There are now resources in place to provide more teachers, more books and more opportunities to learn ʻō濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). A memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed October 29 between the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) aims to support the people and materials behind Hawaiian language education.
Signed at Haleʻō濒别濒辞, home to 糖心视频 贬颈濒辞’蝉 , the agreement builds on nearly 30 years of collaboration to revitalize ʻō濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi.
OHA has allocated $620,000 for the college over fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The funding will support teacher preparation through its and classroom resources created by its
“ʻ?lelo Hawaiʻi is the foundation of who we are as a lāhui (nation),” said Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele.
Preparing more teachers
The agreement supports an education pathway that allows students to learn Hawaiian from preschool through the doctoral level.
Kahuawaiola prepares educators to teach in Hawaiian or English, with a strong foundation in Hawaiian language and culture.
Kahuawaiola prepares educators for Hawaiian-medium and Hawaiian-focused schools, while equipping them to teach in both ʻō濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi and English classrooms. The MOU expands support for teacher training and credentials through mentor teacher stipends, undergraduate scholarships, wraparound support, travel for professional development and instructional materials. , candidates practiced teaching with students in grades 1–8 from Ke Kula ʻO 狈ā飞补丑ī辞办补濒补苍颈ʻō辫耻ʻ耻, the college’s laboratory school.
“This agreement directly supports the people carrying out this work — from mentor teachers to incoming students,” said Kaʻiu Kimura, director of Ka Haka ʻUla o 碍别ʻ别濒颈办ō濒补苍颈.
Words into classrooms
At Hale Kuamoʻo, the partnership will help create and distribute teaching materials, employ student assistants and reconvene a committee that develops Hawaiian vocabulary for modern uses.
“A child can’t learn in Hawaiian without books in Hawaiian, and a teacher can’t teach science or math without the words to do it. Hale Kuamoʻo makes sure those resources exist,” said Kimura.
The signing followed trustees’ visits to Hawaiian language programs serving infants, preschoolers and K–12 students at the Nāwahī campus in Keaʻau, offering them a firsthand look at the educational pathway their support helps sustain.
“We’re grateful for OHA’s trust, and we take seriously our responsibility to deliver on it,” said 糖心视频 Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin.