April 11, 2012
Contributed by Shaun Chillingworth
First Nations' Futures Program is an international collaboration between Kamehameha Schools, Te Rünanga o Ngäi Tahu of New Zealand, Stanford University and the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Focused on the stewardship of natural and cultural resources and improving the well-being of indigenous communities, the FNFP showcases academic leadership lessons and place-based research practices to develop well-balanced leaders.
The objective of the program is to bridge western academic and corporate philosophies with traditional First Nations' philosophies to develop leaders who can successfully balance four strategic areas: values and service-based leadership; economic development and business; environment and resource management; and community and culture. FNFP aims to show how values-based philosophies can be applied to natural resource management and strengthen leadership in our communities.
"The value of participating in the program is based around the fact that it's a long-term investment in the next generation of leadership," said Mawae Morton, an FNFP co-founder. "What [FNFP] does is that it takes the core values, models and knowledge that's been central to indigenous leadership in our communities and offers that to the fellows."
Morton continues, "The certain person that should apply for the program and would benefit from going through this program is someone cares about the community and wants to give back to the place that they're from."
A one-year commitment is required, which involves 6-10 weeks of programming including a three-day orientation, a two-week leadership development institute at Stanford University, an 'Ōiwi leadership 'aha (gathering) and a research project in Hawai'i. The fellowship concludes with a final presentation to the incoming fellows at the 2013 First Nations' Futures Institute.
For program information, including eligibility requirements and scheduling, interested applicants should visit www.fnfp.org, e-mail fellowship@ksbe.edu or call 808-541-5346. Applications can be downloaded, from April 11th-June 15th at www.ksbe.edu/admissions or by calling 1-800-842-4682 ext. 8800. Kamehameha Schools' policy on admissions is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
Kamehameha Schools’ policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
