HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	289
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

urging SUPPORT OF state FUNDING for NA PUA NO‘EAU STAFFING AND PROGRAMS.

     WHEREAS, Na Pua No‘eau Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children was established in 1989 at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo for the purpose of increasing educational enrichment opportunities for Hawaiian children in grades K-12 throughout the State of Hawai‘i; and

     WHEREAS, between 1993 and 2001, Na Pua No‘eau, through funding by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, opened additional centers to include the following sites:  University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Kaua‘i Community College, Maui Community College, Moloka‘i Education Center, Lana‘i High and Elementary School, and the University of Hawai‘i Center – West Hawai‘i; and

     WHEREAS, Na Pua No‘eau has served over 12,000 Hawaiian students over the past twenty years as reflected in the Center's database; and

     WHEREAS, Na Pua No‘eau provides Hawaiian students in grades K-12 a seamless transition from high school to college; and

     WHEREAS, Na Pua No‘eau alumni represent over eleven percent of the Hawaiian students enrolled at University of Hawai‘i campuses; and

     WHEREAS, graduates from the program are represented in occupations that include medicine, law, education, government, politics, and community leadership, many of whom attribute their success to their experiences through Nā Pua No‘eau; and

     WHEREAS, while the teaching and learning design of Na Pua No‘eau creates a greater capacity of Hawaiian students to access and succeed in higher education, it also preserves, sustains, and mobilizes Hawaiian knowledge and practices; and

     WHEREAS, Na Pua No‘eau creates optimal learning conditions for Native Hawaiian students in grades K-12 for higher achievement and aspirations; and

     WHEREAS, these optimal learning conditions are designed in the context of Hawaiian history, language, culture, values, and perspective; and

     WHEREAS, the Na Pua No‘eau Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children has staff and offices at University of Hawai‘i campuses throughout the State, and is able to reach out to all of the Hawaiian communities; and

WHEREAS, in twenty years, Na Pua No‘eau has developed research studies that ascertain the effectiveness of its practices and the longitudinal tracking of the student participants; and

WHEREAS, the current data show that Hawaiian students who participate in Na Pua No‘eau programs have a better chance of staying in and graduating from the University of Hawai‘i; and

WHEREAS, because Na Pua No‘eau is dependent on external and temporary funding, the Center's ability to conduct programs for Hawaiian students fluctuates from year to year; and

WHEREAS, the funding requested in the University of Hawai‘i System's biennium budget for Na Pua No‘eau would allow the Center to serve 4,000 K-12 Hawaiian students annually; and

WHEREAS, state funding requested would expand the Na Pua No‘eau staff and offices on all of the University of Hawai‘i campuses, thus broadening and increasing the sustainability of the K-12 program offerings to Hawaiian students, families, and their communities; and

WHEREAS, with the receipt of these requested funds, Na Pua No‘eau will have greater capacity to sustain education and career pathways for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), health related professions, and leadership opportunities, which will result in a greater representation of Hawaiians in professional careers; and

WHEREAS, state funding for Na Pua No‘eau has the strong support of the University of Hawai‘i System Puko‘a Council of Native Hawaiian faculty and staff; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the Senate concurring, that support is urged for state funding of Na Pua No‘eau staffing and programs in the University of Hawai‘i System biennium budget; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the University of Hawai‘i System, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Na Pua No‘eau.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title: 

Na Pua No‘eau; Support for Funding; UH Budget