About the project

Kawehena is a federally-funded Native Hawaiian Education Program (NHEP) initiative housed under the Graduate Professional Access (GPA) Program in the Office of Student Equity, Excellence, and Diversity (SEED) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM). Kawehena aims to increase awareness of, access to, and engagement in TEACH-related* disciplines and support programming here at UHM for Native Hawaiian high school, undergraduate, and graduate students— particularly those from underserved communities.

The goals of Kawehena are to:

increase the college enrollment of Native Hawaiian seniors from 8 target high schools on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i island (Hilo, Ka‘ū, Kaimukī, Kea‘au, Leilehua, Nānākuli, Pāhoa, and Wai‘anae)
increase the college retention and success of Native Hawaiian lower-division undergraduates
increase the college success, graduation, and subsequent employment of Native Hawaiian upper-division undergraduates, and
increase the graduate school enrollment rate of Native Hawaiian students pursuing graduate degrees in TEACH-related* disciplines

Pepe‘e a palaholo.

— ‘ōlelo no‘eau #2625

"greatness begins as a tiny seed"

The name "Kawehena" was carefully chosen for this project. Kawehena roughly translates to, "The Opening," and symbolizes the overarching theme of this project: to expose students to the possibilities available to them. Our logo depicts the endemic (unique to Hawai‘i) ‘ama‘u fern. ‘Ama‘u are known for their brilliant color, their diverse capabilities, and their ability to thrive in a variety of environments. It is our hope that through this project, the Kanaka ‘Ōiwi students we serve will deepen their understanding and appreciation for just how brilliant, capable, and resilient they are.

‘ama‘u

n. All species of an endemic genus of ferns (Sadleria), with trunk more or less evident. The fronds are narrower, smaller, and less divided than those of the hāpuʻu. At least one species has at the top of the trunk a mass of soft scales (pulu) used as pillow stuffing. Formerly, in times of famine, the tasteless pith of the trunk was cooked and eaten. The fronds were used to mulch dry-land taro, the stems for plaiting and as sizing for tapa. The ʻamaʻu was one of the forms that Kamapuaʻa, the pig god, could take at will.

palaholo

n. Rolled-up frond of the ʻamaʻu fern; paste made of sap from the fronds, used in welding strips of tapa together. Tapa made with old torn pieces added to new pieces was also called palaholo (For. 5:641).