The IKE AO PONO program was piloted in 2001 with 6 students and became established as a permanent program in 2004 with 66 students. The primary mission of the program is threefold:
- To improve the health and healthcare of Hawaii and the Pacific through effective and culturally sensitive care.
- To increase the number of under-represented nurses in Hawaii.
- To provide nursing students with positive role models.
With these ideals in mind, IKE AO PONO strives to encourage the enrollment and successful graduation of the nursing professionals from the UH Manoa Nursing Program.
As of 2025, IKE AO PONO will have successfully graduated over 600 Native nurses from the baccalaureate, graduate, and doctoral programs.