A new era of empowerment for Guam’s indigenous youth

For nearly two decades, Chief Hurao Academy has been planting the seeds to preserve the CHamoru language and culture. Now, flourishing into a charter school, their growth and impact look to bear fruit for generations to come. 

Un Historika Yan I Linguahen Na Mumento Para I Kutturan I Mannamoru: A Historic Moment for the CHamoru Language and Culture - the first  immersion charter school, Maga’lahen Hurao-Chamoru Academy Charter School, getting the green light to establish by the Guam Academy Charter School Council. 

This achievement follows nearly two decades of immersion work in the community through Chief Hurao Academy, founded by Anne Marie Arceo. “This is a long time coming. This is a great step in acknowledging who we are as a CHamoru people as the indigenous people of Guam," she said.

The immersion charter will serve grades pre-K-3-5th grade with a curriculum said to reflect the unique cultural heritage and educational needs of the indigenous CHamoru community. 

Arceo said, “We want to look at doing our curriculum from the Indigenous perspective and integrating those things of math, science...to implement it into the CHamoru ways of life–in cooking, in building canoes, having math and measurement integrate into all those areas. Even doing science through planting, and our yo’ amte or our suruhanu skills or knowledge.”

In the meantime, strengthening fluency in the CHamoru language will be done through the transitional dual immersion, which Arceo said, “Which means that from pre-K-3, 4, and kinder–will use 100% CHamoru.”

And for 1st-5th graders, she said, “More like a 50/50 and then grow it every year as the months go by and the children become more fluent–then we start moving and increasing the target language, which would be CHamoru.”

Arceo is currently in Aotearoa, visiting with pioneers of immersion to research curriculum. 

In the neantime, Maga’lahen Hurao-Chamoru Academy Charter School is slated to open its doors in mid-August, School Year 2024-2025, at the former San Vicente Catholic School in Barrigada.