“Aloha from Puʻunui!” “Joining from Alaska.” “Tagio tumas, Wantok!”
These greetings reflected the global reach of a recent interdisciplinary webinar hosted in part by the (DPHS) at the , bringing together more than 115 participants to explore how sport and culture support health across Pacific communities.
The virtual event, “Activating Ties Across the Tides,” connected professionals and students in public health, social work and community programs from places including Papua New Guinea, Guam and the continental U.S.
Culturally grounded approaches
The discussion centered on culturally grounded sport and movement programs, with presenters sharing research, youth initiatives and lived experiences from Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Chuukese communities in Guam. Speakers included athletes, educators and public health practitioners working across the region.
The event was co-hosted by the Public Health Resonance Project, in collaboration with the Thompson School , the and the . DPHS graduate students in the spring 2026 course also helped to host the event, strengthening knowledge and leadership skills.
“It is great to see how communities are using sports/functional movement to support their communities to be healthier or find healthier ways to interact and to live,” said one participant.
“Integrating culture and physical activity is an innovative way to create intersections between culture and health and a great way to strengthen communities socially and in health and wellbeing, thank you all for sharing what you do!” said another participant.
Organizers announced a related call for papers through the Hawaiʻi Journal of Health & Social Welfare, with , to further expand scholarship in this area.
“Having worked collaboratively across the Pacific for more than 20 years to engage Pacific communities through social work and interdisciplinary public health initiatives at 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补, it was incredibly meaningful to see this interdisciplinary scholarly forum highlight efforts that center community and individual well-being through sport,” said Theresa Kreif, faculty director of .
amplifies the unique attributes and deep connections across regionally and culturally relevant physical activities for health promotion. This was the second collaborative webinar supported by the Chin Sik & Hyun Sook Chung Endowed Chair in Public Health Studies and Tetine Sentell, Professor in DPHS, in collaboration with local and international experts and partners.
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