By Kyle Twardowski, Triton’s Call Staff

The University of Guam’s College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS) program hosted a Community Brainstorming and Information Session on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at the Calvo Field House.  The purpose of this session was to receive input from the community on what the organizations within CNAS need to look into and put onto what’s called a “plan of work.”

“Every year we do a plan of work, and we say ‘This is what they said and this is what we’re going to do’” said Jim Hollyer, associate dean of CNAS and associate director of UOG’s Extension and Outreach Program.

Once the “plan of work” is completed and sent to the CNAS funding agencies, each program will select which issues will be handled by which section including some of Guam’s agencies (Public Health etc.).

According to Hollyer, once they get the information, they send it out for review.

“Once it comes back approved, we’re going to send it back out because this work is not just our work, it’s the communities work,” Hollyer said.  “It’s Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, and the USDA groups that are here, it’s our work, meaning all of us.”

The community was asked to participate in this brainstorming event, however, most participants comprised of organizations within Guam’s agriculture department and health department as well along with other agencies dealing with health and wellness.

The event was split into two sessions throughout the day: a morning session and an afternoon session.  Each brainstorm had four categories:  Agriculture and Gardening; Nutrition, Health and Food;  Families, Youth, and Communities and Natural Resource Quality and Use.

This community outreach session was the first one held in fifteen years.  However, Hollyer said that CNAS is comfortable with three to five years at this point.

Due to so many things needed be outreached, the program has noticed and is working to get this sort of session to be more regulated to engage the community further.

If you were unable to make it to the community brainstorming session with the CNAS program, there are still ways to get involved and help make a difference.

“We have so much feedback that we need people to say ‘hey, well take this thing on,’” Hollyer said.  “So that’s the direction we’re going in, is getting the community involved as well.”

If you would like to contact Hollyer or would like more information on the community outreach program within CNAS you can check out www.cnas-re.uog.edu for more information.