WHEREAS, the legislature finds that student exchange programs offer students an opportunity to experience first-hand the cultures of other countries of the world; and

WHEREAS, student foreign exchange programs foster and sustain multi-cultural interaction and peaceful relationships; and

WHEREAS, the success of Hawaii's fifteen-year-long student exchange program with Japan's Okinawa prefecture is one example of the benefits of these types of programs; and

WHEREAS, implementing a similar student and faculty exchange program between Hawaii and its sister provinces in the Republic of the Philippines would establish a strong and dynamic connection between Hawaii and those provinces; and

WHEREAS, officials in the Republic of the Philippines have expressed a strong interest in developing such a student exchange program; and

WHEREAS, the establishment of such a program at this time would be particularly appropriate as this year marks the Filipino Centennial Celebration, the one-hundredth anniversary of the arrival of Filipinos to Hawaii that honors the achievements and contributions Filipinos have made since their arrival in the islands; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii and the Philippines have a long history of close relations and connections, and a student and faculty exchange program between Hawaii and the Philippines would strengthen an already close cultural, social, and economic relationship; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the Department of Education, in consultation with the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools and the University of Hawaii, shall develop a student and faculty exchange program with Hawaii's sister provinces in the Republic of the Philippines; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education shall also consult with various Filipino community organizations in Hawaii regarding the planning and implementation of the exchange program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the exchange program shall be implemented by the commencement of the 2008-2009 academic year; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education shall submit an interim report to the Legislature of its findings and recommendations regarding the creation, implementation, and maintenance of a student and faculty exchange program between Hawaii and the Republic of the Philippines no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007 and a final report no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education, the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the President of the University of Hawaii, and the President of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.

Report Title:

Hawaii Philippine Exchange Program