Interschool Collaborations

We love to share our garden with the community. This year we have hosted two Kanu O Ka ‘Āina groups and the DOE Preschool in our mala, sharing knowledge and building connections.

Middle school students from Kanu O Ka ‘Āina were our first visit this fall. We hosted their Mauli Ola project group, which is focused on exploring the different mea kanu - crops - traditionally grown in Hawaii. These students are revamping their middle school garden area as part of their project, and came to our mala to get inspiration and ask about best practices and garden tips.

We also hosted Ka Oha, Kanu o Ka ‘Āina’s homeschool hui. This was a fun exchange with ages ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade. We provided a general experience with a tour, scavenger hunt, garden activities, and always a garden snack. We love to inspire curiousity and awe, and find these mixed aged groups a great way to encourage exploration.

Zoe also provided a Wai Kī (Tea) workshop for Kanu’s homeschool hui, taking dried tea herbs to their campus for a tasting and education. Students learned about the different properties of the herbs, and then were able to create their own tea blends to take home.

Lastly we have been working with the DOE preschool that operates out of the portable classrooms right next to our garden. We were recently able to have 9 preschoolers join our 6th grade class to shuck corn together! One student saw his younger siblings and stepped up in a way that we hadn’t seen before. It was very sweet to see the connection between middle school and preschool and we will continue to look for exchange opportunities.