From 2015 to 2021, Honolulu Community College offered Hawaiian Culture-Based Professional development to four cohorts of faculty, staff, and administrators, with the goal of supporting their ability to infuse Hawaiian culture, traditions, and values into their work. A total of 82 staff, faculty and administrators participated in the training and served as mentors to their colleagues throughout the college and increased the number of employees using culture and place-based educational strategies to enhance their work. The Kūkalahale project builds on the successes of Hoʻāla Hou.
The Kūkalahale Project, a US DOE Title III grant funded collaborative initiative with Kapiʻolani Community College, continued the work of Hoʻāla Hou from October 1, 2019 thru September 30, 2025. The overarching theme of the project was indigenous education frameworks in professional development. Through the proposed goals and activities both HonCC, who served as lead, and KapCC built the capacity of their faculty, staff, and administration to develop and sustain culturally appropriate and culturally relevant strategies that kipaipai (encouraged) current and future Native Hawaiian students.
The first goal of the grant was to increase HonCC and KapCC’s capacity to implement indigenous education frameworks and support student success on their campuses and the second goal was to increase access to training on indigenous education methodologies to other campuses in support of the University of Hawaii’s mission to become a model indigenous-serving institution.
Hawaiian Culture & Place-Based Professional Development Activities
Over the last decade, Hulili Ke Kukui has supported the capacity of its employees to embed Hawaiian culture and place-based strategies in their work through the following activities:
Workshops & Field Trips
Kūkalahale offers standalone workshops focused on individual topics in indigenous education (i.e. learning styles, Hawaiian language, Hawaiian values) and field trips to community organizations that help employees at Honolulu and Kapiʻolani Community Colleges gain an entry-level understanding of indigenous education concepts and strategies and build partnerships and wahi pana (places of significance) to support a sense of place on each campus.
Hulili Ke Kukui has regularly offered workshops focused on individual topics in indigenous education (i.e. learning styles, Hawaiian language, Hawaiian values) and field trips to community organizations that help employees gain an entry-level understanding of indigenous education concepts and strategies and build partnerships and wahi pana (places of significance) to support a sense of place on each campus.
Cohort-Based Training
Both the Hoʻāla Hou and Kūkalahale projects offered mentored yearlong in-depth training for employees who wanted to be able to implement indigenous education frameworks in their work. The training began with a two-day orientation at the beginning of the Fall semester. During the Fall semester, participants developed an implementation plan that utilized indigenous education methodologies and in the Spring semester they focused on implementation, assessment, and evaluation of their action plans. Following their one-year training, participants served as mentors to their colleagues on campus. Check out some of the past participants’ projects:
E Hoʻi Nā Wai Cohort
Both the Hoʻāla Hou and Kūkalahale projects offered mentored yearlong in-depth training for employees who wanted to be able to implement indigenous education frameworks in their work. The training began with a two-day orientation at the beginning of the Fall semester. During the Fall semester, participants developed an implementation plan that utilized indigenous education methodologies and in the Spring semester they focused on implementation, assessment, and evaluation of their action plans. Following their one-year training, participants served as mentors to their colleagues on campus. Check out some of the past participants’ projects:
Train-the-Trainer Program
The Kūkalahale Project developed a curriculum that can be packaged and delivered as a model for other campuses to replicate, providing guidance and advising to other campuses through presentations, training, and consultation, and creating a community advisory group of practitioners of indigenous education to inform best practices.
Culture & ʻĀina-Based Education Conference
In August 2025, the Kūkalahale Project launched an ʻAha in partnership with Kanaeokana Network. The ʻAha Kūkalahale was a unique opportunity for educators across Hawaii to share and disseminate information on successful strategies, lessons, assessment and evaluation models, as well as data on implemented indigenous education models. Check out this video with highlights from the ʻAha:
Hawaiian Culture & ʻĀina-Based Learning Resources
These are culture and place-based learning resources available online or through the Honolulu Community College library.
Episode 1: Birth of a Literate Nation
Episode 3: How to Overthrow a Government
A Brief Overview of Culture-Based Education and Annotated Bibliography by Kanaʻiaupuni, S. (2007)
“A Model for Hawaiian Education,” ʻŌiwi: A Native Hawaiian Journal, Vol. 3 by Kaholokula, N.
“Grounding Hawaiian Learners-and Teachers-in their Indigenous Identity,” Hūlili, Vol.3. by Kaiwi, M.
Hoʻoulu : our time of becoming : collected early writings of Manulani Meyer by Meyer, Manulani
Kumu Honua Mauli Ola: He Kālaimanaʻo Hoʻonaʻauao ʻŌiwi Hawaiʻi
Nā Honua Mauli Ola: Hawaiʻi Guidelines for Culturally Healthy and Responsive Learning Environments
No Nā Mamo: Traditional and Contemporary Hawaiian Beliefs and Practices by Malcom Naea Chun
Get in Touch
Hulili Ke Kukui Hawaiian Center
Kumupali Building (Building 2) Room 203
Phone: (808) 844-2345
Hours: M–F, 8:00 am–4:30 pm
Calendar of Events
*Hours are subject to change. On rare occasions the Hawaiian Center is closed for off site activities. Follow our social media accounts and check the Calendar of Events for announcements.
Staff Information
Hawaiian Culture & Place-Based Education Coordinator
Kalani Kaʻawa Flores-Hatt, Jr.
(808) 844-2322
