The Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai'i opened in 1987. The Center represents the first substantial commitment in the nearly 100 years of the university's existence to the coordinated study and preservation of Hawaiian culture, history, politics, and language.

The foreground in the image on the left shows the Kanewai Garden, a lo'i (taro field) that is a part of the center. The lo'i is fed by Manoa stream. Courses are being developed to include the resources that the garden offers.

- Mahi'ai Kalo: Cultivation of Taro, the Divine Ancestor of the Hawaiian Farmer
- Na Mala Hawai'i: Traditional Hawaiian Food Crops and Planting Techniques
- Ka La'au Lapa'au: Hawaiian Medicinal Plants and Uses
- Na Hana No'eau 'A'ahu: Traditional Fiber Arts - Kapa, Hala and 'Olona
- Na La'au Hula: Traditional Hula Plants for Adornments and Implements