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±´²©ÌåÓý President John Gotanda (center) joined by members of the Blue Zones Project and ±´²©ÌåÓý staff.
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±´²©ÌåÓý staff celebrate ±´²©ÌåÓý being the latest Blues Zones Project Approved Worksite.
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Sharky rides the blender bike at the celebration event at Aloha Tower Marketplace.
In August 2023, ±´²©ÌåÓý received the exciting news that it had earned the title “Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite,” marking a milestone in the University's commitment to employee well-being and health.
The celebration event Aloha Tower Marketplace included a group of distinguished vendors in attendance that included the Blue Zones Project, HMSA, Kaiser Permanente, and Biki.
±´²©ÌåÓý’s wellness committee, A Healthy HPYou!, supports faculty and staff well-being by organizing opportunities like onsite massages, sleep challenges, an annual employee appreciation event, and more.
To celebrate this achievement, ±´²©ÌåÓý hosted an event on October 23 at ±´²©ÌåÓý’s Aloha Tower Marketplace (ATM) that included a recognition ceremony. ±´²©ÌåÓý President John Gotanda kicked off the afternoon by delivering a keynote session to ±´²©ÌåÓý faculty and staff, focusing on the power of collaboration, the theme of the seventh annual ±´²©ÌåÓý Professional Development Conference.
“Today, we are excited to celebrate ±´²©ÌåÓý’s recent designation as the latest Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite and are emphasizing the profound commitment to our faculty and staff’s well-being,” Gotanda said. “Collaborating with the Blue Zones Project, ±´²©ÌåÓý embarks on a journey to nurture a healthier and happier Hawai‘i, instilling sustainable well-being practices for the benefit of our entire community.”
After the Blue Zones Project recognition ceremony concluded, the celebration event began at ATM’s center atrium with a group of distinguished vendors in attendance that included the Blue Zones Project, HMSA, Kaiser Permanente, and Biki. The event was a great success that saw ±´²©ÌåÓý students, staff, and faculty celebrating the important milestone.
The Blue Zones Project, brought to Hawai‘i through an innovative sponsorship by HMSA, is a community-led well-being improvement initiative aimed at making healthy choices easier through permanent changes to lifestyle, environment, policy, and social networks. This program was established in 2010, inspired by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author who identified five regions of the world, known as Blue Zones, with the highest concentration of people living to 100 years or older.
