April 30, 2003
Contributed by Kekoa Paulsen
The $153,603 award was presented to Kanu o Ka Aina at a news conference held at Kamehameha Schools. "Ho'olako Like is one of our newest Pauahi's Legacy Lives initiatives that helps KS to extend our reach to more Hawaiian learners," said Dr. Hamilton McCubbin, chancellor and chief executive officer. We are proud to present this award to Kanu o Ka Aina, an outstanding example of a start-up charter school that serves a predominately Hawaiian student population and incorporates both Hawaiian-focused and Western-based curriculum in its programs. We look forward to future collaborations with other charter schools throughout the state that are serving our Hawaiian communities." According to Dr. Ku Kahakalau, principal of Kanu o Ka Aina, "We appreciate the generosity of Kamehameha Schools and look forward to our collaboration with Ho'olako Like. As a start-up charter school, we must rely on other resources to help us carry out our mission of providing a unique learning environment for our students that incorporates the best of both worlds. This partnership with KS will benefit our students immediately and we are thankful for their support." Ho'olako Like offers start-up charter schools an opportunity to collaborate with KS to obtain financial, technical and resource support. Eligible charter schools that commit to the provisions of a contractual agreement with KS may receive a minimum of $1 for every $4 of per pupil allocation received from the State of Hawai'i. Other examples of support that may be provided by KS include curriculum and professional development activities, baseline accountability and program evaluation development, or other collaborations that facilitate effective education reform. To be considered under this program, charter schools must meet the following criteria: - Serve student populations with 70% or more students of Hawaiian ancestry - Reflect programs initiated by Hawaiian communities - Work from a community-defined educational plan - Demonstrate support from the Hawaiian community in which the school is located - Commit to perpetuating Hawaiian culture, language, values and traditions - Offer Hawaiian culture-based curriculum, instruction and assessment - Support charter schools ideals, including compliance with the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards; promoting a strengths-based focus and encouraging family and community involvement - Serve communities with high needs - Share, participate and collaborate with other charter schools - Have or be in the process of obtaining a 501 (c) (3) status from the IRS. Participating schools will be required to set specific goals for reaching their success targets. Each school and its board of directors will set benchmarks that measure a variety of outcomes including standardized test scores, improving daily attendance, increasing the number of students pursuing higher education and training, and incorporating the concept of "'Ike Hawai'i" in their curriculum and educational approaches. Eligible charter schools may apply to the Ho'olako Like program by contacting Sharlene Chun-Lum at 534-3983.
Kamehameha Schools’ policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
