Dr. Loke Wakinekona, a former elementary school teacher who helps teachers and others in the education of children on the Waiʻanae Coast, will speak from 1 to 3 p.m., on Friday, April 13, in E132 as part of UH West Oʻahu’s Ākea Akamai lecture series. There will be a potluck get-together beginning at 12:30 p.m. prior to the start of the event, which is open to students, faculty, staff and the community.
Wakinekona will discuss “Waiʻanae ʻĀina Momona: A Vision of Strengths and Place-Based Learning,” reflecting her own work. Wakinekona, who has lived her entire life along the Waiʻanae Coast, works with teachers and within the community to bring Hawaiian understanding of pedagogy and process. The lecture series’ organizers say Wakinekona’s passion for the beauty and function of her beloved Waiʻanae will come to life during this lecture.
Her talk is part of the Ākea Akamai Lecture Series, which explores the breadth of Indigenous Scholarship at UH West Oahu, and within our communities of Waiʻanae, Nānākuli and Kapolei. It is meant to expose UH West Oʻahu students, faculty and staff to recent PhD scholarship, along with Indigenous Master Practitioners (IMP) inspiration. For more information contact Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer at manulani@hawaii.edu
Wakinekona is a project director with Placed-based Learning and Community Engagement in School (PLACES), a collaborative venture between schools along the Waiʻanae Coast, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Office of Student Equity, Excellence & Diversity and the Waiʻanae community. It is funded through the Native Hawaiian Education Program of the Hawaiʻi Department of Education and provides relevant and engaging learning experiences for children in Wai’anae through a place-based cultural project.
Wakinekona is also board president of the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture (INPEACE), an organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for Native Hawaiians through community partnerships that provide educational opportunities and promote self-sufficiency.