Kamehameha Schools has awarded $1,916,356 to our early learning and educational equity programs to strengthen awareness about the benefits and importance of early childhood education, provide age-appropriate education activities rooted in cultural-based education, and continue growing, retaining and strengthening educators.
With its mission to fulfill Pauahi’s desire to create educational opportunities Kamehameha Schools’ has provided these awards to cooperatively work with INPEACE programs to advance our keiki and communities toward a thriving Lāhui. Our Ho’ala program will continue doing intensive community outreach to build awareness of the importance of early childhood education which includes information on ECE programs, tuition, subsidies, and ‘ohana community events. The Keiki Steps Ka’ahele project will provide hands-on outdoor experiences at various wahi pana sites around community. The Ka Lama Education Academy supports growing and recruiting quality educators from the community and crease the number of Native Hawaiian teachers through a system of supports, credentialing, placement, and retention.
“He wahi leo mahalo palena ‘ole i ka ʻōpū aliʻi o ke Aliʻi Pauahi i ke kākoʻo mau i nā ʻohana a INPEACE Keiki Steps. The Kamehameha Schools grant will allow Keiki Steps to extend programming beyond the classroom and into community wahi pana to enrich the Hawaiian cultural understanding of our participants. We are excited to strengthen relationships to and with our ʻāina that surrounds us and the kai that connects us.” Keiki Steps Program Director, Kalehua Caceres
“Ua Lehulehu a Manomano Kā ‘Ikena a Ka Hawai’i. The Ka Lama Education Academy would like to express our sincere gratitude for the consideration and granting on this award. This grant will allow us to continue out Grow Your Own efforts by recruiting and growing teachers within our community. This support will help us fill the teacher shortages that we continue to witness with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of Native Hawaiian teachers in Hawai’i!” Ka Lama Education Academy Program Director, Francine Medeiros
