Kākoʻo— Mentoring & Transition

Kākoʻo is designed to support the transition of at-risk students by providing mentoring and other critical transition supports as they move from middle school to high school and from high school to post-secondary options. The most recent iteration of this component is currently being implemented through PLC’s ‘Aha Lamakū ‘Oia‘i‘o (ALO) project. ALO is a culturally-responsive leadership development, mentoring, and transition support system for at-risk Native Hawaiian youth.

ALO is designed to ensure timely completion of courses, promotion to next grade levels, graduation from high school, and successful transition into post-high school college or employment training. ALO’s theoretical framework embodies the concept of ma ka hana ka ‘ike (knowledge is gained by doing) and integrates proven normative transition strategies with those that bring greater focus on culture, including social contexts and processes. ALO will target strategic support to underserved at-risk Native Hawaiian secondary students in four schools in Hawai‘i Island’s Ka‘ū-Kea‘au-Pāhoa Complex Area (KKP). Project sites include all three of KKP’s three receiver high schools, Kaʻū High,  Kea‘au High, Pāhoa High, and one of the feeder middle schools, Kea‘au Middle. Across three years, ALO’s coordinated services will directly benefit approximately 1,160 students and 800 teachers.