Having class at the beach or on the water is any student’s dream! For Nānākuli High School Juniors and Seniors this wasn’t a typical day at the beach as they took their Astronomy 110 course from Leeward Community College in Waiʻanae out onto the water at the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
“This program gives the students an opportunity to find that passion,” says Jayson Corrales who is the Counselor at Leeward Community College, Waiʻanae Campus.”And once they find that passion, you don’t need to encourage anymore! 011809 you just show them the different options and opportunities and they’ll take it for themselves.”
For Kaina, as a Nānākuli boy himself, he found his passion in navigation while sailing on Hōkūleʻa. Striving for that shining star in education is something that he shares with this next generation of Hawaiian captains
“Just for having them here seeing that this is another positive option out there, there is life beyond our valleys, yeah!” says Kaina Holomalia, Captain in Training for Hōkūleʻa. “It’s real solid yeah, as far as learning and seeing the DOE system finally adjusting to our style of learning.”
This opportunity is a result of a partnership between Hawaii P 20 Partnerships in Education, LCC – Wai‘anae, Nānākuli High and Intermediate and Kamehameha Schools through the Ka Pua Initiative, which also seeks to increase the intergeneration impact of Pauahi’s legacy to children, families and communities on the Wai‘anae Coast with higher educational programs such as Nānāimua.
“Nānā I Mua came about because different partners in the Nānākuli community felt it was important to provide college opportunities for students… so to get them prepared for college 010608 while they’re in high school,” says Andrea Dias, Program Manager for the Ka Pua Initiative.
Yet the duality of this program goes even deeper while it bridges Western education with the importance of Hawaiian culture as these students go beyond the classroom walls and into the actual field of which they study.
“It’s part of who they are, you know, and they can make those connections so that they know that education is who their people are,” says Andrea.
Kaina makes this connection to his experience in Navigation. “As far as navigators, always looking up, always looking forward yeah, striving for the farthest star, looking for the- that one sign to get us home 013311 so for us, we’re always looking up, looking forward to the future.”
“Basically in Astronomy, that’s what we’re learning about right now, We’re learning about the different types of stars,” says Celeste Kahue, a Junior at Nānākuli High School who is also involved in the dual-credit course. “and the stars kind of tell us a little bit about our future and mostly about our past; what can happen and what did happen, and why we are where we are now.”
This is an observation Andrea could only hope these students would make. “And then with that knowledge, they’re able to nānā i mua, they’re able to move forward and build their resilience and be able to walk in both Hawaiian and Western worlds 011202 and then plan for those future steps.”
“It’s steps by steps that we have to take, the risks but it’s all about change and that’s what I’m willing to make,” says Celeste with confidence.
“I hope that they walk away with the confidence that they’ve already been a college student,” says Jayson.” That they are a college student and that they continue on without the fear of entering college.”