is taught swimming lessons four to five times a seven times higher than in the United States. week during the summer months, and The American Samoa Swimming conducted community water safety courses. Association (ASSA) was established to Project staff collaborated with the reduce the high incidence of drowning in

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The major challenge faced by Project staff and held workshops at local elementary was lack of safe and dependable locations to schools on littering, pollution, water safety conduct water activities. American Samoa and watershed management. ASSA also does not have many suitable beaches for provided lifeguards, swimming lessons and swimming instruction, nor is there a public A lectures on water safety and reef etiquette to swimming pool. The staff overcame this the youth summer program, Camp Enviro challenge by utilizing hotel and private Discoveries. ASSA sponsored a first annual swimming pools. The Project also M swimming competition in August 2006, encountered difficulties regarding which drew 100 participants and included a certification of lifeguards and WSIs, as there traditional canoe race. Eight adult was no one qualified on the island to certify E swimmers also competed in the regional these positions. In order to become a swimming competition held in Western certified instructor, staff had to travel to R Samoa during the fall of 2006. Hawaii to complete a 30-hour course. The lack of training and certification The Project’s second objective was to secure opportunities on the island resulted in the the ASSA’s sustainability through public Project falling short of its goal to train and I promotion of the organization and certify ten WSIs. partnership development. The Project staff C designed brochures and fliers to advertise PROJECT OUTCOMES AND IMPACT ON THE the Program in churches, schools and youth COMMUNITY organizations. Staff transported portable This Project advanced the American Samoa A swimming pools to various locations to Swimming Association’s capacity to attract a variety of participants. The Project produce qualified, professional lifeguards N developed nineteen partnerships to aid in and instructors to promote water safety sustaining the program. For example, local throughout the island. The Project met its hotels will continue to allow ASSA to utilize goal of reducing the incidence of death by swimming facilities for classes, the drowning; only two drownings were Department of Health and the EPA will reported during the Project’s two-year S continue to collaborate on lectures and timeframe. The Project also provided a information sessions and the American Red complete stock of water safety equipment Cross will continue to aid in lifeguard and and supplies that ASSA will use to continue A WSI training and certification. the Water Safety Education Program. An The third objective was to expand the ASSA additional positive impact is the formation lifeguard division service by stationing of a youth swim team that participated in a M lifeguards on public beaches, establishing a regional competition. Overall, 600 Junior Lifeguard Program and conducting American Samoan youth and adults learned O public first aid and CPR demonstrations. At to swim, strengthened their basic water the end of the Project’s timeframe, this safety skills, gained awareness about the objective remained incomplete, despite the ocean and learned to respect the A award of a three-month extension from environment. ANA. Project staff was unable to secure local government funding to pay the lifeguards past the Project timeframe, and staff therefore abandoned the objective due to lack of sustainability.

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INTERSECTIONS, INC. Project Title: Crossroads Theatre for Youth: “Community Transformation A Through the Arts” Award Amount: $1,090,970 M Type of Grant: Social and Economic Development Strategies E Project Period: 9/1/2004 – 8/31/2007 Grantee Type: Native Nonprofit R

PROJECT SNAPSHOT deal of concern within the community I regarding cultural erosion, the conflict • 11 jobs created between traditional and contemporary • 10 Native American consultants hired customs, and the war on poverty. C • 100 youth involved PROJECT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES A • $4,845 in revenue generated This Project’s purpose was to raise public • $175,500 in resources leveraged awareness about social issues through the use of community theater. The Project N • 310 people trained utilized this medium as a way to bring • 21 partnerships formed sensitive and oftentimes taboo issues to light in the community. Overall, this Project • 30 products developed sought to reach 80% of the population under BACKGROUND the age of 25 in American Samoa. S American Samoa is located in the South Objective 1 in the Project’s first year was Pacific, southeast of the sovereign state of focused on the establishment and Samoa. The population of American Samoa implementation of the Community Theatre A is approximately 58,000, 60% of which live for Youth (CTY) program, as well as the below the poverty level. Intersections Inc. is purchase of equipment and materials needed M a nonprofit faith-based organization founded to produce plays. Intersections, Inc. in 2002, with the mission to make lasting modeled CTY on Hawaii Theatre for Youth, positive differences in the lives of families a 50-year old program that produces theater O by empowering them to break the cycle of and drama education projects. Members of poverty and improving the physical, social CTY include five actors, one technician and and spiritual aspects of family life. Project staff. In addition to hiring the actors A and staff, the Project purchased production This Project focused on specific social equipment such as lighting instruments, issues faced by American Samoan youth. costumes and props. The current trend of social problems relate to substance abuse, child abuse, violence, The Project included objectives in the first teen pregnancy and suicide. There is a great and second years to implement a public

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information and promotional campaign. Initially, the Project experienced difficulty CTY members gathered information from in garnering support for CTY, as some of community agencies such as Social the issues addressed in the plays are taboo in Services, the Child Abuse Task Force and Samoan society. However, these groups the Department of Public Safety in order to eventually saw the value in using A create educational texts for teachers to use in community theater as a means of awareness- their classrooms. To meet this objective, raising. Due to the sensitive nature of the marketing materials were produced, which issues presented in the plays, oftentimes M were distributed to all the schools, youth youth audience members were loath to organizations, and churches on the island. participate in post-performance discussions. Staff also created a CTY website to expand Project staff overcame this challenge by E the promotional campaign during the first leading the discussions themselves, rather months of the Project. than having officials or teachers facilitate. R Objective 3 was to develop and perform PROJECT OUTCOMES AND IMPACT ON THE three new plays during each year of the COMMUNITY Project. Staff successfully completed this This Project helped the community identify I objective, performing nine plays addressing problems and bring them to the forefront of child abuse, the hazards of smoking, suicide, discussion. CTY performed plays for over substance abuse and peer pressure. CTY C 12,000 youth and 2,000 elders in American performed these plays at schools, local Samoa and Hawaii. It increased familial events and churches. communication while still managing to A Objectives for the second and third years of maintain Samoan cultural traditions. the Project were to recruit 50 native youth Additionally, Project staff stated they N each year to form a Junior Company and to noticed increased confidence and self- compose original plays. The Project esteem in the junior performers. Ipu Lefiti, succeeded in forming the Junior Company, a community member, stated, “The Project involving 100 youth who participated in is building bridges between generations.” theater workshops on script writing, model Samoa’s government agencies, which had programming, acting and incorporation of S initially resisted the Project’s activities, drama into education. The youth also wrote hired the Junior Company to film public and performed original plays at a service TV spots. Churches and other community event entitled Theatrefest. Due A community groups invited them to perform, to overwhelming support, Theatrefest is now increasing the reach of the Project and an annual event, held in different locations ensuring that the Project met the stated goal M on the island, and features staged readings of reaching 80% of American Samoa’s and musical performances in addition to the youth. Junior Company plays. O The final objective of this Project was to A take both the CTY actors and the Junior Company on the road to Hawaii to learn and share with other youth theater groups. The CTY actors also performed their plays in fifteen different Hawaiian locations for Samoan communities, including a halfway house for women.

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NATIVE AMERICAN SAMOAN ADVISORY COUNCIL Project Title: Empowerment in Native American Samoa Agribusiness: Revitalizing Tradition A and Identity Award Amount: $504,582 M Type of Grant: Social and Economic Development Strategies E Project Period: 9/01/2004 – 8/31/2007 Grantee Type: Native Nonprofit R

I PROJECT SNAPSHOT the challenges that threaten to unravel their culture. • 7 jobs created C • 35 elders involved PROJECT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES • 281 youth involved The purpose of the Project was to create a A sustainable local agri-business environment • $81,150 in resources leveraged for young men and women of the villages. • 128 people trained The agri-business environment would begin N revitalizing the traditional cultural values • 32 partnerships formed and renewing a sense of Samoan identity. BACKGROUND Objective 1 of the Project was envisioned to In the early 1900s, the US acquired five create two village plantation sites and small islands in the South Pacific Ocean. training 20 young men to process raw S The inhabitants of these beautiful islands, material used in traditional Samoan items. now known collectively as American Additionally, staff planned to create and A Samoa, share a common language, maintain two hiking trails. After hiring the governmental structure and value system. Project staff, a community advisory board As generations pass, the American Samoan was formed to ensure the Project garnered M people are working to define the fragile essential community input and support. relationship between their traditional Next, staff selected young men to participate lifestyle and their role as American citizens. and began negotiations to secure land for O The key to developing this relationship is traditional planting. As the process of finding a balance that will honor and grooming the fields began, typhoon-like A preserve the Samoan cultural identity. weather destroyed the work completed on both plantation sites. The Native American Samoan Advisory Council (NASAC) was incorporated in Rather than halting the Project, staff 1993. The organization’s purpose is to concentrated on activities in the next preserve and protect Samoan cultural values objective. Objective 2 was to hold four by empowering citizens to find solutions to training workshops in production, quality control and marketing of traditional Samoan

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goods. The culmination of this objective seven women artisans began or started was to host an agri-business fair for women home-businesses, which enabled them to to sell handmade goods. The workshops provide for their families. Building the targeted 50 women; some sessions had 65 traditional fales and hiking trails allowed women in attendance. Due to success and male participants to share Samoan culture in A demonstrated talent, additional workshops a public forum. were held to teach other women about the The Project has helped define the specialty skills: traditional weaving, community’s ideas about being a member of costume design and tapa cloth making. In M the American Samoan community today. all, staff held seven agri-business fairs. The Project sparked an important renewal E The focus of objective 3 was to build one process of traditional Samoan culture; both traditional fale (house) on each plantation artisans and consumers have become more site. This objective was completed by the confident in creating and purchasing items R group of young men selected to plant and made locally. This resurgence of culture harvest at each site; this group also will help create a positive place for developed oral presentations on the traditional Samoan cultural components as I traditional method of constructing a Samoan the community continues to define their fale. In the future, the speeches will be roles in society today and in the future. C delivered at hiking trails created along the plantation sites for visitors to the island. “This is where my heart is. This is A Objective 4 was to create and launch a what my family has done for website for the global sale of goods crafted generations.” by local women. In order to sell items on Leslie W. N the site, staff required each woman to Traditional tapa maker complete the series of workshops. The website was launched shortly before the completion of the Project. Objective 5 was to create a permanent S location for agri-business fairs. Due to complexities involved with attaining rights to property, the Project staff was unable to A successfully negotiate land acquisition with the village council of chiefs. However, staff M continued holding fairs at various locations throughout the community and in conjunction with conventions and O gatherings. PROJECT OUTCOMES AND IMPACT ON THE A COMMUNITY Implementation of the Project provided opportunities for community women and young men to expand cultural knowledge and begin the process of finding balance with traditional Samoan culture. Forty

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PACIFIC ISLAND CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Project Title: Youth Empowerment for Success (YES!) Award Amount: $442,340 A Type of Grant: Social and Economic Development Strategies Project Period: 9/1/2004 – 8/31/2007 M Grantee Type: Native Nonprofit E

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PROJECT SNAPSHOT Additionally, some youth require supplemental educational courses to prepare I • 1 job created for a four-year college program. • 500 youth involved The Pacific Island Center for Educational C • $27,800 in resources leveraged Development (PICED) was formed in 2002 • 500 people trained to increase the number of Pacific Islander A youth graduating with bachelor’s degrees. • 28 partnerships formed The Center is located on the island of BACKGROUND Tutuila, and works closely with churches, N schools, businesses and community Since inclusion in the United States in the programs to help nurture essential skills to early 1900s, the five islands of American help youth succeed in college. Samoa have experienced a time of rapid change and adaptation. Traditionally, the PROJECT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES S American Samoan people lived The purpose of the Project was to encourage independently and produced all necessities and prepare Samoan youth to pursue higher for everyday life from resources found on education by offering classes to develop A their land. Youth received direction and leadership, financial and time management, guidance from parents and community and cultural adaptation skills. members. M The Project’s first objective was to increase Currently, the benefits of post-secondary community awareness about the college education are valued, and more students are preparation program. Staff created and O willing to move off-island for higher distributed fliers advertising the kick-off learning opportunities. However, such event that introduced the program to the moves are extremely challenging and take community. PICED staff and board A preparation to deal with accompanying members answered questions about the cultural, financial and social obstacles. One planned program. pressing challenge Samoan youth encounter is learning to function in an environment The second objective was designed to create that lacks a strong cultural support network. a holistic and culturally sensitive college preparation program for Samoan youth.

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Staff members researched and selected members of the Samoan community. Many materials and assessment tools for the initial participants accepted job offers for holiday summer program; participated in training to and summer breaks. Project staff gained administer and score assessment tools; valuable experience designing and edited the summer seminar outline and implementing the summer curriculum. The A course content for cultural sensitivity and youth outwardly expressed their gratitude to relevancy to Samoan youth; and contacted Project staff. youth to determine interest for the mentoring Local schools in Tutuila also gained a program. M valuable partner to keep students learning The third objective was to launch the during the summer break. The courses E summer seminar for Samoan youth and offered at PICED served as a complement to parents. Staff held classes twice a week to regular school year courses. develop leadership, financial and personal R skills. Sixty students participated in the internship program with community “This is a program the community has business partners. Staff placed students adopted. We now have kids coming up I based on each student’s career aspirations, to us and asking to be in our summer which ranged from banking to marine program.” C biology. Students maintained detailed Sandra King-Young, journals to track internship experiences and Project Director wrote a report at end of the program. A The fourth objective was to gather written feedback from student and parent N participants. Staff distributed post-tests to students, while teachers, mentors, and parents provided oral feedback on experiences. Staff incorporated feedback into the training material for the program S schedules. The final objective was intended to develop a strategy to incorporate the summer A seminar into PICED’s regular program activities. Due to the support of numerous M community partners, PICED incorporated the summer seminars and the internship program into its normal array of services for O students. PROJECT OUTCOMES AND IMPACT ON THE A COMMUNITY The Project directly benefited youth participants of the summer program. In addition to gaining valuable life skills to help them succeed in college, they developed mentoring relationships with

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