Local Partnerships

STEP- Saturday Tongan Education Program

Weekly @ Pomona College, Claremont CA

The Saturday Tongan Education Program is an Inland Empire collaboration between MALO and Pomona College’s Asian American Resource Center (AARC). Through weekly workshops and discussions at the Pomona College campus, participants support each other in their own journeys. STEP volunteers provide Tongan American youth with support in school, cultural preservation, leadership growth, and personal identity exploration. At the same time, college students associated with the AARC and from community engagement courses learn about the issues that affect their companions’ communities. They can engage directly with a community that historically has been under-served and underrepresented.
STEP fosters a mutually beneficial relationship between Tongan youth and the university institution to create unique learning opportunities on both ends.
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IDAAS Community Creations

MALO is in continual collaboration with the Claremont Colleges to produce educational materials like zines, articles, and images for the community. In the Intercollegiate Department of Asian American Studies (est. 1998) at the Claremont Colleges, students can take Community Engagement classes to participate in STEP workshops and sessions. These following creations are the products of their work and partnership with Tongan youth.

From Our Sea of Islands arranged by Jessica Kim

Finding Community Health During COVID-19 by Marina Aina

Voyaging During COVID-19 by Malaya Caligtan-Tran

What is the U.S. Census? by the Pomona College Asian American Resource Center's H.O.P.E. Committee

Koloa Video by community members and Pitzer College professors

CASA Pitzer Collaborations

Presented @ Pitzer College, Claremont CA

MALO’s partnerships with the City of Ontario and CASA Pitzer has formed connections that highlight the historical significance Tongan Americans have had throughout the Inland Empire. From cultural festivals in Downtown Ontario to professional development skillshares hosted by CASA, our partnerships encourage visibility and education around Tongan American cultural presence in the Inland Empire.