Kanehunamoku Voyaging Academy

is a Hawaiian voyaging culture based college and career success program which prepares Native Hawaiian youth grades 11-12 for future careers in the contemporary maritime industry. The program provides participants with a strong sense of cultural pride and teaches students maritime skills by contextualizing their education from their own cultural world-view. Students learn maritime, as well as traditional navigation skills over several weekends, culminating in a 10-day open ocean voyage where students are able to put their traditional and contemporary skills to the test. Students receive college and career planning support and post high school support for attaining the highest degree of training and educational achievement for the maritime field for which they choose. Support includes mentorship, counseling, scholarships, and ongoing opportunities to maintain their connection to the industry.

Oihana Holomoana is a partnership in conjunction with the Hawaii State Department of Education, Office of Hawaiian Education Division which provides teacher training in STEM subjects utilizing traditional voyaging culture and concepts. This program is part of the HA initiative to fulfill the need for Hawaiian cultural education in our school system.