Native Nations Education Foundation

NNEF PROVIDES TRAINING, EDUCATION, DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP FOR PROJECTS RELATED TO EDUCATION AND IMPROVING THE LIFE CONDITIONS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. CURRENT ACTIVITIES ARE TO CREATE AND SUPPORT DIVERSE HAWAIIAN CULTURE BASED EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS IN HAWAI'I.

PANEE MUA PROJECT: THE FOCUS OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE A HAWAIIAN CULTURE INFUSED ADULT BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM (GED/HISET/C-BASED) AND INTENSIVE EMPLOYMENT PREPARATION/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS SUPPORT SERVICES AND NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FIRST DEGREE/CERTIFICATION NATIVE HAWAIIAN ADULTS IN THE EAST HAWAII COMMUNITY. NNEF BEGAN THE PANEE MUA PROJECT IN 2013. UNDER CURRENT GRANT FUNDING, THE PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO CONTINUE THROUGH 2024, WRITING CURRICULUM AND PROGRAMMING GUIDES FOR ALL PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES WHILE PROVIDING DIRECT INSTRUCTION AND EDUCATION SUPPORT SERVICES FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN ADULTS. THE PROJECT CERTIFIED 5 INDIVIDUALS WITH EMPLOYMENT PREPARATION/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATIONS AND 2 HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS. SUPPORT SERVICES WERE PROVIDED TO 28 INDIVIDUALS AND SCHOLARSHIPS WERE PROVIDED TO 10 INDIVIDUALS PURSUING THIER FIRST SECONDARY/POST-HIGH CREDENTIAL, CERTIFICATION OR DEGREE. THIS PROJECT SERVED 60 NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

PARTNER IN PUUHONUA WELLNESS - PHASE 2: SUSTAINABILITY AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY PROJECT. THE PROJECT GOAL IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOOD RESILIENCY AND WORKFORCE OF THE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY (SA/AT) INDUSTRIES ON THE ISLANDS OF HAWAII, MOLOKAI, MAUI, KAUAI AND OAHU AS WELL AS TO THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF AT LEAST 55 FORMERLY INCARCERATED NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND THEIR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FAMILY MEMBERS ANNUALLY. THIS WILL BE DONE BY PROVIDING CAREER AND TECHNICAL TRAINING EDUCATION AS WELL AS CULTURAL INTERVENTIONS, BOTH OF WHICH WILL HELP TRANSFORM MINDSETS AND BEHAVIOR AND STRENGTHEN THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND THE STRESSES OF REINTEGRATION. NNEF'S ROLE IS 1. WORK WITH THE CTE TRAINER AND BFC TO INCORPORATE THE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY (SA/AT) CURRICULAR CONTENT INTO ITS NATIVE HAWAIIAN CULTURAL EDUCATION FRAMEWORK. 2. PROVIDE REFERRALS TO CULTURAL PRACTITIONERS AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING IN THE FORM OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER ACTIVITIES FOR PROJECT PERSONNEL, CONTRACTORS AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS AND HUB MANAGERS WHEN NEEDED. 3. ASSIST WITH RECRUITMENT SERVICES OF PROJECT PARTICIPANTS ON HAWAII ISLAND. 4. PROVIDE INTAKE SERVICES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PRODUCTION, GATHERING AND PROCESSING OF PARTICIPANT AND COMMUNITY HUB MANAGER INTAKE FORMS AND OTHER DOCUMENTATION. 5. PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND MENTORING SUPPORT TO PROJECT PARTICIPANTS AS NEEDED.