The EIA Project at the University of Hawai'i - Kapi'olani Community College is in the last of five years of funding U.S. Department of Education and has established relevant Associate degree programs for working and aspiring educational assistants and educational interpreters who work K-12 classrooms with deaf and hard of hearing children.

The goal of the EIA Project is to prepare you to become an effective professional in the public school setting, thereby increasing the number of EA's and EI's who are qualified to work with deaf and hard of hearing children in Hawai'i. The EIA Project has been successful in establishing 2 Associate degree programs here at Kapi'olani Community College.

Kapi’olani Community College offers 2 Associate degree programs. One is geared towards Educational Assistants (A.S. Degree, Educational Paraprofessionals) and the other is for Educational Interpreters (A.S. Degree, Interpreting). You may take classes to earn an AS degree or Certificate to complete the program of your choice. If you are interested in attaining a Bachelors degree, these AS degree programs are designed to be compatible with degree requirements at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. The staff will be happy to provide you with more information about the programs and transferring.

You will take program-related courses through KCC and general education courses at the UH Community College nearest you, so enroll as soon as possible. Whether this is your first experience with college or your return after a prolonged absence, contact the EIA Counselor and she will point you in the right direction and walk you through the application process. For any questions related to program requirements, registration, service obligation or other program-related questions please email us at eiahelp@hawaii.edu.

Our highly qualified faculty provides a range of learning opportunities and experiences to prepare you to work effectively with deaf or hard of hearing children in K-12 public schools. A learning plan will be developed just for you and Language and/or Interpreting Mentors and tutors are available to assist you in reaching your educational and professional goals.

Some of the courses you take will be delivered using various types of distance education technology. Other courses you will take in a traditional classroom. If you are an interpreting student, you will participate in a summer institute with your classmates from across the state. This allows you to hone your language proficiency and work on specific coursework that requires face-to-face contact. The annual institute enables the faculty to interact with you directly to ensure you are developing the necessary skills and knowledge.

To complete the program of your choice, you must successfully achieve the learning objectives for each course, earn a "C" or better in program-related courses, satisfy all the requirements, and demonstrate your ability to work effectively in the classroom.