isSelectedEnd">ALAKAʻI is the advanced 18-day leadership, speaking and trainer-development experience within the KŪ Hawaiʻi pathway. Created and led by Dr. Darcie Pulawa-Morales, this intensive program prepares participants to communicate powerfully, lead groups responsibly and create transformational experiences for audiences of every size.

Alakaʻi means leader, guide or one who leads the way. This program is for graduates ready to move beyond their own transformation and develop the confidence, presence and practical abilities needed to inspire meaningful change in others.

Through live instruction, demonstrations, repeated presentation practice, individualized feedback and formal evaluation, participants learn how to command a room without overpowering it, communicate complex ideas clearly and guide audiences through experiences that are engaging, ethical and purposeful.

This is not simply a public-speaking course. ALAKAʻI develops the whole trainer: the voice, presence, communication, emotional awareness, curriculum, business practices and personal responsibility required to lead others with integrity.

Who Is ALAKAʻI For?

ALAKAʻI is designed for people who want to:

Deliver powerful presentations and speeches
Facilitate workshops, seminars and retreats
Lead teams, meetings and community groups
Teach professional or educational programs
Communicate confidently onstage, online and through media
Strengthen leadership presence and personal influence
Build a professional training or speaking business
Represent the KŪ Hawaiʻi mission as an approved facilitator or trainer

The program is especially valuable for coaches, educators, entrepreneurs, organizational leaders, wellness professionals, community advocates, retreat leaders, speakers and experienced practitioners who want to guide groups more effectively.

The 18-Day ALAKAʻI Pathway

Module One: Find Your Voice

Seven Days of Speaker and Leadership Development

Module One helps participants become grounded, confident and compelling in front of groups. You will strengthen your voice, clarify your message and learn how to remain present while leading audiences through meaningful experiences.

You will learn how to:

Reduce fear and anxiety around public speaking
Strengthen your voice, tone, pacing and vocal variety
Use body language and movement with intention
Build connection and trust with an audience
Organize ideas into clear, memorable presentations
Communicate with confidence in high-pressure situations
Use stories, questions and demonstrations effectively
Understand and respond to audience energy
Create emotional engagement without manipulation
Lead small and large groups with greater confidence
Give and receive constructive feedback
Maintain your own emotional state while presenting

By the end of Module One, participants will be more comfortable speaking, presenting and leading in front of others.

Module Two: Lead the Room

Seven Days of Advanced Facilitation and Training Mastery

Module Two advances participants from confident speakers into skilled facilitators and transformational trainers. The focus shifts from delivering information to designing and leading learning experiences that create understanding, participation and action.

You will learn how to:

Understand group dynamics and different participant needs
Establish safety, expectations and professional boundaries
Read the room and adjust your delivery in real time
Facilitate discussions, exercises and experiential processes
Navigate resistance, conflict and challenging participants
Use the stage and physical space purposefully
Create powerful openings, transitions and closings
Match content with different learning and communication styles
Integrate stories, demonstrations, reflection and participation
Develop workshops using a clear and repeatable structure
Present effectively in person, online and through media
Create participant materials, exercises and action plans
Lead transformation with cultural and ethical responsibility
Build, market and deliver a professional training program

Participants will design and present original training content while receiving direct coaching and detailed feedback.

Module Three: Demonstrate Your Leadership

Four-Day Trainer Evaluation

The final four days provide an opportunity for participants to demonstrate the leadership, speaking and facilitation abilities developed throughout ALAKAʻI.

The evaluation may include:

Written knowledge assessment
Prepared and impromptu presentations
Demonstration of teaching and facilitation skills
Voice, movement and stage-presence assessment
Group-leadership exercises
Response to questions and unexpected situations
Curriculum or workshop presentation
Ethical decision-making scenarios
Individual feedback and development planning

Successful completion requires more than attendance. Participants must demonstrate competency, professionalism, emotional responsibility and alignment with KŪ Hawaiʻi’s ethical and cultural standards.

Those who successfully complete all requirements may earn recognition as a KŪ Hawaiʻi Certified Trainer or Facilitator at the level approved by the program. Certification does not replace any professional license required to provide medical, psychological or other regulated services.

What You Will Develop

By completing ALAKAʻI, you will strengthen your ability to:

Speak with confidence, authenticity and authority
Inspire audiences through meaningful communication
Transform information into memorable learning experiences
Lead groups without losing connection or control
Facilitate emotional experiences responsibly
Design professional workshops, seminars and retreats
Communicate through words, voice, movement and presence
Manage your internal state under pressure
Provide feedback that encourages growth
Adapt your teaching to different audiences
Navigate group challenges with clarity and composure
Build a responsible training, speaking or facilitation business
Lead in a way that strengthens people and communities

Our Goal for You

Our goal is not to help you imitate another speaker. It is to help you discover and strengthen your own authentic leadership voice.

ALAKAʻI prepares you to stand before an audience with confidence, communicate with purpose and create an environment where people feel seen, challenged and empowered to move forward.

You will leave with more than presentation techniques. You will leave with practiced experience, professional feedback, original training content and a clearer understanding of the responsibility that comes with influencing others.

Prerequisites

ALAKAʻI is the third level of the KŪ Hawaiʻi pathway. Participants must successfully complete:

KŪ — The Live Breakthrough Experience
KŪPAʻA — Level 2 Mastery

Admission may also require an application, interview and demonstration of personal readiness. Completion of KŪ and KŪPAʻA does not guarantee acceptance into ALAKAʻI.

From Personal Transformation to Purposeful Leadership

You learned how to rise in KŪ. You learned how to stand firmly in KŪPAʻA. Now you will learn how to guide others forward.

ALAKAʻI: Transform Your Leadership. Empower Your Audience. Lead What Comes Next.