{"id":243020,"date":"2026-11-02T14:55:46","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T00:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=243020"},"modified":"2026-11-02T14:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T00:57:10","slug":"oha-uh-hilo-hawaiian-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/11\/02\/oha-uh-hilo-hawaiian-language\/","title":{"rendered":"OHA<\/abbr>, 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo strengthen Hawaiian language education"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Group
OHA<\/abbr> reaffirms decades-long commitment to ʻōlelo<\/span> Hawaiʻi<\/span>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are now resources in place to provide more teachers, more books and more opportunities to learn ʻ\u014dlelo<\/span> Hawaiʻi<\/span> (Hawaiian language). A memorandum of understanding (MOU<\/abbr>) signed October 29 between the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Hilo and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA<\/abbr>) aims to support the people and materials behind Hawaiian language education.<\/p>\n

\"Students
糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo students attend the signing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Signed at Haleʻ\u014dlelo<\/span>, home to 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo\u2019s Ka Haka ʻUla<\/span> o Keʻelik\u014dlani<\/span> College of Hawaiian Language<\/a>, the agreement builds on nearly 30 years of collaboration to revitalize ʻ\u014dlelo<\/span> Hawaiʻi<\/span>.<\/p>\n

OHA<\/abbr> has allocated $620,000 for the college over fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The funding will support teacher preparation through its Kahuawaiola graduate certificate program<\/a> and classroom resources created by its Hale Kuamoʻo<\/span> Hawaiian Language Center.<\/a><\/p>\n

“ʻ\u014clelo<\/span> Hawaiʻi<\/span> is the foundation of who we are as a l\u0101hui (nation),” said Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees Chair Kaialiʻi<\/span> Kahele.<\/p>\n

Preparing more teachers<\/h2>\n

The agreement supports an education pathway that allows students to learn Hawaiian from preschool through the doctoral level.<\/p>\n

\"signing
Kaʻiu<\/span> Kimura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kahuawaiola prepares educators to teach in Hawaiian or English, with a strong foundation in Hawaiian language and culture.<\/p>\n

Kahuawaiola prepares educators for Hawaiian-medium and Hawaiian-focused schools, while equipping them to teach in both ʻ\u014dlelo<\/span> Hawaiʻi<\/span> and English classrooms. The MOU<\/abbr> expands support for teacher training and credentials through mentor teacher stipends, undergraduate scholarships, wraparound support, travel for professional development and instructional materials. This past summer<\/a>, candidates practiced teaching with students in grades 1\u20138 from Ke Kula ʻO<\/span> N\u0101wah\u012bokalaniʻ\u014dpuʻu<\/span>, the college\u2019s laboratory school.<\/p>\n

“This agreement directly supports the people carrying out this work \u2014 from mentor teachers to incoming students,” said Kaʻiu<\/span> Kimura, director of Ka Haka ʻUla<\/span> o Keʻelik\u014dlani<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Words into classrooms<\/h2>\n
\"Paper
The MOU<\/abbr> will support the preparation of Hawaiian-medium teachers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At Hale Kuamoʻo<\/span>, the partnership will help create and distribute teaching materials, employ student assistants and reconvene a committee that develops Hawaiian vocabulary for modern uses.<\/p>\n

“A child can\u2019t learn in Hawaiian without books in Hawaiian, and a teacher can\u2019t teach science or math without the words to do it. Hale Kuamoʻo<\/span> makes sure those resources exist,\u201d said Kimura.<\/p>\n

The signing followed trustees\u2019 visits to Hawaiian language programs serving infants, preschoolers and K\u201312 students at the N\u0101wah\u012b campus in Keaʻau<\/span>, offering them a firsthand look at the educational pathway their support helps sustain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re grateful for OHA<\/abbr>\u2019s trust, and we take seriously our responsibility to deliver on it,” said 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OHA<\/abbr> has allocated $620,000 for the 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo Ka Haka ʻUla<\/span> o Keʻelik\u014dlani<\/span> College of Hawaiian Language over fiscal years 2026 and 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":243039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[204,1057,316,14],"class_list":["post-243020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-education","tag-hawaiian-language","tag-ka-haka-ula-o-keelikolani","tag-uh-hilo","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t