HONOLULU — Earlier this month, Ulu Lāhui Foundation (ULF) and partner Ulu HI-Tech (UHT) were awarded a grant through the AI Education Project (aiEDU) to co-create artificial intelligence (AI) curricula alongside Kaiapuni and rural school educators.
“We’re passionate about working to hoʻoulu lāhui (uplift the people) through community-rooted approaches to education, technology, and cultural revitalization,” said Rebecca Diego, ULF Program Manager. “This grant from aiEDU is recognition that Native Hawaiians should be at the forefront of developing and deploying AI and other technologies.”
The grant will support a series of curricula co-creation workshops aimed at equipping K-12 educators in Hawai‘i with the tools, knowledge, and resources to create culturally aligned, place-based AI lesson plans that reflect Hawaiian values and environmental sustainability. By the end of each workshop, teachers will have a deployable AI project and corresponding lesson plans, along with access to a ULF resource hub with all projects, lesson plans, and newly created AI terminology in ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi.
“Native Hawaiians have a long history of inventing and adapting technology, but doing it carefully and with respect, knowing the kuleana to their ancestors, ʻohana, and ʻāina,” said Diego. “Through this grant, we’ll work with a community of educators across the islands to build AI curriculum that reflects the māhele ʻāina and ʻike of those they serve.”
The workshops will build on ULF’s Place-based Learning and Culturally Engaged STEM (PLACES) Education initiative, which was developed to provide culturally relevant STEM education that met the Computer Science standards set by Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HDOE) and the Kaiapuni program standards for immersion education.
As a grant partner, UHT will act as the fiscal sponsor and project implementation manager for Kumu Connect. “We see Hawaiʻi becoming a global center for technology,” said Greg Hester, CEO of UHT. “The key is investing in future IT talent and creating valuable jobs to keep that talent within our state. It’s why we are continually re-investing in our local communities through partnerships with local schools and non-profits such as ULF.”
The grant comes through aiEDU’s Rural & Indigenous Community Catalyst Program, which is designed to catalyze AI literacy and AI readiness efforts in rural and Indigenous communities across the nation. The program, which awarded a total of 14 grants throughout the U.S., builds on aiEDU’s efforts to ensure that students can live, work and thrive in a world where AI is everywhere, no matter where they’re growing up.
About Ulu HI-Tech
Ulu HI-Tech, Inc., (UHT) offers cybersecurity, cloud engineering, and DevSecOps services to commercial entities and city, state, and federal agencies. UHT is a subsidiary of Ke Kumu ‘Ulu, a non-profit Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO). Learn more at uluhitech.com and kekumuulu.org.
About aiEDU
The AI Education Project (aiEDU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to ensuring that every student in America is prepared to live, work, and thrive in a world increasingly shaped by AI. We equip school systems with free, high-quality AI curriculum, professional development, and strategic support to advance AI Readiness at scale. Learn more at aiedu.org.