LEI kaiulu, based in the waianae moku of oahu, is a youth and community engagement project that addresses the program priority of adaptation to climage change

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Native Hawaiian Climate Resilience Program (CFDA 15.098) awarded a $938,050 project grant to the Ho'Omahua Foundation in Waianae, Oahu. The 3-year grant, effective October 1, 2024, supports the "Lei Kaiulu" youth and community engagement project that addresses climate change adaptation.

The project aims to empower students as community climate leaders through education, preserve and promote native Hawaiian cultural practices, and enhance the Waianae community's capacity for climate adaptation. Key activities include hands-on workshops, field experiences, and educational programs that train student interns to lead community learning on climate science, sustainable agriculture grounded in native Hawaiian culture, and climate resiliency strategies. The project also involves propagating native Hawaiian plants for reforestation and fire mitigation efforts. By fostering an educated and proactive youth contingent, the program seeks to cultivate advocates capable of influencing policy and catalyzing community climate action initiatives.

Waianae, a community rich in cultural heritage and natural beauty, faces significant socio-economic and health challenges that are exacerbated by the broader crisis of climate change. The overarching aim of our project is to cultivate leadership among youth to effectively address the pressing issue of climate change within the waianae community. By equipping young people with the knowledge and tools they need to understand climate science and its impacts, we are preparing a generation of informed citizens ready to act. The three goals of the project are:1.empowerment of students as community climate leaders through EDUCATION2.preservation and promotion of native hawaiian cultural PRACTICES3.enhancing community capacity for climate adaptationto achieve these goals, project activities are grounded in place-based, hands-on learning experiences that will engage the community. Through workshops and field experiences, student interns will learn about climate change, sustainable agricultural practices grounded in native hawaiian culture, and become leaders that can guide educational experiences for the community. Integrating the community into educational endeavors, the LEI kaiulu program positions itself as an innovative learning model, transforming local environments into dynamic classrooms. This project builds upon this foundation, extending educational opportunities beyond the traditional student body to embrace wider community interaction. The program S structure encourages a reciprocal flow of knowledge, emphasizing active youth involvement and broad community engagement. Through a suite of educational workshops, training sessions, and conferences, the initiative seeks to heighten climate change awareness and inspire students to spearhead these efforts. By fostering an educated and proactive youth contingent, the program aims to cultivate advocates for climate action capable of swaying policy and prompting community initiatives. Year 1 of the project will focus on expanding our current LEI kaiulu program to include preparing youth to lead community learning experiences. Curriculum will be designed through a hawaiian culture-based lens so the workshops offered will also address this goal. Additionally, native hawaiian plants will be propagated to prepare for reforestation and fire mitigation efforts in subsequent year. Development of leadership skills and empowering students is the focus of year 2. Student interns from year 1 will lead community engagement efforts and have the opportunity to further explore a specific topic area related to climate resiliency. To extend youth learning opportunities beyond the student interns, lessons will be developed that can be implemented by classroom teachers. A professional development course will also be developed to help teachers who want to incorporate lessons on climate resiliency through a hawaiian cultural lens. In addition, visits to the mala CO-led by program staff and student interns will be offered to school groups to offer a hands-on learning experience.