The Hawai‘i State Department of Education is now accepting applications to be part of the Advisory Committee for Board of Education Policy 105-14 Multilingualism for Equitable Education. The Multilingualism Policy recognizes the important role of multilingualism in providing a meaningful and equitable education for student achievement. This is your opportunity to share your voice on the implementation of the policy.

While not a decision-making group, the Advisory Committee provides input on policy implementation activities, such as language learning opportunities, professional learning topics, community-based resources, and processes to distribute information to the broader community. The group consists of up to 10 voluntary members selected based on the stakeholder and language groups they represent. State Office representatives from the Office of Hawaiian Education, World Languages Program, English Learner Program, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program will also serve on the committee. Members commit to meeting twice each school year and serving a two-year term. 

Applications are due at 3:00pm on Wednesday, September 10, 2025. To apply, please visit https://bit.ly/MLAC2025-2026 to learn about the School Year 2025-2026 focus areas for input and to complete the application. Selected applicants will be notified via email by Friday, October 17, 2025. 

The School Year 2025-2026 meetings will be held virtually on:
• October 27, 2025, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, and 
• April 22, 2026, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm 

He waiwai waiwai nā moʻomeheu a me nā ʻōlelo a pau. Hoʻokumu ka multilingualism i nā wahi hoʻonaʻauao e kiʻi mai i ka waiwai o ka ʻōlelo like ʻole a me ka ikaika moʻomeheu o nā haumāna o Hawaiʻi. Hoʻomaopopo ka BOE i ke kuleana koʻikoʻi o ka multilingualism i ka hoʻolako ʻana i kahi hoʻonaʻauao kūpono a kaulike no ka holomua o nā haumāna. ʻO ka BOE's Multilingualism for Equitable Education Policy—Kulekele 105-14 (PDF)—alakaʻi i ka HIDOE a me kāna mau kula e apo, paipai a hoʻomau i ka manaʻo lehulehu a me ka moʻomeheu lehulehu e kākoʻo i nā haumāna, nā ʻohana a me nā kaiāulu.

Hawai‘i is multicultural and multilingual. There are two official state languages—Hawaiian and English. Up to 14% of students have been identified as English Learners (ELs) over the past five years; the top five languages spoken at home are Ilokano, Chuukese, Marshallese, Tagalog and Spanish. Studies consistently show that when students’ identities, histories, cultures and languages are included in a meaningful and equitable way, they are better able to learn and succeed in school and beyond. 

Pahuhopu 

ʻO nā pahuhopu nui ʻekolu i hōʻike ʻia i loko o ke kulekele: 

1. E hoʻolako i nā papahana ʻōlelo no nā haumāna he nui ʻōlelo, ʻo ia hoʻi nā haumāna i ʻike ʻia ʻo EL a me nā haumāna makemake e aʻo i kahi ʻōlelo hou; 
2. Hāʻawi i nā kumu hoʻonaʻauao kūpono me ka ʻike kūpono, nā mākau a me nā mea aʻo; a 
3. Hāʻawi kākoʻo hoʻolaha i nā ʻohana e komo ikaika i ka hoʻonaʻauao ʻana i kā lākou mau keiki. 

Ua kākau ʻia nā pahuhopu o kēia kulekele i hui pū ʻia me nā hui ʻōlelo nui a pau ma Hawaiʻi: ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, ka ʻōlelo Pelekania, nā ʻōlelo honua/heritage, a me ka ʻōlelo hōʻailona ʻAmelika. 

Ma hope o ka ʻae ʻia ʻana o ke kulekele i ka makahiki 2016, ua hoʻokumu ʻia kahi hoʻolālā hoʻokō hana e ka Multilingualism Policy Work Group i hoʻohui i nā mea āpau o ke kulekele i loko o kahi palapala hana me nā pahuhopu ʻeono: 

• Pahuhopu 1: E hoʻolako i nā papahana ʻōlelo no nā haumāna he nui ʻōlelo 
• Pahuhopu 2: Hāʻawi i nā kumu hoʻonaʻauao kūpono me ka ʻike kūpono, nā mākau, a me nā mea pono 
• Pahuhopu 3: Hāʻawi i nā kākoʻo hoʻolaha i nā ʻohana 
• Pahuhopu 4: E hoʻokumu i komite aʻoaʻo mau 
• Pahuhopu 5: Hāʻawi i kahi hōʻike makahiki i ka BOE 
• Pahuhopu 6: E ʻimi i nā kālā kūpono no ka hoʻokō ʻana i ke kulekele Multilingualism 

Nā pōmaikaʻi 

Nā ʻike noiʻi o Nā pōmaikaʻi o ka Multilingualism (PDF) ua kuhikuhi mau i nā pono hoʻonaʻauao, ʻōlelo a me ka pilikanaka o ka ʻae ʻana i nā haumāna i ʻike ʻia he mau EL e hoʻomau i ka hoʻomohala ʻana i kā lākou ʻōlelo home me ke aʻo ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Pelekane. ʻO nā laʻana o ia mau pōmaikaʻi: ka loaʻa ʻana o ka ʻike maʻiʻo ma nā ʻōlelo maʻa, e hopena maikaʻi i ka ulu ʻana o ka naʻau; ʻoi aku ka mākaukau ma nā ʻōlelo he nui; a me ka hōʻoiaʻiʻo ʻana i ka ʻike o nā haumāna, e hopena maikaʻi ana i ka hoʻokō. 

Ua kuhikuhi pū nā ʻimi noiʻi i nā pono like ʻole o ka bi/multilingualism no ka poʻe ʻōpio i ʻike ʻole ʻia he EL. Loaʻa i kēia mau pōmaikaʻi ka hoʻomaikaʻi ʻana i nā mākau multitasking, ka ʻike hohonu a me ka mahalo i nā moʻomeheu like ʻole, a me ka hoʻonui ʻana i ka mākaukau moʻomeheu. Ma muli o kēia mau pono i hoʻokumu ʻia e HIDOE a sila biliteracy hiki i nā haumāna ke hoʻoikaika i kā lākou diploma.

Ke hoʻohui nei nā kula he nui o Hawaiʻi i ka ʻōlelo ʻōlelo a me ka moʻomeheu like ʻole i loko o kā lākou moʻomeheu kula a me nā haʻawina ma nā ʻano like ʻole.