Waʻa Kaulua Pae Kula
Waʻa Kaulua Pae Kula carried the living tradition of the double-hulled voyaging canoe into 22 schools across Kauaʻi o Manokalanipō, engaging 9,515 haumāna in partnership with 17 waʻa and ʻāina-based organizations.
Waʻa Kaulua Pae Kula is an island-wide voyaging education initiative that carried the living tradition of the Polynesian waʻa kaulua, the double-hulled voyaging canoe, into schools across Kauaʻi o Manokalanipō during the 2024–2025 school year. Rooted in the pahuhopu, or guiding goal, that every Manokalanipō DOE haumana would have the opportunity to touch their waʻa by the end of the school year, the program transformed canoes, the ocean, and the ʻāina into classrooms where students could learn about navigation, heritage, and place.
Over the course of the year, the program reached 22 schools and engaged 9,515 students, working in partnership with 17 waʻa and ʻāina based non-profit organizations. This collaboration spanned the full range of Kauaʻi's learning communities, from public elementary, middle, and high schools to Hawaiian-focused charter and immersion schools and independent schools.
The initiative was built around five core objectives: to deliver a hands-on experience of the Polynesian waʻa to all schools; to build awareness of and enthusiasm for the Moananuiākea Voyage and its message; to strengthen relationships and collaboration between schools, the waʻa ʻohana, and ʻāina organizations; to provide resources, activities, information, and connection points to schools and educators; and to increase engagement among schools, families, and partners.
Among haumana, 92.5% reported that they enjoyed learning about waʻa, voyaging, and Kauaʻi, and 80% expressed potential interest in participating again the following school year. Among educators, 91% reported increased interest, 98% reported a deeper understanding of these subjects, and 93% reported satisfaction with the connections made through the program.
More than a series of school visits, Waʻa Kaulua Pae Kula is an invitation for the next generation of Kauaʻi to see themselves as part of an ongoing voyaging story. The year closed, as the work began, with the Oli Mahalo, a chant of gratitude offered to the akua, the kūpuna, and all who made the journey possible.