Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 6, 1 June 2009 — Grounding youth in culture, identity [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Grounding youth in culture, identity

By Jazzmin Cabanilla Special tū Ka Wai ūla Nā Pua No'eau enables Native Hawaiian students to travel, explore and learn about different areas of the island that they live on by working with loeal educators. The opportunity for students to learn more about the island they reside on helps them to gain a sense of self and cultural identity. Hawaiian immersion school teacher Rebecca Kapolei Kiili, who attended various Nā Pua No'eau programs as a youth, is a good example of a former student whose experiences at Nā Pua No'eau helped her understand more about herself, community, culture and life goals. By attending the center's programs, Kiili was given the opportunity to eamp and learn about different areas of Maui, her birth island. She was also able to travel to the neighbor islands as well, including Kaho'olawe and Hawai'i Island. In a recent survey she says: "The expe-

riences of camping, swimming, hiking, cooking, traveling, chanting, dancing, singing, learning and playing taught me so mueh about myself and my own interests, talents, strengths and passion. All these experiences helped shape and inHuenee my identity and created the eonhdence I needed . . . in setting and aeeomplishing my goals." While attending the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Kiili would fly back to Maui during school breaks and work with Nā Pua No'eau during Summer Institute as a residential counselor. "I llew home to Maui to work for the program because I thoroughly enjoyed all of it," she recalls. Kiili is working on her master's degree in educational foundations and eontinues to use the experiences and knowledge she gained as a student at Nā Pua No'eau to educate her own students about Hawai'i. She believes that "the enrichment opportunities that students get at Nā Pua No'eau is nothing like learning in the classroom setting at regular schools. Stu-

dents need to explore their own eonununities and have their learning experiences be more relevant to their daily lives and their 'ohana." The significance of learning about oneself and culture through educational opportunities and experiences is imnieasurable. For Kiili and many other Native Hawaiian students, their participation in Nā Pua No'eau programs has been life changing. Mahalo nui loa e Kapolei! ■

Jazztnin CabaniIIa is a vohmteer atNā Pua No'eau, whieh is one ofthe organizations that receives fimding from OHA to conduct educationai enrichment programs for Hawaiian children. Thi.s is the second in a seri.es ofartic!esfeaturing Nā Pua No'eau students and kumu leadi.ng up to the center's 20th anniversary Hō'ike to be held Dec. 11, 2009. To leam more about Nā Pua No'eau programs and the upcoming Hō'ike, eali the Nā Pua No 'eau office i.n Hilo at (808) 974-7678 or visi.t its page on Facebook.

ĒL www.oha.ors/kawaiola HO'ONA'AUAO ■ EDUCATION

Former Nō Pua No'eau student Rebecca Kapolei Kiili says the enrichmenl program helped shape her identity and build her confidence. - Pholo: Courtesy ofKapolei Kiili