Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP)

06/05/2026

Helping our friends at the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System to promote their 2026 Summer Reading Challenge!

Readers of all ages are invited to sign up at the link in the post below, log their reading from June 1 through July 31, and unlock rewards!

Pre-registration for the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge is officially OPEN! Readers of all ages are invited to sign up today and log their reading from June 1 through July 31.

This year’s theme, “E Heluhelu Kākou ʻUmeke Kāʻeo,” celebrates a calabash overflowing with knowledge and wisdom. It is a beautiful reminder that reading can fill our minds, hearts, and communities to the brim. From spam-tastic programs to niu-knowledge and exciting literary adventures, our libraries are serving up a summer packed with unforgettable experiences for keiki, teens, and adults alike.

The more you read in June and July, the more rewards you can unlock. Plus, every book (or minutes) you log earns you entries into the grand prize drawing for roundtrip tickets on Alaska Airlines!

Ready to join the fun? Pre-register now at librarieshawaii.org/summerreading

Mahalo to all of our incredible Summer Reading Challenge sponsors, especially Friends of the Library of Hawai'i, Alaska Airlines, McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawai'i, and Pizza Hut Hawai'i. A huge shoutout to O'ahu artist Kelsie Dayna for creating this year’s amazing artwork!

05/26/2026

PIDP is incredibly proud as four of our Pacific student colleagues graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa!

Congratulations to Weber Santiago, Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Teavanui Teiefitu, Master of Arts in Pacific Island Studies, Makena Tsark, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Alec Weiker, Master of Arts in Pacific Island Studies, on earning your degrees, and mahalo for allowing PIDP to be a small part of your journeys. We wish you all the best on your future endeavors!

05/22/2026

This week, we had the pleasure to meet the US South Pacific Scholarship (USSP) participants during their trip to Washington DC to learn more about the US government and policy making.

Funded by the US Department of State and administered by the East-West Center, USSP is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program that provides opportunities for Master’s and Bachelor’s degree study at the University of Hawai‘i in fields that are directly relevant to the development needs of Pacific Island countries.

05/20/2026

05/19/2026

05/09/2026

04/30/2026

Mahalo to the the “Oceans of Peace” artists for showcasing your works at the Celebrate Micronesia Festival!

If you missed it, the exhibit will open next at Honolulu Hale in May! Follow us for updates.

The six artists of Micronesian heritage integrate the beliefs and practices of their cultures with lived experiences in Hawaiʻi to build connections and express ways to collectively realize an ocean of peace.

The artists, Anthony Watson (Belau), Kalany Omengkar (Belau/Northern Mariana Islands), Gillian Dueñas (Guåhan), James Bamba (Guåhan/Northern Mariana Islands), Lissette Yamase (Chuuk), and Carol Ann Carl (Pohnpei), were joined by Jonathan Yukio Clark, Director of Schaefer International Gallery at Maui Arts & Cultural Center, who hosted the debut of the exhibit in December 2025.

04/30/2026

In the Washington DC area in May? Join our retired director, Dr. Mary Therese Perez Hattori, as she moderates a panel discussion at the 2026 Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Legislative Leadership Summit (LLS)!

Register at: https://www.apaics.org/legislative-leadership-summit

Labor, Education, and Democracy: Shaping an Inclusive Future of Work

As the economy evolves, workforce protections and skills development are essential to a healthy democracy. This panel explores how labor organizations and educators can collaborate to ensure the future of work is equitable and worker-centered, with a specific focus on protecting the rights and mobility of AA & NH/PI workers.

May 12 - May 13
The Royal Sonesta Washington, Capitol Hill
20 Massachusetts Ave NW,
Washington, DC 20001

The 2026 APAICS Legislative Leadership Summit (LLS) brings together nonprofit and corporate leaders, subject matter experts, as well as local, state, and federal elected officials to discuss important issues that affect the Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AA & NH/PI) community and the nation at large. LLS focuses on issues, policies, practices, and trends in the AA & NH/PI community in an environment that facilitates solution-oriented dialogue and building public service pipelines in communities of color.

Photo by J. Anthony Martinez Photography

04/28/2026

Thank you for another incredible Celebrate Micronesia Festival!

To our partners, sponsors, performers, vendors, artists, volunteers and all who attended, you helped to make this one of the largest and most successful CMFs ever!

The 2026 Celebrate Micronesia Festival: Ocean of Peace was hosted in partnership with Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, East-West Center, Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP), Center for Pacific Islands Studies, Medical-Legal Partnership Hawaiʻi, Bess Press, Accel Events & Tents, Barbara B. Smith Endowment for Micronesian-Focused Programs, and leaders from Micronesian communities across Hawaiʻi, and in collaboration with Smithsonian Folklife.

2026 Celebrate Micronesia Festival: Ocean of Peace template by Kalany Omengkar.

04/27/2026

Mahalo Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto and artists Kalany Omengkar amd Lissette Yamase for dressing our Celebrate Micronesia Festival Interns and volunteers with beautiful caps and shirts! They were easily by Festival guests and could provide quick assistance throughout the day.

With over 2,500 in attendance, you helped to make this one of the largest and most successful CMFs ever!

The 2026 Celebrate Micronesia Festival: Ocean of Peace was hosted in partnership with Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, East-West Center, Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP), Center for Pacific Islands Studies, Medical-Legal Partnership Hawaiʻi, Bess Press, Accel Events & Tents, Barbara B. Smith Endowment for Micronesian-Focused Programs, and leaders from Micronesian communities across Hawaiʻi, and in collaboration with Smithsonian Folklife.

2026 Celebrate Micronesia Festival: Ocean of Peace template by Kalany Omengkar.