09/07/2026
🌺 NextGen Hawaiʻi Study Away | Cohort II 🌱
In early August, a second cohort of Native and Indigenous students from Virginia Tech, the University of Florida, Haskell Indian Nations University, and Oregon State University traveled to Hawaiʻi for the NextGen Hawaiʻi Study Away experience, centered on Indigenous knowledge, food sovereignty, and reciprocal relationships with ʻāina (land).
As part of their fieldwork, students participated in service-based activities guided by community needs and invitations, working alongside Kānaka-led nonprofit organizations and community partners to support food sovereignty initiatives and the revitalization of traditional food systems. Students also engaged in cultural protocols, reflection, and discussion throughout their field experiences, creating space to consider how Indigenous knowledge is practiced, shared, and carried forward through relationships with land and community.
This second cohort was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Moanikeʻala Nanod-Sitch, Hawaiʻi Area Director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship; Virginia Tech’s Dr. Rick Rudd and Dr. Donna Westfall-Rudd; ALCE Ph.D. student Elizabeth (Liz) Sanders; and ALCE Ph.D. student Bryce Burrell.
The Hawaiʻi Study Away experience was supported through Tennessee State University’s USDA Next Generation Consortium for Building the Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences Pipeline Project.
🌱 ʻĀina • ʻIke • Pilina • Reciprocity
