Leeward Community College is trying to tackle the teacher shortage by offering flexible, affordable paths into the profession that are designed for Hawaii’s working people.

The new approach, which has attracted a notable number of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander men, just got a big boost when Leeward became the first community college in the country to earn accreditation from the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, one of two national bodies that accredit such programs.

The seven-year accreditation puts it in the same status as major teacher preparation institutes including Columbia University and New York University.

The stamp of approval covers two credentials at Leeward. The Advanced Professional Certificate in Special Education is for people with bachelor’s degrees in any field who want to become special-education teachers. The Alternative Certification for Career and Technical Education helps people with experience in industry get licensed to teach in secondary school in fields from culinary arts to auto shop.

“We are flexible in the delivery, and it’s all online and we are specifically catering to folks who are working full time,” said Christina Keaulana, program coordinator for special-education licensure at Leeward. “We allow students to enroll in as few or as many classes as they want and self-pace their programs. There is funding for it, and the instructors are all from Hawaii.”

Mark LaCelle-Peterson, president of the accrediting association, wrote in a statement, “AAQEP is delighted to acknowledge Leeward’s programs as the first community college-based programs to achieve accreditation, and to recognize those programs’ ongoing work to improve access to teaching for under-represented students from local communities.”

Leeward launched its special-­education certificate program in 2017, and it was fully subscribed during the pandemic despite a national dip in community college enrollment. It can accommodate 20 new students each semester — fall, spring and summer — or 60 annually.

“About a third of our candidates are Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander males,” Keaulana said. “That blew our minds. … If you look at the statewide teaching demographic, it’s 80% female.”

Keaulana did her dissertation on the over-representation of Native Hawaiian boys in special education, and noted that they can be inspired by male teachers with cultural experiences in common.

“I was in tears with the way these men can connect with some of their students,” said Keaulana, who observes their work as an instructor and supervisor.

She recalled watching one budding teacher in the Leeward program work with a student who had almost dropped out of fifth grade after suffering family trauma and loss. He took time to reach out to the boy as a human being before starting the lesson.

“It was a remarkable instance of cultural connection,” Keaulana said. “The teacher lived on the homestead where this boy lived. He said if you ever need help, let me know. He was open to the idea of being a mentor.”

By the time they got to their social studies lesson about mummies in ancient Egypt, the student was all in, even though it was online.

“You could see it in the boy’s eyes,” Keaulana said. “He wanted to please the teacher.”

That teacher was Hilo resident Jaysen Manuia, who told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he thought he had flunked the observation session because he spoke to the student in pidgin. Instead, he learned from his Leeward instructors about “social emotional learning” and how building trust is vital to student success.

“I was so excited to see that,” said Manuia, who graduated with honors this spring and is teaching in an inclusive classroom at Hilo Union Elementary School. “I can make a difference. I can really influence these kids. It means a lot to me. I’m in the town that I grew up in. I want to give back.”

Manuia, 45, was working as a substitute teacher when he signed up for the Leeward program, which he completed in 12 months. He already had a bachelor’s degree and had worked as a biochemist in San Francisco, but returned to Hilo to raise his family, now numbering six children.

His wife, Janna, an educational assistant, has also decided to get licensed as a teacher, and got started this summer on her own online education pathway at Leeward.

Jaysen Manuia credits Hilo Union Principal Bryan Arbles and Keaulana for encouraging him to make teaching his career.

“I’ve got tears in my eyes reflecting on that opportunity,” Manuia said. “If anyone is wondering if they should do it or not, they can contact me. I’m a huge advocate for the program.”