As community researchers, this is THE PLACE to learn how to engage the communities outside of one's own community. It is the place where "Aunty" and "Uncle" applies across the board and you get a response. It is the place to really step out of your shell and have a conversation with others that you wouldn't encounter otherwise. Ultimately, it is THE PLACE to really learn about how to interact with the PI community. So, we encouraged our interns to attend the festival and volunteer at a booth or even help out with the other interns.
Lena and Ono speaking to the crowd at the Pacific Islander Festival in San Diego, CA about their research! AND learning from one of our fearless leaders, Tana Lepule. Proud of our interns!