About Us

From 2002 to 2008, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) administered the U.S. Department of Education’s Native Hawaiian Safe and Drug-Free (NHSDF) grant. The Nā Hoa Ho‘ōla program, supported by this grant, developed a culturally appropriate, standards-based health education curriculum to assist students in achieving Hawai‘i’s health standards and acquiring healthy behaviors in risk areas. Risk areas included violence prevention, alcohol and other drug use prevention, and tobacco use prevention. The curriculum funded by the grant, Ho‘oikaika Kino (to strengthen the body), focuses on emotional literacy, communication, and decision making skill-building activities. The substance abuse and violence prevention curriculum for Native Hawaiian students in grades 4­­­–6 is built on the Hawaiian ‘olelo no‘eau (wise saying), He hale ke kino no ka mana‘o, or “The body is the house for thoughts.” Ho‘oikaika Kino builds skills to increase a child's ability to make healthy choices, which also strengthens that child's body.