How to participate
The project divides its intended audience into two groups, youth and adults. Youth activities serve students who attend the Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u immersion laboratory school. Adult activities allow for a greater range of participation in both honua ‘āina and honua kai activities. Program activities are designed for people desiring to learn Hawaiian or those who wish to become more proficient in the language. Send inquiries to: helani@ahapunanaleo.org
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He Lani Ko Luna, He Honua Ko Lalo
“He lani ko luna, he honua ko lalo,” a Hawaiian
proverb literally meaning, “A heaven above, a earth below”, is
a hands-on Community Based Learning Center, located at the Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u
campus in Kea‘au, on Hawai‘i island. The He Lani Ko Luna Community Based
Learning Center project began in October
2003 and uses outdoor environments to develop proficient use of the Hawaiian
language through Mauli Ola Hawai‘i based learning experiences. As the proverb
suggests, the He Lani Ko Luna Community Based Learning Center project mandates
experiential-based thematic learning, through hands on activities, that
take place in environments that are a part of the daily symbiotic relationship
that exist between people and the lands they live upon and the heavens
they live under.
The primary goal of the He Lani Ko Luna Community Based Learning Center
is to provide participants with the necessary skills that contribute to
building healthy communities by becoming confident, secure, and successful
individuals. The project builds these skills through activities that nourish
personal growth and increases an individual’s capacity to succeed. The
designed activities promote personal development of the individual’s self-identity, Mauli,
through the use of culturally engaging curriculum that strengthen the four
aspects of Mauli Ola Hawai‘i (Hawaiian self-identity), 1)‘Ike
Ku‘una Hawai‘i, traditional knowledge 2)‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, language 3)Pili
‘Uhane Hawai‘i, spirituality, and 4)Lawena Hawai‘i, behavior. Themes
for the program include activities that emphasize skill development in
teamwork, stewardship, and leadership. The program activities are centered
on use of resources available to the He Lani Ko Luna Community Based Learning
Center through previous projects awarded to the ‘APL.