ASCC - AAN Initiative

A'oa'oga Aso Nei Initiative

NTIA Connecting Minority Communities

Executive Summary

American Samoa Community College (ASCC) is the primary postsecondary institution serving the population of the Territory of American Samoa. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, approximately 2,500 miles from the nearest American university in Hawai’i, ASCC is a critical anchor point for the young people and economy of the island territory. With a population of about 50,000 people, American Samoa is not only home to an almost entirely Pacific Islander population, but also the ancestral cradle of the ancient Samoan culture. As such, ASCC’s responsibility extends through its students, its community, and to the understanding, preservation, and growth of a Samoan society–Fa'a Samoa–that has been in existence for millennia.

Eligibility and Qualifications

Funded Collaborators

American Samoa Community College (ASCC) is the sole entity (Funded Participant) applying for the Connecting Minority Communities grant under this application. It is listed as a Minority Serving Institution by all relevant federal agencies.

Project Justification

Primary Goals

Project Description

The Aʻoaʻoga Aso Nei Initiative will significantly modernize the bandwidth into, technology tools employed by, and curricula offered from American Samoa Community College (ASCC), a 2-year degree offering, Minority-Serving Institution based in the territory. ASCC is exceptional in many ways. It is 2,500 miles away from the nearest 4-year university in O’ahu. ASCC is the sole higher-ed institution serving the territory of American Samoa, and ASCC students are about 92 percent Pacific Islander as well as nearly 100 percent AANHPI. ASCC is the only United States MSI in the Southern Hemisphere.

American Samoa Community College’s Mission describes these aspirations for its students:

Faamanuiaina i galuega
Faaauau atu i iunivesite ma aoaoga maualuluga atu
Silafia o Aganu’u Samoa ma le Pasefika.
Sailiiliga ma le faalautelega i mataupu tau tagata ma punaoa faalenatura

While Samoan is a symbolic language, a close translation in English would be:

Successful entry into the workforce
Transfer to institutions of higher learning
Awareness of the Samoan Culture and the Pacific
Research and extension in human and natural resources

While American Samoa Community College has delivered on this mission for decades of existence, the past decade has seen massive changes in the way higher education is delivered to students, as well as a global shift to online technologies. ASCC has struggled to keep up with the rapid pace of change. The AAN Initiative is designed to help continue to deliver on the college’s mission statement, helping to transform the local economy and preserve the Samoan culture.

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