Ola Ka ʻĪ Hawaiian Language Thrives 2026

Windward Mall kick starts Mahina ‘Olelo Hawai‘i, or Hawaiian Language Month, with a Celebration of Culture.  On Saturday, January 31, Ola Ka ʻĪ invites all community members, Hawaiian language speakers, and learners of all ages to attend a fun-filled day of free events, student performances, storytelling, “make and take” stations, games, and community informational booths.

Ola Ka ʻĪ is an event hosted by Kūlaniākea, Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, and Kanaeokana to celebrate and showcase the Hawaiian language within the Ko’olau community.  Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau is a K-12 laboratory public school in Kaneohe. The mission of Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau is to foster success for all members of their learning community by providing a culturally healthy and responsive learning environment.

Participants include Kualoa ʻIke Kaiāulu, Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Pūʻōhala, Polynesian Voyaging Society, Hawaiian Airlines, Hui Mālama o ke Kai, Coral Resilience Lab, and Windward Community College: Hawaiʻiloa program.

At Kūlaniākea we practice an educational philosophy that begins with a genuine love of children. This core value is one of many embodied in our kuanaʻike Hawaiʻi, our Hawaiian perspective. Building upon this kāhua of Hawaiian values we hope to strengthen and enrich the Hawaiian identity in the youngest members of our lāhui, our kūpuna in training.

We nurture the spiritual, cultural, intellectual, social, emotional, and character development of our keiki through 100% use of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in the classroom. For parents and others who are interested, we also offer resources to increase the use of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in the home. At Kūlaniākea our keiki and extended ʻohana are engaged, valued, and loved.