Kamehameha Schools marked the upcoming opening of its thirtieth preschool site at St. Ann Church with a blessing in He‘eia. The new location features two classrooms, adding 40 preschool seats for haumāna, beginning in early March 2022.
KS currently operates two preschools nearby, another in Heʻeia and one in Kahaluʻu, offering a combined capacity of 134 seats. Despite this, two keiki are competing for every early learning seat in the Koʻolaupoko region, with each preschool adding to its waiting list each year. The new Kikiwelawela Preschool is a humble step in KS’ quest to help meet the demand for early learning in He‘eia.
“We celebrate this new opportunity to serve more of our Native Hawaiian keiki in the community, supporting their journey as they become the next generation of ʻōiwi leaders,” said Dr. Waiaʻaleʻale Sarsona, vice president of Hiʻialo at Kamehameha Schools. “With Hawaiian culture-based education as the cornerstone of our program, the name of Kikiwelawela Preschool reflects the traditional name of the area within the Heʻeia ahupuaʻa.”
Kikiwelawela Preschool represents and builds upon KS’ commitment to supporting the state of Hawaiʻi’s 10-year goal – established in 2020 through Act 46 – to provide universal access to affordable early learning for all children in Hawaiʻi.
“Early learning experiences are vital to establish a strong foundation for keiki as part of a lifetime of learning,” said KS CEO Jack Wong. “As we strive to fulfill the vision of our founder, Ke Aliʻi Bernice Pauahi Bishop, we continue to look for meaningful ways to invest in our children in order to uplift our lāhui.”
For more than three decades, KS has been nurturing keiki through education rooted in Hawaiian culture and language at its preschool sites. The addition of Kikiwelawela Preschool brings KS’ total impact in opening access to early education for keiki across the pae ʻāina to:
- 30 preschools on the islands of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi and Kauaʻi,
- 87 classrooms,
- And 1,677 seats for haumāna.
The primary application period for KS’ preschools closed at the end of January 2022. KS is accepting late preschool applications for all preschool sites, including Kikiwelawela, for the 2022-2023 school year through May 31, 2022. To learn more about KS preschools, click here
The intimate blessing of Kikiwelawela Preschool was led by KS Kapālama Kahu Manu Naeʻole KSK’96. The site features two classrooms and will serve up to 40 kamaliʻi beginning in March.
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