Hawaiian culture has much to teach Hawaii’s students

Our world has become increasingly tumultuous, often because of economic and ethnic disparities. And though we have our share of problems, Hawaii offers another way.

In Hawaii, we enjoy living in diverse communities where sharing aloha with one another is one of our most cherished values.

And despite an often impersonal modern context, in Hawaii we strive to build relationships that connect us and bring meaning to our interactions, not just with each other, but with the land and environment, too.

While the Earth’s well-being teeters on our will and ingenuity to live sustainably, on this aina we are blessed with a heritage of innovative resource management and food production that enabled Hawaiians to live abundantly and in balance in our island home for over a thousand years.

This unique mix of traits that characterize our fortunate life in Hawaii springs directly from Hawaiian culture, a legacy that serves as our position of strength in leading change in our education approach.

At the heart of such education advancement are foundational strengths vital to cultivating what we treasure about our lives in Hawaii. What we call Nä Hopena A‘o (HÄ) and Hawaiian culture-based education leverage such strengths to form a distinct approach to creating learning environments, engaging students, and assessing success.

HÄ and Hawaiian culture-based education are not only about Hawaiian content and language, but focus on education characterized by learning environments where:

>> Students are sparked by experiential learning that is relevant to their heritage and home, rooting them to their communities and feeding their academic and personal growth.

>> Students feel a sense of belonging and aloha in their schools and communities.

>> Students feel inspired to fulfill their kuleana (responsibility and rightful place) to care for their ohana (families), communities, the environments of Hawaii, and the global community with which we are inextricably connected.

>> Ohana and community members malama (care for) the schools that help raise our youth and have ample opportunities to engage with schools.

>> Students are encouraged by challenges and hard work, see mistakes as learning opportunities, and gain confidence in their ability to grow, each through their own unique journey.

>> Students trust that they can achieve success because they see the excellence of those who came before them and understand that excellence will be needed to create positive change.

>> Community members, school leaders, faculty, and staff create environments where each student’s total well-being is nurtured.

We wholeheartedly believe that HÄ and Hawaiian culture-based approaches will grow students who will thrive, lift our communities, and stand as true measures of our success. Our shared commitments to such focuses are firmly set in the goals of our institutions:

>> The Hawaiian-focused charter schools’ 2013 Vision of the Graduate.

>> The state Board of Education’s 2015 Policy E-3, Nä Hopena A‘o (HÄ).

>> Kamehameha Schools’ 2016 E Ola! Learner Outcomes.

>> The State Public Charter School Commission’s 2018 Draft Strategic Vision and Plan for the Chartering and Authorizing of Public Charter Schools.

We are grateful that trailblazers began a shift toward Hawaiian culture-based approaches as early as the 1970s, leading the way to the emergence of numerous community-based programs, Hawaiian immersion schools, Hawaiian-focused charter schools, and more recently the above formal commitments.

We strongly support the growing momentum of this crucial movement that is engendering powerful and enduring change and applaud the recently announced Islander Scholars and Aloha ‘Äina Leader Award recipients who exemplify the success of this movement.

And we are proud that such momentum across Hawaii’s educational spectrum continues to grow. As you hear of such changes in our schools, we urge you to support this movement, engage in it as parents and community members, and be assured that these improvements are moving our youth and communities to a more fulfilling future.

Christina Kishimoto is schools superintendent of the state Department of Education; Sione Thompson is executive director of the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission; Jack Wong is chief executive officer of Kamehameha Schools.