OTD Community Partners
Welcome Message
Welcome to the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program Community Partner Webpage, a platform dedicated to showcasing the unique community partnerships we have fostered in Hawai’i and abroad. Our student learning experiences are enhanced by the unique community partnerships we have fostered, which allow students to immerse themselves in Hawaiian culture. Our urban campus is in the heart of downtown Honolulu, a cultural mosaic of communities, groups, and individuals. Our program’s mission is to develop globally responsive, diverse occupational therapy leaders and practitioners who use their knowledge and skills to address the complex needs of people and society through occupation, leadership, and collaborative practice; embodying the values of Aloha, Pono, Kuleana, Kōkua, and Laulima. Collectively, these values call for action to address critical needs in underserved communities, particularly in rural and neighbor island regions where access to healthcare may be limited. This offers service-learning opportunities for our students and faculty to promote wellness and support participation in meaningful daily activities across the lifespan. Our students are asked to expand their capacity, consider the global context in which occupational therapists practice, and envision an occupationally just society.
Patty Coker-Bolt, PhD, OTR/L, FNAP, FAOTA
Professor and Community Relations Ambassador
Community Partnerships
In our Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, our learning is grounded in strong, reciprocal community partnerships across Hawaiʻi and abroad. We are deeply grateful and honored by our current partners, whose trust, collaboration, and shared commitment enable us to address community health needs, promote occupational justice, and support well-being across diverse populations. Rooted in the values of Aloha, Pono, Kuleana, Kōkua, and Laulima, these partnerships create meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that prepare our students to serve and lead with cultural humility in Hawaiʻi and beyond.
Lawelawe Scholars Program
Community Partners
The CDGC is a registered non-profit organization in St. Lucia whose mission is to provide early health care intervention, enabling children with developmental delays to reach their fullest potential. Each Spring, occupational therapy students from the HPU, OTD Honolulu program travel to St. Lucia for a week-long international service-learning experience with the CDGC and Zanique Edwards, the only OT in St. Lucia. Our program collaborates with the CDGC and Zanique to support culturally responsive and community-centered care initiatives for children, adults, and elderly clients. Through hands-on learning, relationship building, and shared experiences, students explored the role of OT in promoting participation, inclusion, and well-being across community settings while deepening their understanding of global health, collaboration, and service grounded in humility and compassion.
Located in the heart of downtown Honolulu near City Hall, the Early Education Center serves up to 168 children from 12-months through age 5. Despite its urban setting, EEC feels like a second home, with colorful classrooms. EEC is one of only two Seagull campuses offering infant and toddler care, starting at 12 months. The campus has been part of the downtown Honolulu community since 1986.
Our collaboration with Seagulls Early Education Center provides occupational therapy students with faculty-led, hands-on learning experiences focused on early childhood development and family-centered care. Through observation and interaction with children ages 12 months to 5 years, students develop foundational knowledge of typical development, play, and participation while building confidence working with young children in naturalistic settings. Students also gain experience collaborating on an interprofessional team alongside preschool teachers and families. As part of the experience, students learn to administer standardized developmental assessments and generate reports that provide educators and parents with meaningful information about each child’s developmental strengths and needs.
AccesSurf Hawai’i is a community-based organization dedicated to creating beach and ocean access for individuals with disabilities through inclusive adaptive recreation programs. What began with humble resources and a strong commitment to accessibility has grown into a global movement that provides life-changing experiences through adaptive surfing, swimming, and ocean activities. Programs include Day at the Beach events, Wounded Warrior programming, adaptive swim and surf clinics, adaptive outrigger canoeing, multi-day surf camps, the Hawai‘i Adaptive Surfing Championships, and collaborative community engagement events with schools, organizations, and corporate partners. Today, AccesSurf supports a vibrant local and international community, offering more than 90 program days and over 4,000 transformative experiences each year.
Our occupational therapy students support the mission and vision of AccesSurf through meaningful community engagement experiences ranging from volunteering at local adaptive recreation events to completing capstone experiences focused on accessibility, participation, inclusion, and health promotion. These experiences provide students with opportunities to apply occupational therapy principles in real-world settings while learning alongside individuals with disabilities, families, community leaders, and interprofessional partners. Through this collaboration, students gain a deeper understanding of the transformative role of adaptive sports and recreation in supporting participation, well-being, and occupational justice.
Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi provides specialized pediatric healthcare services for children and families across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Basin. The hospital offers comprehensive care for a wide range of pediatric orthopedic conditions, including scoliosis and spine care, injury treatment, rehabilitation, and orthotic and prosthetic services. Through its interdisciplinary approach, Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi is dedicated to improving children’s health, function, participation, and overall quality of life through compassionate, family-centered care.
Through a longstanding collaboration with the HPU Doctor of Occupational Therapy program in Honolulu, occupational therapy students help support Camp Ho‘omana, an annual camp designed for children with upper limb differences and their families. Camp Ho‘omana provides opportunities for participation, peer connection, skill development, and family support in an inclusive environment. Through involvement in the camp, occupational therapy students gain valuable hands-on experience in pediatric practice, adaptive participation, family-centered care, and culturally responsive community engagement.
OT Practice Article: It Takes an Island - Empowering Children With Upper Limb Differences
Our program proudly collaborates with the Family Resource Center (FRC) at Blanche Pope Elementary School in Waimānalo to support the health, development, and well-being of children and families within the community. Through this partnership, occupational therapy students engage in meaningful service-learning experiences that promote culturally responsive and family-centered care. Our faculty mentor students who complete developmental screenings for preschool-aged children to help identify strengths and areas needing additional support, while also collaborating with families and educators to promote early intervention and school readiness. In addition, students create sensory kits and adapted books for preschool children with special needs to enhance participation, engagement, and access to meaningful learning experiences.
This collaboration directly supports the mission and goals of the Family Resource Center by strengthening family and community well-being, promoting healthy child development, increasing school readiness, and connecting families with supportive resources and services. The partnership also reflects the center’s strengths-based and family-centered approach by creating inclusive opportunities that empower children and families while fostering collaboration between schools, healthcare providers, and the community. Through this collaboration, our faculty and students embody the values of Aloha, Kōkua, and Laulima by engaging in compassionate service, meaningful partnership, and collective efforts to support the success of children and families in Waimānalo.