#Hawaiian Language

The extension will keep the Native Hawaiian Education Program fully funded for current grant recipients for at least another year, which guarantees $46 million in federal funding secured by Schatz in Congress will continue to flow to the more than 60 early childhood education sites across Hawai‘i.

Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻōpua was selected as the interim director of the Hawai‘i Papa O Ke Ao Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office for the UH System and UH Mānoa, pending UH Board of Regents approval.

The Hawaiʻi House of Representatives advanced numerous bills relating to Native Hawaiian affairs that support housing, cultural preservation, and community support.

The grant will help to reinforce and strengthen Native Hawaiians’ connections to ʻohana (family), moʻomeheu (culture), and ʻāina in support of OHA’s Mana I Maoli Ola Strategies and Outcomes.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana and Moana 2 made history with the global debut of their Hawaiian-language versions on Disney+ on Feb. 1 during Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month). The films are led by Auliʻi Cravalho, who reprises her role as Moana and also serves as a producer, alongside an all Hawaiʻi voice cast.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education announced that a new, statewide priority placement process for Kaiapuni Education (Hawaiian language immersion programs) will open on Feb. 2, 2026, marking an important step toward greater consistency, clarity and equity for families seeking Kaiapuni options for their children. The application window will close March 13, 2026.

ʻAha Pūnana Leo is currently accepting priority enrollment applications for its Hawaiian language medium preschools for the upcoming school year. The priority application period runs through March 1.

Hāna Elementary School’s new pre-K classroom is rooted in Hawaiian values and language. The new classroom brings the total number of the Executive Office on Early Learning Hawaiian language public preschool classrooms in the state to four.

Since its launch, Mai Ka Pūnana Mai has become both a go-to resource and a relatable source of entertainment for individuals, families, and educators committed to normalizing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in everyday life. Each episode continues that mission with down-to-earth dialogue, cultural insight, and community connection.

On the leeward side of Kaua’i, Ke Kula Niʻihau O Kekaha — a pre-K-12 charter school — is celebrating its 25th anniversary and a major milestone in preserving ʻŌlelo Niʻihau, the Niʻihau dialect. The school announced it has authored and published more than 400 books in the language, with a selection now on display at the Līhuʻe Public Library.

The Maui Community Correctional Center hosted a graduation ceremony Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, for five inmates who earned their General Education Development or High School Equivalency diploma while in custody at the facility.

Families from Ka ʻIwa Hoʻolaʻi, a hui (group) dedicated to celebrating and normalizing the use of Hawaiian language, traveled to Disneyland, bringing their culture and language with them.

The community is invited to join in celebrating the Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Language Month, at the upcoming event, “ʻŌlelo Under the Stars.” This special evening of live music and Hawaiian language bingo will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at Kalana Pākuʻi O Maui, located at 250 S. High St. in Wailuku.

The Maui County Council gave final approval Friday to legislation providing Hawaiian language and culture-based learning for county employees in partnership with University of Hawaiʻi – Maui College. The bills also implement requirements to include ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in official documents pursuant to Charter Section 13-17.

A new department and positions for Hawaiian language specialists are opening the doors for the rise of a language that was suppressed for decades.

ʻAha Pūnana Leo announced the release of their first iOS educational app, Ka Hakalama me Pākaʻa, a groundbreaking language tool designed to revolutionize the teaching and learning of the Hawaiian syllable chart. ‘Aha Pūnana Leo’s Kīpaepae app was designed to be used as a supplement to in-person Hui Kīpaepae ‘ohana classes or as a standalone practice tool for any learner of ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Theatre and Dance and Kennedy Theatre will premiere “Puana” this fall, a hana keaka (Hawaiian Theatre) production that delves into the spiritual connections between Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) and their kūpuna (ancestors) through the power of song. Performed primarily in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), the play also commemorates the 10th anniversary of UH Mānoa’s Hawaiian Theatre program.

University of Hawai‘i Maui College Associate Professor Dr. Joseph Keola Donaghy documents and explores the role that musical performance and composition practice played in efforts to defend Maunakea and how these practices reflected the idea of kapu aloha that was prevalent among kia‘i (protectors).

Voters approved a proposal to establish Maui County as “a bilingual government,” effective July 1, 2024. The charter amendment says the council is authorized to determine by ordinance which type of county documents will “be prepared and made available in both official state languages,” English and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and establishes the Department of ʻŌiwi Resources.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., today signed 13 pieces of legislation into law, marking a renewed commitment for Hawaiʻi’s Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL), Native Hawaiian education, cultural practices and traditions, and stewardship.