Tūtū and Me
Tūtū and Me aims to meet the developmental needs of young keiki and to support the caregivers who are raising them.
TRAVELING PRESCHOOL
Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool aims to identify, recruit, and service underserved segments of the Native Hawaiian population.
The goal of Tūtū and Me is to meet the educational and emotional needs of families so that children will enter school ready to learn and succeed.
What sets this traveling preschool apart from other similar programs is that Tūtū and Me also offers support to these keiki's caregivers - oftentimes their grandparents, following the familiar practice in Hawaiʻi nei. Grandparents, or tūtū, are often the primary caregivers of their young grand children because of socioeconomic conditions and because of the value of ʻohana (family).
Tūtū and Me provides learning opportunities for many aspects of children's development and seeks to meet the needs of anyone involved with keiki and their development. Some aspects emphasized at Tūtū and Me include:
- Cognitive: To assure/ develop average intelligence as measured by standardized tests;
- Social: To develop social temperaments that bring positive responses from others;
- Linguistic: To give children a strong start to assure that effective reading and other literacy skills will be attained by fourth grade.
Tūtū and Me operates through mobile teams of early childhood educators. These individuals travel to pre-selected communities where they set up and conduct the program and pack it all away to start again the next session. Our curriculum is organized around learning themes and, most importantly, serves to meet the diverse cultural needs of the keiki by integrating Hawaiian values and culture.
Preschool Locations
Today, Tūtū and Me reaches thousands of keiki and their caregivers in over 26 communities across the state. This innovative traveling preschool program is done in cooperation with churches and other community organizations from Kauaʻi to Hawaiʻi Island. To find the site nearest your ohana, use the drop-down menu below! Please note, all our Tūtū and Me sites operate between 8:30AM to 10:30AM unless otherwise stated.
ANAHOLA CLUBHOUSE
3900 Kawelo Street, Anahola, HI 96703
Tuesdays & Thursdays
822-4280
HANAPĒPĒ UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
4481 Kona Road, Hanepēpē, HI 96716
Tuesdays & Thursdays
335-0501
KAPAʻA MISSIONARY CHURCH
4-758 Kuhio Highway, Kapaʻa, HI 96746
Mondays & Wednesdays
822-4280
KEKAHA NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER
8130 Elepaio Road, Kekaha, HI 96752
Mondays & Wednesdays
355-0501
BISHOP MUSEUM
1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
Mondays & Wednesdays
524-7633
KAHALUʻU K.E.Y. PROJECT
42-278 Waiheʻe Road, Kaneohe, HI 96744
Tuesdays & Thursdays
524-7633
KAMEHAMEHA PRESCHOOL - WAIMĀNALO
41-235 Ilauhole Street, Waimānalo, HI 96795
Tuesdays & Thursdays
524-7633
MAKAKILO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAFETERIA
92-675 Anipeahi Street, Kapolei, HI 96707
Tuesdays & Thursdays
524-7633
PAPAKŌLEA COMMUNITY PARK
2150 Tantalus Drive, Honolulu, HI 96813
Mondays & Wednesdays
524-7633
WAIALUA UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
67-174 Farrington Highway, Waialua, HI 96791
Mondays & Wednesdays
524-7633
KUALAPUʻU COMMUNITY CENTER
Ahahula Street, Kualapuʻu, HI 96757
Tuesdays & Thursdays
560-5642
MOLOKAʻI COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
30 Oki Place, Kaunakakai, HI 96748
Mondays & Wednesdays
560-5642
KAHULUI COMMUNITY CENTER ANNEX
275 Uhu Street, Kahului, HI 96732
Tuesdays & Thursdays
249-2430
KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS - MAUI CAMPUS
270 Aapueo Parkway, Makawao, HI 96768
Mondays & Wednesdays
249-2430
KENOLIO RECREATION COMPLEX
131 S Kīhei Road, Kīhei, HI 96753
Tuesdays & Thursdays
249-2430
LĀHAINĀ CIVIC CENTER SOCIAL HALL
1840 Honoapiʻilani Highway, Lahaina, HI 96761
Mondays & Wednesdays
249-2430
HONOKAʻA COMPLEX GYM
45-541 Akia Street, Honokaʻa, HI 96727
Mondays & Wednesdays
885-1200
ʻIMIOLA CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
65-1084 Māmalahoa Highway, Waimea, HI 96743
Tuesdays & Thursdays
885-1200
KAUAHAʻAO CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
95-1642 Pinao Street, Nāʻālehu, HI 96772
Mondays & Wednesdays
929-8571
ʻŌLAʻA FIRST HAWAIIAN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
17-516 Hale Pule Loop, Kurtistown, HI 96760
Mondays & Wednesdays
982-4102
PĀHOA DISTRICT FACILITY GYM
15-2710 Kauhale Road, Pāhoa, HI 96778
Tuesdays & Thursdays
982-4102
PANAEWA GYM
100 Ohuohu Street, Hilo, HI 96720
Mondays & Wednesdays
934-7476
ST. PAUL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH PAVILION
79-7234 St. Paul's Road, Honalo, HI 96740
Mondays & Wednesdays
327-9327
UNITED COMMUNITY CHURCH
1100 Kinoʻole Street, Hilo, HI 96720
Tuesdays & Thursdays
934-7476
WEST HAWAII COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
75-5214 Keanalehu Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Tuesdays & Thursdays
327-9327
HOME VISITING & PARENT EDUCATION HUI
Services by Tūtū and Me for additional caregiver support and early learning opportunities
The purpose of the Tūtū and Me Home Visiting Program & the Parent Education Program is to offer support to caregivers with keiki birth to five years of age as keiki’s first and foremost teacher. We believe that a strong ho‘omaka (beginning) of keiki begins with a strong kahua (foundation) of their caregiver.
The Home Visiting Program serves families on the Hawai‘i island in the following districts: East Hawai‘i, Hāmākua, North Hawai‘i, and Ka‘ū. As of September of 2020, the Parent Education Program will be held via group sessions for families on Hawai‘i Island and Moloka‘i.
- Participate in 18 weekly or bi-weekly sessions
- Receive monthly Take-Home Backpacks filled with resources, lending library books, caregiver, and keiki activities to enjoy together
- Eligible for monthly diapers or pull-ups and wipes from Hawai‘i Diaper Bank
- Connect with other families and keiki through our virtual Play Day with Friends.
- Participate in 10 bi-weekly sessions throughout the school year
- Receive designated time to focus on yourself and to take a moment to reset and recharge
- Gain shortcuts and tips to make parenting life a little easier
- Build new friendships and connect with caregivers like you!
In addition, Parent Education Manager Amanda Ishigo provides regular Caregiver Tips. You can find those on our YouTube channel here.
Want to join the next Parent Education Hui? Stay up to date by visiting our calendar for open enrollment dates and deadlines.
Like an a‘a (root system), these are the four Hawaiian values that the Mālama ‘Ohana curriculum is rooted within the Home Visiting and Parent Education programs:
Kuleana: Empowering caregivers with the responsibility and privilege of raising keiki.
Mālama: Supporting caregivers as they navigate the best path for their ʻohana.
Aloha: Providing caregivers with meaningful tools that strengthen their relationship with their keiki.
ʻIke: Teaching caregivers how to understand the development of their keiki.
The Tūtū and Me Home Visiting and Parent Education programs focus on "you first," as we believe you (caregivers) are the most important piece of keiki's development.
On February 19, 2015, PIDF was awarded a grant by the US Department of the Interior Office of Insular Affairs to mentor a core group of Micronesian leaders in Hawai‘i in developing a 501(c)(3) that will support their community in achieving self-sufficiency, as PIDF has been striving to do for the Native Hawaiian community. This three-year mentorship project will focus on building WAO’s expertise in grant-writing and program management, and organizational capacity to establish WAO as an independent 501(c)(3) serving the Micronesian community in Hawai‘i. The project will also include WAO’s first pilot project: a One-Stop Center of resources.
Many are familiar with the on-going debate on “GMO foods,” the possible harmful effects of commercially grown products from pesticides, hormones and antibiotics, and the increasing popularity of “organic” foods. But what is “Korean Natural Farming” or “Natural Farming”? Natural Farming was developed by Master Cho Han-Kyu as a cheap and environmentally friendly way to grow healthy plants and animals. It follows the “Nutritive Cycle Theory,” which examines the changing growth stages of a plant or animal and adjusts the inputs accordingly (a combination of indigenous microorganisms (IMO) and foliar sprays). The general idea is that crops and livestock need nitrogen when young, phosphoric acid during adolescence, and calcium after maturity.
Here are some of the benefits of Natural Farming:
- All-natural, cheap inputs—no pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, or other chemicals are used
- Healthy plants and animals
- High yield, nutrient dense foods
- Uses 40-50% less water
- No ground water or ocean contamination
- No waste, runoff, or foul odor
- Increases soil health over time
In 2006, the State of Hawai‘i Department of Human Services (DHS) awarded a master contract to PIDF to form Hui Ho‘omalu (a group to protect and shelter), to help enhance and advance Hawai‘i’s foster care system. As a Hui, this statewide initiative addresses the identification, recruitment, screening, assessment, training, ongoing support, and retention of Resource Families for children and families that are in the care of DHS. PIDF partners with Catholic Charities Hawai‘i and Family Programs Hawai‘i to provide services to Resource Families.
RECENT NEWS
Huakaʻi with United Airlines
One of our Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool teams on Oʻahu went on a huakaʻi last month to learn about United Airlines.
ʻEleu Rally for FCIL
The annual ʻEleu rally for Family-Child Interaction Learning (FCIL) was held at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol building alongside our ʻEleu partners Keiki O Ka ʻĀina and INPEACE.
Na Makamae: Paul, Tūtū and Me
Paul Chun is the Program Accountant/ Budget Analyst for all 13 teams of our Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool. Affectionately called the “money man,” Paul is loved by all who encounter him.
Tūtū and Me for Generations
The Tokashiki ʻohana has been coming to Tūtū and Me for 15 years. Their eldest keiki, Skylin, was in our very first Tūtū and Me preschool class.