The UH Mānoa College of Education Grow Our Own Teachers Initiative was awarded $600,000 for the 2026–2027 academic year. Since 2018, the program has been able to offer students tuition stipends thanks to the generous support of Senator Michelle Kidani and the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HIDOE).
Eligible students include those who have been admitted into the collegeʻs Master of Education in Teaching (MEdT) program and Bachelor in Elementary Education & Hawaiian Language Immersion program (BEd in EEHLI) for Fall 2025, and those who are currently applying to the Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Secondary Education (PBCSE) and Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Elementary Education (PBCEE) for Spring 2026. The deadline to apply for this spring cohort is October 1, 2025.
“Grow Our Own has allowed me to focus my attention on completing my program and impacting the students in my classroom instead of worrying about paying off my student loans,” said Anya Amaral (MEdT, 2025). “It has truly made the difference in my ability to enter and complete my licensure program.”
While priority is given to those seeking licensure in Federal Teacher Shortage Areas (FTSA)*, emergency hires, substitutes, educational assistants, and other HIDOE employees, applicants who are not HIDOE employees or seeking licensure in shortage areas are also encouraged to apply. Upon graduation, candidates will be eligible to apply for teacher licensure from the Hawai‘i Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) and will be required to teach full time for at least three years for the HIDOE or charter schools in Hawaiʻi.
*FTSA include: English, English as Second Language (ESL), Hawaiian Language, Hawaiian Knowledge, Hawaiian Immersion, Mathematics, Science, World Languages
Grow Our Own Application: https://go.hawaii.edu/Frx
Grow Our Own Informational Sessions: RSVP to receive zoom link
Wednesday, Aug. 20: 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Tuesday, Sept. 16: 4:30pm – 5:30pm
