Kahoʻiwai Teacher Education Program

Read this article in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi

By Noekeonaona Kirby, Kahoʻiwai Academic Dean

All these endearing thoughts for Hawaiʻi
Causing a return to the abundant waters
Cherished recollection of the flowing water
Rippling waters of Laukapalili
Hāloanaka the endeared
Return to the love bound waters

Lauaʻe Ke Aloha is a chant composed by the students of Kahoʻiwai to reflect their passion and understanding of responsibility towards teaching students.

When water flows into the loʻi kalo, likewise knowledge flows to our students. When water flows to the rest of the community, the students also return to the community to share their knowledge. When water returns to the land, the knowledge we teach our students also returns to our people.

This is how we are able to support the life of our community. With these ideals we are able to show the incomparable responsibility our teachers have to the people of Hawaiʻi.

Kahoʻiwai is a teacher education program licensed by HTSB (Hawaii Teacher Standards Board) and accredited by WINHEC (World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium). In this program, we support teachers who are interested in teaching elementary students (K-6) and teachers interested in teaching secondary students (6-12) in mathematics, science, Hawaiian studies, social studies and English.

All of the requirements of the teaching certificate can be achieved in 15-21 months. The majority of coursework is done online, however our teachers meet every term for three days to camp and share in the responsibilities of aloha ʻāina and of the teaching profession.

Learning about how to become a teacher is just as valuable as learning about our Hawaiian beliefs and value systems.

At Kahoʻiwai, teaching and caring for all of our students in Hawaiʻi is an honored responsibility. We have a responsibility to perpetuate the life of our land through aloha, caring and taking care of each other, showing thanks, striving for excellence and maintaining our righteousness.

When all of these beliefs are achieved and when teachers intrinsically know the value of these ideas for our people, our people will indeed succeed.

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