Ten men and women recently graduated from the Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Graduate Program with certificates as newly licensed kumu kaiapuni Hawaii (Hawaiian immersion teachers).
Ten men and women recently graduated from the Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Graduate Program with certificates as newly licensed kumu kaiapuni Hawaii (Hawaiian immersion teachers).
The graduates have secured teaching positions for the 2017-18 school year on Hawaii Island at Ka ‘Umeke Ka‘eo, Nawahiokalani‘opu‘u and Alo Kehau o ka ‘Aina Mauna schools, and also on Oahu at Ke Kula ‘o Kamakau and Ma‘ilikukahi schools.
The mission of Kahuawaiola is to prepare mauli ola Hawaii (Hawaiian identity-nurturing) teachers who are grounded in Hawaiian language and culture to serve in Hawaiian language medium schools, Hawaiian language and culture programs in English medium schools, and in schools serving students with a strong Hawaiian cultural background.
Kamehameha Schools Community Investment is continuing its support for Kahuawaiola with a three-year (2017-20) $775,000 grant providing stipends for student-teachers and program operations.
And for the first time, University of Hawaii at Hilo has earmarked financial assistance to provide merit-based scholarships totaling $50,000 in 2017-18 for Kahuawaiola and school of education student-teachers.
For more information about the program, visit www.olelo.hawaii.edu/kwo.