Youth Programs at Hawaiʻi Land Trust

During this time of year, we start to reflect on the past months of welcoming students to our sites. April and May build into a busy finale with teachers wanting their keiki to have more outdoor experiences before school ends. We are lucky to welcome students from all grade levels, although the majority of the participants are from Elementary Schools. We enjoy all of their eager questions as they are such sponges for new knowledge at a young age.  

As we bring the school year to a close, we also prepare for what’s next. The summer is a lull from the larger group visits, welcoming in our summer programs of teenage participants. High school students spend several weeks of their break with an opportunity for a deeper experience. We look forward to the additional time of ʻāina based learning with youth to develop a greater connection to our lands that sustain us in so many ways.

The last few summers our ʻŌpio at Maunawila Heiau Complex, Oʻahu have assisted in two hale building projects. They’ve learned skills and discipline necessary for a unique Hawaiian craft. We hope they continue to enjoy the site with their families as their hale now benefits their community as an example and a shelter for all that visit.

Our Maui Ahupuaʻa Stewards Leadership Program continues to evolve and grow each year. Participants visit many projects throughout Maui while also learning how our Hawaiian culture is a recurring influence to modern conservation throughout our islands. It’s heartwarming when we learn that students are pursuing careers in conservation because of their experiences learning the natural history and cultural history of our ʻāina during Ahupuaʻa Stewards. 

This year we welcome a new program on Kauaʻi with our Kāhili Preserve Summer Internship which will include time at Kāhili as well as our partner sites. We're excited to share our enthusiasm for stewardship and preservation with the next generation of community leaders. 

To learn more about our summer youth programs please visit our Youth Programs page.

- Denby Freeland, HILT’s Director of ʻĀina Education