HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The University of Hawaii at Manoa is kicking off its annual six-day Hawaii Ku'u Home Aloha Summit to build connections and learning opportunities for Hawaii's history, present realities, and future aspirations. The summit runs from the Jan. 17 to the 22nd. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You "Led by my team, the Hawaiʻi Papa o ke ao Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office, we help to shepherd the mission for UH to become a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning," said Punihei Lipe, the office's director. "Its Hawaii-grounded approach envisions a pae aina o Hawaii (Hawaiʻi archipelago) in which each individual, family, and community recognize their collective and interdependent kuleana regardless of race to aloha one another and ʻāina. This interwoven approach has been recognized on a national platform." You don't have to be a student to attend the events. Hawaii State FCU offering free financial webinars "We invite students, faculty, and the community to come together for Hawaii Kuu Home Aloha, a free six-day summit starting January 17, which will begin with recognizing 132 years since the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The event is focused on building pilina—connections—through learning and sharing about Hawaii's history, present realities, and future aspirations. The summit features a wide range of cultural workshops and ʻāina-based activities within our communities. Highlights include a ceremony honoring Queen Liliuokalani and Martin Luther King Jr. and a special keynote by Native Hawaiian author and veteran politician Norma Wong." Lipe added. Attendees don't have to be of Native Hawaiian ancestry. Lipe encourages Hawaii residents to seek out the experiences offered at the summit. "This is open to all. This event is about fostering deeper pilina—connections—to oneself, to others, especially those we may not have realized we share commonalities with, and to the aina. We hope participants leave with a new or strengthened tool, whether it be storytelling, listening deeply, or writing poetry, to help them continue building those meaningful connections." Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news More information can be found here.