Programs

Our mission is the perpetuation of Samoan language in young children. 

• Āʻoga ʻĀmata - Through the creation of language nests, children are completely immersed in Samoan language. Our current priority is the establishment and development of āʻoga ʻāmata Sāmoa in Hawaiʻi and American Sāmoa. It is part of our mission to support the establishment and development of āʻoga ʻāmata throughout the United States diaspora, where an overwhelming majority of our Samoan people now reside. 
• Teacher Training and Recruitment - Recruiting and training Samoan teachers and support staff are a top priority in providing the necessary infrastructure to support Samoan schools. 
• Family and Community Language Learning Initiatives - Children do not learn language in a vacuum. It is important that the whole family engages in their language learning journey. Our supplementary courses and initiatives are designed to increase parental, sibling, and whole family involvement in language learning. 

Here is a list of our current projects:

• Lupe o le Foaga Samoan Language Nest Development Project - The purpose of this project is to increase the usage of Samoan language among young children, ages 2-6 in American Sāmoa and Hawaiʻi. Decline in the usage of Samoan language in the home and a lack of Samoan language education programs has contributed to overall less usage of Samoan. It is estimated that there are now more people who claim Samoan heritage in the United States than there are speakers of Samoan. This project targets preschool-aged children to increase their proficiency in Samoan language through the language nest model.