Aloha ‘Āina Studios

Solution Pitch

The Problem

United States’ educational policies endanger Hawaiian people, language, and culture. As a result, more than half of all Native Hawaiians live outside of Hawaii, and only 0.1% of the state’s population are fluent in Native Hawaiian languages. Today, Native Hawaiian children are not exposed to media with their own identity and culture shown in a positive light, often being subjected to stereotypes and erasure. They need an educational system that dismantles the deeply racist, institutionalized practices to create an inclusive and supportive environment, teaching them about their culture, language, and history. 

The Solution

Aloha ‘Āina Studios produces language-based educational multimedia products for Native Hawaiian children and their families to help strengthen their own sense of identity. Aloha ‘Āina Studios provides both high- and low-tech educational products in Hawaiian and English, following a curriculum based on Native Hawaiian cultural practices such as voyaging, navigation, healing arts, and Aloha ‘Āina (“love of land”). These materials include videos, games, edu-toys, outdoor activities, books, lesson plans, teachers’ and parents’ guides, and educational subscription boxes. Aloha ‘Āina will also produce TV shows and series, animated cartoons, and apps in the future. Aloha ‘Āina products can be used from formal classroom settings to informal outdoor and home settings, where teachers, parents, grandparents, and other children will all be able to participate in learning. Wherever welcomed and appropriate, Aloha ‘Āina hopes to support other Indigenous communities in their own unique efforts to strengthen identity through language and cultural practice.

Stats 

• Aloha ‘Āina Studios has provided early childhood Native Hawaiian education to over 6,000 children.

Market Opportunity

Aloha ‘Āina Studios serves families who wish to increase the use of Hawaiian language in their daily lives and strengthen the Hawaiian identity in themselves and future generations. This is an underserved market segment in Hawaii and amongst the Hawaiian diaspora around the world, as nearly half of the 500,000+ Native Hawaiians today do not live in Hawaii.

Annually, federal and state governments invest millions of dollars into Native Hawaiian education. In 2021, educational organizations across Hawaii received $28 million for various programs to enhance Native Hawaiian education from elementary through college levels.

Organization Highlights

• Partnered with Papahana Kuaola, Polynesian Voyaging Society and Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging academy, and Kanaeokana, a collective of Hawaiian education organizations to work together and help guide the future of Hawaiian medium education.

Partnership Goals

Aloha ‘Āina seeks:

• Legal assistance with copyright for lesson plans, curriculum, scripts, apps, and games.

• Animation experts to offer high-level training for Hawaiian animators. 

• Connections to software engineers to develop apps and games based on existing content.

• Connections to web designers to optimize web pages offering free and paid content and resources.

• Data collection and analysis.

• Expertise on similar business models and distribution.