As Hawaiian language immersion schools across the state work to fill a critical teacher shortage, the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Hilo is preparing the next generation of educators through a program rooted in language, culture and community.
For 25 years, the Kahuawaiola Hawaiian and Indigenous Teacher Training Program has trained future kumu (teachers) through Hawaiian language instruction, extensive classroom experience and mentorship from a statewide network of graduates. The program has become a driving force in strengthening Hawaiian medium education and revitalizing ʻ¨lelo Â鶹´«Ã½ (Hawaiian language).
For candidate Tahiti Chong, the journey is deeply personal. She said her true calling as an educator crystallized when she became a mother.
“I knew that I wanted to raise my daughter in our ʻ¨lelo Â鶹´«Ã½.”
She aims to show keiki that subjects like math and science are inherently woven into traditional everyday practices.
“It¡¯s a lot of looking back to move forward,” Chong said, explaining that she draws strength from seeing all her kuaʻana Kahuawaiola (older brothers and sisters from the program) who are now pillars in the l¨¡hui (Hawaiian community), and “we want to make them and all of our ʻohana (family) proud.”
Many candidates said they began seeking a professional calling anchored in ancestral identity after attending the undergraduate Hawaiian studies program at UH ±á¾±±ô´Ç¡¯²õ
