Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 5, 1 May 1997 — Kula Niʻihau o Kekaha seeks use of former Kekaha Armory [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kula Niʻihau o Kekaha seeks use of former Kekaha Armory

West Kaua'i educators and parents in Kekaha are seeking conversion of the former Kekaha Armory into a new location for the Kula Ni'ihau o Kekaha, a Hawaiian-language immersion program established in 1992 for Hawaiian children who are native language speakers. The OHA Board of Trustees voted in late April to request the armory lease be transferred from Department of Land and Natural Resources to OHA. OHA

would sublease the armory to Aha Pūnana Leo for Kula Ni'ihau O Kekaha. Kula Ni'ihau o Kekaha got its start in 1992 when a group of Ni'ihau parents, frustrated by the laek of appropriate eunieulum for native-speaking Hawaian students (who generally fared poorly when suddenly thrust into an English-speaking public school environment), pulled their children out of the public school and started conducting their own classes. At first, the Department of Education did not support the move, but after seeing the improvement in student achievement, finally agreed to give them space in

Kekaha Elementary and to pay for a teacher. Now, both parents and educators believe strongly in the social, educational and cultural benefits of this unique program. Kekaha Elementary principal Bilh Smith points out it is the only plaee in the world where students eome to school already speaking Hawaiian and ean continue to learn in Hawaiian. OHA was instrumental in providing funds for additional part-time teachers, as was 'Aha Pūnana Leo, the Hawaiian language statewide program.

Currently 22 Ni'ihau ■ students in grades K-6 are ■ being served in one classI room at Kekaha Elementary. I Teachers and parents would - like to see the Kekaha Armory, located right across the street from the school, \l turned over to the program | so that, with some remodelI ing, it ean eventually expand I classes to grade 12 and prof vide a more conducive leami ing environment for the ehildren. They also envision a | community center that r would serve preschool, adult

and parent education and social needs as well as be a Hawaiian cultural resource eenter. A critical point in the growth of Kula Ni'ihau o Kekaha was the receipt in 1996 of a two-year Title VII Bilingual Grant for a total of $181,000. This grant enabled the Kula Ni'ihau O Kekaha to build staff capacity and knowledge, develop culturally sensitive thematic units of study, build program credibility and improve the self-esteem of Hawaiian children from Ni'ihau.

Ka Wal Ola o OHA Mel (May) '97 \

Mfl^mabirta o ta Makahiii 'r;^Ē f lawoli lulai I Pepeluoli 'Aukaie ■ Huloki Tepofemqpo I Apelila Okaiopa . ■ Mei Mawemapa ■ lune Tetemapa

Greeting visitors with a morning song in Hawaiian, teacher Lama Kaohelauiii and a Kula Ni'ihau o Kekaha student.