Schatz secures $1.3 million earmark to support Hawaiian language early childhood education centers

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) secured $1.3 million in congressionally directed spending, also known as an earmark, in this year’s appropriations deal for ʻAha Pūnana Leo. The funding will be used to train teachers, support families, and develop new early childhood education Hawaiian language materials, such as books and videos, to help young children build literacy and math skills.

“Learning language early matters because it shapes how kids think and learn for the rest of their lives,” said Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This new earmark funding will help revitalize the Hawaiian language while making sure more kids have the resources to learn and grow.”

“We are deeply grateful to Senator Schatz, Senator  Hirono and the Hawai‘i delegation for their support of the Papa Haʻawina Hawaiʻi project. ʻAha Pūnana Leo was built from the ground up by families and community members committed to restoring and strengthening ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and this funding continues that vision. These federal resources will allow us to develop innovative Hawaiian language materials and expand professional development for our teachers, ensuring that ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi continues to flourish in our classrooms, homes, and communities statewide. This investment uplifts not only our language, but the generations of learners and leaders who carry it forward,” said Kaʻiulani Neff Laehā, Luna Hoʻokele, Chief Executive Officer of ʻAha Pūnana Leo.

Founded in 1983, ʻAha Pūnana Leo is a nonprofit organization operating 12 locations across Hawai‘i with the mission to revitalize the Hawaiian language through immersive preschools and early childhood education programs.