{"id":243185,"date":"2026-11-09T08:15:36","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T18:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=243185"},"modified":"2026-11-12T08:17:57","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T18:17:57","slug":"kapiolani-cc-80-native-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/11\/09\/kapiolani-cc-80-native-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"Rooted in excellence: Kapiʻolani CC<\/abbr> plants 80 trees for anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"
Reading time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\"gif<\/p>\n

Marking eight decades of educational leadership and community transformation, Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College held a ceremonial tree planting on November 9, kicking off an initiative to plant 80 native trees across its Diamond Head campus slopes.<\/p>\n[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/Dix_HZOE3jg” el_aspect=”916″ align=”right” el_id=”wrap-video-right”][vc_column_text]\n

Supported through the Ke Aloha ʻ\u0100ina<\/span> Native Hawaiian Plant Fund, the project establishes living classrooms that nurture ʻike<\/span> (knowledge), while honoring the college’s 80th-anniversary theme, “Rooted in Generations.” The campus is also a nationally designated Tree Campus Higher Education institution.<\/p>\n

“Planting these native trees brings one of our campus values to life: m\u0101lama, through nurturing and protecting our campus and community, and kuleana, through accepting responsibility for what we leave to future generations,” said Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi.<\/p>\n

“Rooted in this ʻ\u0101ina<\/span> and in the legacy of Queen Kapiʻolani,<\/span> our college helps students build strong foundations from which to grow. As we celebrate 80 years, these trees represent our enduring commitment to care for this place and its people, so that both can flourish for generations to come.”<\/p>\n

From technical school to talent engine<\/h2>\n

When Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College opened its doors in 1946, it operated as a modest post-war technical school focused primarily on practical nursing and food service. Classes were initially held at Palama Settlement. Eight decades later, the Diamond Head campus has transformed into one of the state’s primary economic engines, quietly anchoring critical industries across the islands.<\/p>\n

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Office machines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While long recognized for its premier culinary program, Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> today enrolls the highest number of transfer students among all seven University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> community college campuses. More significantly, it has evolved into a vital pipeline addressing the state’s persistent labor shortages in healthcare, technology and tourism. Since 1966 (when records were available), Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College has awarded more than 48,932 degrees and certificates.<\/p>\n

According to institutional data, 45% of Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> students are the first in their families to attend college. For these students, navigating the islands’ cost of living is often the defining challenge of pursuing higher education.<\/p>\n

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Grads in 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College system is a national leader in economic mobility and student support<\/a>, according to the 2025 State Opportunity Index. 糖心视频<\/abbr>‘s two-year institutions are currently leading in affordability, providing students with one of the most accessible paths to a degree in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Campus officials note that 91% of the college’s Career and Technical Education (CTE<\/abbr>) programs are directly mapped to occupations paying above Hawaiʻi’s<\/span> baseline cost-of-living threshold.<\/p>\n

Healthcare pipeline<\/h2>\n
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Nursing program, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The college’s healthcare divisions, in particular, serve as an essential lifeline for clinical facilities on Oʻahu<\/span> and across neighbor islands. Several high-demand allied health tracks\u2014including respiratory care, radiologic technology, practical nursing and physical therapist assisting\u2014report a 100% graduate employment rate. In response to regional shortages in emergency care, the college recently expanded its Emergency Medical Technician training directly into Waiʻanae<\/span><\/a>, creating local training access on the Leeward Coast.<\/p>\n

Beyond clinical care, the institution’s footprint spans key legacy and emerging sectors:<\/p>\n

\"Culinary
Culinary Arts (2010s)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n