NEWS RELEASE

Wayfinding earns Moloka‘i high schoolers college credits

Molokaʻi High School student Tulua Aivao was among the haumāna who earned college credits by completing a round-trip, interisland journey between Molokaʻi and Maui aboard the waʻa Moʻokiha o Piʻilani.

Kala Tanaka - Hui o Waʻa Kaulua educational outreach coordinator and navigator - believes that the program is an excellent example of culture-based learning.

Molokaʻi High School kumu Iohiao Paoa, teaches the dual-credit course.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Moloka‘i/Maui – Through key partnerships between the University of Hawai‘i, Department of Education and Kamehameha Schools, the Hawai‘i Pacific Voyaging Program was launched this past fall at Moloka‘i and Farrington high schools.

Moloka‘i High students recently completed their capstone project for the pilot program which will provide college credits to those who complete a roundtrip, interisland journey between Moloka‘i and Maui aboard the wa‘a Mo‘okiha o Pi‘ilani, a living classroom for the youth of Hawai‘i and community of Maui.

The dual-credit program capitalizes on the expertise and rich resources of Hawai‘i’s statewide community colleges, ‘ohana wa‘a, and the continued collaboration efforts of Hawai‘i’s DOE and the UH system.

“None of this would’ve happened without the DOE, Kamehameha Schools and our partners,” said Lohiao Paoa, a teacher at UH Maui College who teaches the dual-credit course at Moloka‘i High School. “So that’s what we want to teach, you can’t do anything on the wa‘a by yourself.”

The partnership between the three major educational institutions is a result of the Promise to Children effort through the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. The Promise pledges to “create advocacy and action through classrooms and educational initiatives that promise to create, sustain and navigate a movement dedicated to future generations imbued with the goodness of Hōkūle‘a and the wisdom born of her legacy.”

Seventeen year-old Tulua Aivao, a student at Moloka‘i High School who completed the sail, looks forward to what this experience will do for his future.

“What this will do for my future endeavors is connect me to my roots,” explained Aivao. “You open yourself up and allow yourself to learn teamwork and dedication. Overall devotion.”

The new effort is based on the principle that cultural engagement and academic rigor, combined with the opportunity to save time and money, are powerful motivators for students to work hard toward achieving academic and lifelong success. The program intentionally blends and compresses the time it takes to complete a high school diploma and the first two years of college.

The program is designed to enhance the skills and firsthand experiences for students in the areas of science, technology, math, history and ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i.

“The voyaging canoe is the most central symbol to how we arrived here,” said Kala Tanaka, educational outreach coordinator and navigator for Hui o Wa‘a Kaulua, Maui’s Voyaging Society. “There is a lot of accumulated knowledge that has been passed down through generations. It [the program] ties into learning science, mathematics and physics, but from a cultural perspective first.”

Through its community partnerships, the Hawai‘i Pacific Voyaging Program looks to expand to more DOE and Hawaiian-focused public charter schools next spring.

About Kamehameha Schools

Founded in 1887 by the legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, Kamehameha Schools (KS) is a private, educational, charitable Native Hawaiian trust committed to improving the capability and wellbeing of our people through education. Income generated from its endowment portfolio of Hawai`i commercial real estate and other diverse investments funds more than 96 percent of KS’ educational mission.

In 2015, KS embarked on a bold, exciting voyage that envisions, in one generation, a thriving Lāhui in which learners achieve postsecondary educational success, enabling good life and career choices. Grounded in Christian and Hawaiian values, learners will be leaders who contribute to their communities both locally and globally.

At the heart of this new journey are those who share this vision to ensure that all Native Hawaiians have the opportunity to succeed. Strong community collaborations, donor participation and key state, national and international partnerships are vital to creating the means to propel learners onto knowledge and career paths of their choice.

For more information, visit www.ksbe.edu and connect via Facebook and Instagram (@kamehamehaschools) and Twitter (@ksnews).

Media Contact: Elizabeth Ahana
(808) 384-9610
elahana@ksbe.edu