Home :: Partners and Funding

Alu Like Inc.
Since fall 2000, Alu Like has provided vocational education funding to allow KANU to maintain a state-of-the-art wireless campus and prepare students in grades 9-12 for careers in the field of technology. Courses offered through Alu Like funding include web design, entrepreneurship, computer networking and repair. Authentic technology projects created by students include webpages for Hawaiian business owners, nonprofits and community groups, as well as a Native Science CD ROM.


Harold K.L. Castle Foundation
In summer 2003, the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation donated $47,351.30 to KANU for a Reading Resource Center and Waterford Reading Program facility made of portable containers. These containers assure that all K-4 students have daily access to self-paced computerized literacy training, as well as a variety of culturally-driven, student-centered literature.

CISCO Academy
Since SY 2001-2002, KANU has been a Cisco Networking Academy. Cisco offers a comprehensive e-learning program that provides students with the Internet technology skills essential in a global economy. The Networking Academy delivers web-based content, online assessment, student performance tracking, hands-on labs, instructor training and support, and preparation for industry standard certifications.

Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
In 2001, KANU received a 10-year lease from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for a 4.6 acre outdoor laboratory at Puÿupülehu, Waimea. Since then KANU students have been working on turning this overgrown site into a horticultural complex and native arboretum called Mäla Naÿauao o Puÿupülehu.

In 2002, KANU received preliminary license from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for 30 acres at Puÿukapu, Waimea to create Kauhale ÿÖiwi o Puÿukapu. This Hawaiian community learning center will function as a permanent campus for our K-12 school, as well as house a variety of other cultural and educational programs that will serve all ages.

Educational Talent Search: Hawaiÿi Community College – West Hawaiÿi
Since 2002, Talent Search has been providing KANU students in grades 6-12 with career and life skills activities and opportunities including college and financial aid planning. Students also visit colleges and universities, complete interest inventory, learn resume writing and test taking skills, and explore careers of their choice.

Group 70 International
In summer 2003, Group 70 International Inc. a renowned architectural, planning, interior design, building diagnostic, asset management and environmental services firm from Honolulu, agreed to volunteer to develop a site plan for KANUÿs permanent campus. Using a two session charrette design process, Group 70 staff is working with KANUÿs various stake holders to discuss site configuration, lifestyle, major and supporting themes, as well as signature details.

Hälau Wänana Hawaiian Operated Center for Higher Learning
Hälau Wänana is Hawai’i’s first Hawaiian operated Center for Higher Learning. Since its inception in fall 2002, Hälau Wänana has been providing culturally-driven teacher training to KANUÿs teaching staff via one-week residential seminars held during our quarterly inter sessions, followed by 10-week field experiences. Once we procure our permanent campus, Hälau Wänana intends to offer a variety of other college and adult education courses, including technology classes and adult education classes.

Hawaiÿi Island Tobacco-Free Partnership West Hawaiÿi Unit
In summer 2003, KANU received $7,800 from the Hawaiÿi Island Tobacco-Free Partnership West Hawaiÿi Unit to participate in a community intervention project designed to increase awareness regarding tobacco use, prevent initiation among youth; promote tobacco use cessation among youth and eliminate disparities among populations. As part of this partnership KANU students in grades 9-12 are creating a 20 minute interactive CD-ROM with interview, games and graphics designed to reach the targeted population. Upon completion of the CD ROM, KANU students will provide a peer-to-peer education program to other schools in West-Hawaiÿi.

Hui Mäkua
Hui Mäkua is a group of concerned parents and extended family members who work to support KANU programs, students, teachers and staff. Some of the objectives of Hui Mäkua include generating resources, arranging extra-curricular activities, planning a variety of community events involving KANU students and staff, becoming active in KANUÿs upcoming capital campaign and providing supervision at various KANU events.

Kamehameha Schools
In spring 2003, as a direct result of lobbying efforts by KANU and other Nä Lei Naÿauao charter schools, Kamehameha Schools established Hoÿolako Like, which provides technical as well as financial assistance to Hawaiian-focused charter schools. Specifically Kamehameha Schools provides a minimum of $1 for every $4 received by KANU from the State of Hawaiÿi Department of Education. Some of the technical assistance provided to KANU by the Kamehameha Schools includes principalÿs training through the Pauahi Leadership Institute, financial, human resources and board development training, career exploration activities for high school students through Kamehameha Schoolÿs Career Education and Lifelong Learning CELL program; housing and transportation for KANU students and staff to travel to Oÿahu to participate in College and Career Fairs, Indigenous Education Conferences and other events. Other partnerships include a collaborative water study project in Waipiÿo Valley, a lease-rent waiver for a storage facility in Paÿauilo and assistance from Kamehamehaÿs PASE Program for Project Noiÿi.

Kanu o ka 'Äina Learning 'Ohana (dba KALO)
Established by community members in 1998, the Kanu o ka ‘Äina Learning ‘Ohana dba KALO is a non-profit organization, which has successfully received and managed over three million dollars in grant funds from federal and private organizations. While most of these funds directly benefit KANU, KALO also provides fiscal management for a variety of other programs affiliated with KANU including Nä Lei Naÿauao, Hälau Wänana and Mälama Pökiÿi.

Labman Hawaiÿi Inc.
In fall 2003, KANU received a grant through Labman Hawaiÿi Inc. , which provides students an opportunities to practice wellness activities in their daily lives. Elementary students are taught basic motor skills in the classroom, which are then applied outdoors. Furthermore, daily exercises encourage younger students to form healthy habits and deal effectively with stress. As part of this grant KANU will receive much needed exercise equipment in the amount of $17,000.

Native Science Consortium
Since SY 2001-2002, KANU has worked closely with six other Nä Lei Naÿauao and four other Navajo and Hopi charter schools from Arizona on a collaborative Native Science Project. This project was funded through a federal charter school dissemination school to Little Singer School in Arizona. For two consecutive years, KANU students and staff have presented at a Native Science Conference in Flagstaff, visited and presented at several Navajo and Hopi schools and performed on Hopi radio. In return our Native American partners have visited Hawaiÿi and participated in KALO sponsored Indigenous Education Conferences called Kuÿi ka Lono. One project currently underway is the creation of a joint Native Science website, which includes the CD ROM on native Hawaiian plants developed by KANU students. All of the plants featured on the CD ROM are grown by the students at their Mauka (mountain) lab called Mäla Naÿauao o Puÿupülehu.

Mälamapökiÿi Infant and Toddler Early Education Program
Mälamapöki’i is an Infant and Early Childhood program providing Hawaiian children from 0-5 with quality pre-kindergarten education and care. Mälamapöki’i is KANUÿs primary feeder school and also functions as an early childhood learning lab for interested KANU students, who work there on Friday mornings as part of their Gifted and Talented Career Exploration workshops. Mälamapöki’i also includes a parent education program, and a pre-natal education component.

Nä Lei Na’auao: Native Hawaiian Charter School Alliance www.naleinaauao.org
KANU has been instrumental in the ongoing development of Nä Lei Naÿauao – Native Hawaiian Charter School Alliance (NLN). This alliance, which was co-founded by KANU in January 2000, is made up of 12 Hawaiian-focused public charter schools, and currently serves over 1,000 students of Hawaiian ancestry on three islands. The mission of NLN is to establish quality choices in education which are community designed and controlled, and reflect, respect, and embrace Hawaiian cultural values, philosophies and ideologies. Utilizing the charter school movement as a vehicle, NLN hopes to implement and evaluate Hawaiian models of education, which have the potential to improve educational success for Hawaiÿi's 50,000 K-12 public school students of Hawaiian ancestry, currently Hawaiÿi's largest and most underserved ethnic student population.

Nä Kälai Waÿa
Nä Kälai Waÿa is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to the perpetuation of traditional voyaging practices and traditions and proud owner of the double hulled sailing canoe called the Makaliÿi. Since KANU's start-up in 2000, Nä Kälai Waÿa has worked closely with KANU students and staff providing expert knowledge and hands-on opportunities to learn oceanography, astronomy, native navigation and a host of other cultural and scientific skills on the Makaliÿi voyaging canoe.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has been a long-time supporter of KANUÿs evolution from a summer program to a charter school. During SY 2002-2003, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs provided over $100,000 in funding to KALO to establish Project Noiÿi, a multi-island indigenous research project measuring the impact of native-designed and controlled education, that is culturally-driven, family-oriented and community-based, on native student performance. The funding enabled KALO to set up a quality multi-island research project involving over 1,000 students of Hawaiian ancestry and 12 Hawaiian-focused schools on three islands.

Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL)
In fall 2003, PREL received a federal Native Hawaiian Safe and Drugfree grant amounting to over $600,000. As part of this grant, PREL will conduct an assessment of the status and characteristics of Grades 4-6 health education at KANU and provide professional development workshops and consultations for teachers. In addition, PREL will work with KANU to pilot and refine culturally-driven health curriculum, which includes interactive computer-based curriculum supplements delivered via web or
CD-Rom.

Puÿukoholä National Park
Puÿukoholä National Park along with Ka Papa Kanaka o Puÿukoholä is one of KANUÿs place-based partners. KANU students and staff use this cultural site to practice cultural traditions and crafts and participate in educational and cultural activities such as the annual Hoÿokuÿikahi Cultural Festival. During this yearly community cultural event, KANU students and staff are involved in traditional ceremonies, present portions of their annual hula drama and participate in the court and court activities.

Queen Liliÿuokalani Children's Center
The Queen Liliÿuokalani Childrenÿs Center (QLCC) has been a longtime supporter of KANU and its predecessors. Since SY 2002-2003, QLCC staff has been working together with KANU students and staff on a signage project for Waipiÿo Valley. As part of this project, KANU students are conducting research about this historic valley to design signage that will inform visitor to the Waipiÿo Lookout about the history, environment and culture of Waipiÿo.

Seagrant
Since SY 2002-2003, KANU student and staff have been participating in Seagrant, an authentic research project, which monitors fish and other sea life around the island of Hawaiÿi. Working in collaboration with staff from the Natural Energy Laboratory at Keahole, Kona and local and national scientists, KANU students have chosen Kawaihae on the northwest coast of Hawai’i Island as their research site. Every other week, students in grades 9-12 spend the entire week at the site learning oceanography, biology, ocean safety and other skills, while actively taking care of the ocean “mälama i ke kai” and preserving Hawaiÿiÿs unique environment.

Swanson and Cosgrave Consulting
Since 1996, KANUÿs founders have been working closely with Michelle Swanson of Swanson and Cosgrave Consulting, learning about the latest in Project-Based Learning (PBL). In addition, Swanson and Cosgrave Consulting has provided ongoing teacher training relating to PBL along with other educational consulting to KANUÿs staff and administration.

University of Hawaiÿi College of Tropical Agriculture
Since summer 2000, KANU has been blessed with utilizing facilities belonging to the University of Hawaiÿi College of Tropical Agriculture. This Lälämilo Experiment Station located in Waimea on the Island of Hawaiÿi will serve as KANUÿs temporary main campus until our permanent campus is created. Currently the campus houses KANUÿs administrative offices and multimedia laboratory. In addition, this campus provides permanent “coverall” space for students grades K-4, and “cover-all” space every other week for Hui 5-8 and 9-12.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Native Americans
In 2001, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Native Americans funded a grant to establish culturally-driven teacher training programs. This grant administered by KALO, has been responsible for the establishment of Kahoÿiwai, a cohort at the College of Education at the University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, which will graduate its first class of certified teachers in December 2003. This grant has also brought about the establishment of Holomua, a teacher training cohort at Hälau Wänana – Center for Higher Learning, which involves 20 KANU staff.

YMCA Waimea
Since our start-up in 2000, the YMCA Waimea has been one of KANUÿs community partners, sharing and maintaining an outdoor learning lab called Hälau Kukui at Kawaihae. KANU students in grades 9-12 utilize this site as a makai (ocean) learning lab. Other partnerships with the YMCA include an elementary swimming and sailing program, assistance with transportation and reduced rates to rent their community hall. In exchange KANU provides sewing machines for YMCA Waimea community programs.