Kula no na Po'e Hawai'i
Education Is Our Priority
Organization Background
Kula no na Po'e Hawai'i (KNNPH) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
that provides educational activities for members of the Hawaiian
Homestead communities of Papakōlea, Kewalo, and Kalāwahine Streamside.
KNNPH was formed in 1992 by a group of concerned community women
who wanted to improve the educational skills of area children
and strengthen relationships between parents and the school system.
Over the years, the educational vision of KNNPH has broadened
to offer trainings and activities that focus not only on the education
of the community, but also on the importance of good health. Selected
examples of these programs include wellness clinics, education
and social programs for youth, nutrition, exercise, traditional
hawaiian healing classes, literacy fairs, and family strengthening
workshops.
One of the most significant achievements of KNNPH was securing
funding in 1999 to develop a capacity-building infrastructure
plan to assume management of the state-controlled local community
center in Papakōlea. This funding allowed KNNPH to take over the
lease of the community center in September 2002 and establish
the Papakōlea Community Development Corporation (PCDC) to manage
the facility. This achievement was born out of a decade-long community
initiative to reclaim the space of the community, and in doing
so, reclaim buried hopes and dreams, family well-being, individual
accomplishment, and community pride. The process of reclaiming
the community facility has resulted in a rejuvenated sense of
unity that has manifested itself in newly energized collaborations.
KNNPH works side-by-side on various community initiatives with
Papakōlea Community Association, Kewalo Homestead Association,
Kalāwahine Streamside Association, and PCDC. One such initiative
has been the launch of a successful community youth program called
Multimedia C.O.R.E.
