Attendees of the Kaulele celebration banquet included Noel Soma, Na'e Kalama, Whitney Andersen and Haweo Kaiama, all of whom pulled double duty as volunteers at the reception table. - Photo courtesy Manu Kaiama.

By Napua Moikeha / Special to Ka Wai Ola Loa

On June 25, the Kaulele program celebrated its third successful year of funding for Hawaiian students in certain higher education programs ranging from education to architecture. The evening began with an opening oli by Kealii Gora, Lilikalā Kame'eleihiwa and Manu Kaiama and went on to highlight Kaulele's current successes.

Keynote speaker Sylvia Hussey, vice president for Educational Support Services at Kamehameha Schools, shared the story of nine Ni'ihau students in need of funding to cover the unexpected tuition increases this last term. Without such funding, they would not have graduated with their degrees in facilities engineering at Kaua'i Community College. They are instrumental in setting up technology on Ni'ihau to facilitate online courses for the people of that island.

Kaulele recipients Lei Moore, who recently earned a master's degree in school counseling psychology from Chaminade University, and Natalie Ornellas, who is working on a master's degree in social work at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, were featured speakers as well, discussing the importance of having more Hawaiians in these fields. The Kaulele program is based at the UH Mānoa and serves students at all higher education institutions in the state, public or private.

The Kaulele program gave out 87 practicum awards, 28 faculty travel awards and five Ho'oulu awards in the 2008-2009 academic year. Practicum awards fund students during semesters when they are required to do "on-the-job" training for school credit. Practicum work is necessary in fields including education, nursing, social work and others.

Kaulele also funds travel costs for Native Hawaiian faculty to help junior and senior faculty to be able to present their research at venues across the world and therefore establish important networks with other academics internationally.

Finally, Ho'oulu programs funded by Kaulele include curriculum development utilizing Hawaiian approaches to teaching and learning. Five awards were presented this past year, touching a total of 60 students.

One such Ho'oulu activity was Ka Wai Ola. This is a course taken for Hawaiian language students who have completed second-year Hawaiian. The course entails visiting Hawai'i Island and spending two to three weeks doing Hawaiian activities and speaking only in Hawaiian. The students camp out, visit and clean lo'i kalo, and learn the mo'olelo (stories) of different wahi pana (sacred places) along the coast. They participate in canoe rides, diving from rocks, fishing and cooking in traditional manners, and all types of interesting, thought-provoking activities.

The Kaulele program is a partnership of Kamehameha Schools,
the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture (INPEACE)
and the Native Hawaiian Leadership Project. Kaulele is run by
director Manu Kaiama, with the assistance of Napua Moikeha.
For information, call (808) 945-1560.