The University of Hawaii at Hilo Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian Language’s Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program received a 10-year accreditation from the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian Language’s Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program received a 10-year accreditation from the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium.
“The college applauds Kahuawaiola for being the first of the teacher education programs to meet its accreditation requirements through an international indigenous accreditation process,” said Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani Director Keiki Kawai‘ae‘a.
The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board provides the option for indigenous and culturally-focused programs such as Kahuawaiola to fulfill its accreditation requirements through either a national or international indigenous-focused accrediting body. In concert with the accreditation of Kahuawaiola, Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani applied a year early and was re-accredited by the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium.
The education consortium’s board of affirmation/accreditation met in August in Norway to consider applications and reports from potential candidates such as the Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education program.
“We were so fortunate to have attended that meeting as we were afforded the time to present the Kahuawaiola program,” said Makalapua Alencastre, associate professor and coordinator of the program.
Alencastre said the teacher education program and Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani accreditations “are important affirmations of the cultural and academic integrity of P-20 Hawaiian language medium education for our lahui Hawaii.”
