KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii Community College-Palamanui opened its doors to the public Saturday morning.
KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii Community College-Palamanui opened its doors to the public Saturday morning.
The open house and grand opening celebration showcased programs available at the school located north of Kona International Airport. Free samples made by students from the school’s culinary arts program were served and entertainment by Te Ea O Te Turama and Robi Kahakalau delighted the audience. Interested students were also able to see the admissions office and talk to staff.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see so many community members enjoying themselves at the new campus,” said Marty Fletcher, the director of HCC-Palamanui. “They’ve waited a long time for these facilities and we are thrilled they came out to celebrate and learn about the higher education options in their community.”
HCC-Palamanui is a branch campus of Hawaii Community College and part of the University of Hawaii system.
The $27-million first phase of the campus includes 24,000 square feet of learning space, comprised of classrooms, culinary arts kitchens, science labs and a nursing lab. It opened to students in fall 2015. Planned second and third phases of the 78-acre Palamanui campus would bring the community college’s capacity to 1,400 students.