HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines is bringing onboard inspiring stories showcasing the power of culture-based native Hawaiian education in a series of exclusive in-flight videos. Guests will learn how educators are turning streams, fishponds and the voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a into immersive classrooms while using traditional Hawaiian practices to empower youth.
The new series was produced by Kanaeokana, a network of over 50 local schools and organizations focused on strengthening Hawaiian education.
“We are excited to partner with Kanaeokana to present stories that demonstrate the importance and depth of our culture and its powerful impact on native Hawaiian youth,” said Evan Nomura, in-flight entertainment manager at Hawaiian Airlines. “It’s a privilege to be able to showcase the authenticity of Hawai‘i and its people to guests visiting from around the world.”
Kanaeokana’s videos are available through June on all of Hawaiian’s international flights operated by its Airbus A330 aircraft. The content highlights three impactful experiences from schools statewide:
He Moku He Wa‘a, He Wa‘a He Moku: Our Canoe is an Island; Our Island is a Canoe
Watch how the 1,200 students of Kamehameha Schools Maui become inspired by Hōkūleʻa’s decades of voyaging and message of Mālama Honua (to care for our island Earth). Together, they bring the mission of the Worldwide Voyage back to Hawai‘i and plant 5,000 native plants above Maui’s famous Honolua Bay.
Ho‘okahe Wai: Let the Streams Flow
Join eighth-grade students from Hālau Kū Māna Public Charter School on their year-long journey to learn about the uplands and water issues facing Hawai‘i. Then, at the end of their classes, see how students are challenged to organize a large-scale stream cleanup in order to raise awareness about the importance of water to the Hawaiian Islands.
Changing Tides: Ka ‘Umeke Kā‘eo’s Education Movement
Take a walk around a fishpond with a student from Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo Charter School on the Island of Hawai‘i. Together, you’ll experience how students are returning to nature and leveraging their ancestral skills to discover innovative solutions to pressing issues.
“Expanding our reach helps us bring our message to different audiences. The experiences nurturing our students are valuable not just for Native Hawaiians but have relevance to everyone,” said Ekela Kaniaupio-Crozier, a member of Kanaeokanaʻs Kōmike Ho’okele (Steering Committee) and Kamehameha Schools Maui’s Hawaiian Protocol Facilitator. “We all should be sharing in the kuleana (responsibilities) to Mālama Honua and each other.”
To watch full videos from the Kanaeokana series, please click here.
About Kanaeokana
Kanaeokana, a network of over 50 schools and organizations, seeks to strengthen the lāhui (people) and nurture the next generations of aloha ‘āina (love of the land) leaders by collaboratively developing and growing a Native Hawaiian education system built on a strong ʻōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language) and ʻike Hawai‘i foundation.
For more information, please visit kanaeokana.net or email your inquiries to info@kanaeokana.net.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 14 years (2004-2017) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawai‘i.
Now in its 89th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawai‘i’s biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawai‘i from more U.S. gateway cities (11) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 170 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of more than 250 daily flights system-wide.
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