Waimea Valley’s Hoʻokīkoʻo Program wraps with record number of elementary students visiting this school year
The Hawaiian culture-focused field trips are free thanks to grant support Haleʻiwa, Hawaiʻi (February 21, 2017) – Over 800 students will have visited Waimea Valley this school year due to a grant-supported program called Hoʻokīkoʻo (to reach out/extend, like one’s hands). The program was designed to reach students in low-income public elementary schools across Oʻahu to participate in a free educational field trip to the Valley.
The elementary schools participating in the program in the current school year are Fern, Hau‘ula, Waipahu, Leihoku, Kaʻala, Haleʻiwa, August Ahrens, Kalihi-Waena, and Benjamin Parker. The targeted grade level is 4th grade because of the Hawaiian studies focus introduced at that level. Occasional exceptions have been made to include 3rd, 5th, and 6th graders in the program as well.
During their visit, students participate in the “Ahupuaʻa – Mountains to the Sea” program where they learn about the ahupua‘a (a land division that usually extends from the mountains to the sea), its subdivisions, and the daily responsibilities of the people living there. Afterwards, students split into two groups and rotate between hands-on activities that teach about the different parts of a ko‘i (adze) and how to identify plants that were used in ancient Hawaiian culture to perform tasks like thatching and food gathering.
The Ho‘okīko‘o program was established in 2010 by the cultural education staff at Waimea Valley. Although initially funded solely by the Valley, the nonprofit was able to secure grant support from the Friends of Hawaii Charities for the 2016-2017 school year and aim to reapply for next school year.
