LIHU‘E — Ku‘i ka Lono, the annual education conference sponsored by Na Lei Na‘auao Native Hawaiian Charter School Alliance, was held on Kaua‘i for the first time in its seven-year existence, according to a press release. On March 20 and
LIHU‘E — Ku‘i ka Lono, the annual education conference sponsored by Na Lei Na‘auao Native Hawaiian Charter School Alliance, was held on Kaua‘i for the first time in its seven-year existence, according to a press release.
On March 20 and 21, students and educators from eight of the 14 statewide Hawaiian-focused charter schools gathered at the Aston Aloha Beach Hotel to share best practices in indigenous education.
Keynote speakers included Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and Ku Kahakalau, the first person in the world to achieve a Ph.D. in Indigenous Education. The conference featured workshops on both days. The Friday workshops were all presented by students, who described projects such as “Service Learning in the Maha‘ulepu and Koke‘e Watershed” (Kawaikini) and “Restoring Native Plants and Animals on the Island of Lehua” (Ke Kula Ni‘ihau o Kekaha). On Friday evening, students from each school performed music and hula.
On Saturday morning, while educators shared knowledge in their workshops, students participated in service projects at Hikinaakalo Heiau and the Hauola Place of Refuge. They picked up rocks, planted hala plants, and moveda birthing stone back to its original site. In the afternoon, they toured three Hawaiian cultural sites in Wailua, ending the tour at Holoholoko Heiau with spontaneous performances to say mahalo for Kaua‘i’s hospitality.
To learn more about Na Lei Na‘auao Native Hawaiian Charter School Alliance, call (808) 887-1117 or e-mail nln@kalo.org
