Welcome to the SPIO Higher Education Network

We bring together Pacific Islander scholars and professionals to navigate higher education successfully so that we can (1) Build Pacific Islander presence in higher education, (2) Build Pacific Islander presence across professional fields (3) and increase Pacific Islander economic freedom. 

The SPIO Higher Education Network is a free, safe, inclusive, global, and digital space for scholars and professionals of Pacific descent to make meaningful connections, share educational and career resources, and build a unified global community. This network serves as a tool to democratize global Pacific community-building and access to educational and career resources beyond country lines.

Officially launching August 1, 2020.

This network is run by South Pacific Islander Organization, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting and promoting Pacific Islander voices, cultures, and communities through leadership development, cultural revitalization, and community partnerships. 

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, South Pacific Islander Organization will strive to keep this network a free, safe and inclusive space meant to empower our dispersed global Pacific community.

While the SPIO Higher Education Network data is owned by South Pacific Islander Organization, the data will never be sold or shared to external entities.

Since we are building Pacific presence in higher education and professional fields, we cater specifically to:

• Undergraduate and graduate applicants who need application resources and mentorship.
  
• Current undergraduate or graduate scholars looking for an online support community, resources to navigate higher education successfully, and connections to professionals.
• Recent graduates and professionals who want to connect with other professionals, mentor scholars, and educate our community about their career paths and company. 

For security measures, we currently do not allow minors to access the platform. We may, in the future, open this platform to minors.

• Easily search, connect, and message with people from your Home Islands and current (or dream) Professions.
• Contribute to Topics like applying to college, finding scholarships, searching for internships, navigating higher education successfully, and more.
• Get access to free digital Events including our Annual Virtual Summit, Career & Company Virtual Office Hours, and Pacific Leader Speaker Series.
• Search our directory of Educational Resources.
• As we grow and learn from our community, we will strive to adapt our features to the needs of our network.

Annual August Virtual Summit. A free summit for Pacific Islander scholars to get college application tips and learn about career fields. (Starting in 2020)

Quarterly Career & Company Office Hours. Every few months, we will invite Pacific professionals from different careers and companies to talk about their career path, describe a day in the life, and share tips on entering their career field. (Starting in Winter 2020)

Monthly Pacific Leader Speaker Series. Every month, we will invite a Pacific leader to speak on critical community topics. (Starting in 2021)

Weekly Monday Spotlight Article. We interview and highlight inspiring Pacific community leaders across academic and professional fields. (Starting mid-2020)

Weekly Wednesday “Community Pulse” poll. Every week, we will ask our global community for their take on critical Pacific topics. (Starting mid-2020)

Weekly Friday member or student group feature. Every week, we will feature a community member or student group to showcase our stellar global community in action. (Starting in 2021)

We ask all members to live by South Pacific Islander Organization's values and follow these Member Guidelines:

Focus on connection and knowledge sharing.

Your stories and experiences may be exactly what other members need to hear today to solve a problem or seize an opportunity. We’re here to push each other forward and lift each other up. Find ways to help each other think bigger, reframe challenges, and stay curious. We’re here to push each other forward and lift each other up. 

Be respectful and supportive.

Please be kind and constructive when you add a new post, ask a question, or comment on someone else's contribution. Encourage and support your fellow members. Our hosts and moderators hold the right to delete any hurtful posts and remove any members who do not abide by our guidelines. 

Provide context.

We love it when our members share links and resources. If you do, add some commentary or give us some context so that we can understand more about why you care about this particular topic or article.

South Pacific Islander Organization reserves the right to remove any hurtful user-generated content and remove any member who do not abide by our Member Guidelines.

Thank you to our Higher Education Network Ambassadors and 2020 SPIO Partners for being the first to believe in the power of digital connection.