American Samoa’s Territorial Teacher of the Year, Monica Lynn Lui of Samoana High School was honored during the 29th Pacific Educational Conference (PEC) which kicked off at the College of the Marshall Islands in Majuro yesterday.

Lui and fellow teachers of the year from other islands in the Pacific region were honored during a special Pacific Teachers of the Year Awards ceremony where they were presented certificates that read: “Presented with gratitude, pride, and heartfelt congratulations on behalf of Pacific children and the educational community.”

The four-day PEC which concludes this Friday is the largest international event in the history of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The event is being hosted by the Republic of the Marshall Islands Public School System, the College of the Marshall Islands, and Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). 

According to a press release, while there, “participants will meet to consider the role of education in improving sustainability and resiliency of island communities under the theme ‘Our Ocean, Our Islands, Our Children’.”

The PEC, which started back in 1984, is the largest conference for educators in the Pacific island region. “It brings together teachers, administrators, and chief state school officers from around the Pacific.”

Every two years, the event is alternatively hosted by participating members “to promote exchanges in educational ideas.”