Kula Waena (Gr. 6-8) 

Course Clusters with Week Offerings

Summer 2024

Kauluhala Summer Academy is our newly designed space for summer learning and discovery through incredible offerings of academic and rigorous opportunities to ignite and grow passion for students entering grades 6-8. Using their knowledge and skills, ‘ōiwi learners are guided and empowered to access, explore and apply ancestral and modern perspectives and practices to the impacts of today affecting kanaka, kaiaulu, ‘āina and the world.

NEW this summer, grades 6-8 learners will simply register for weeks of participation during the application and registration period. 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks or all 4 weeks - learners will tell us when they're able to participate in learning and exploring around the course cluster of topics offered this summer. Each course cluster will have a variety of weekly courses offered and will be presented to haumāna in April at the time of invitation. To confirm their enrollment in April, haumāna will create their own schedules based on their selected week(s) of participation and the courses available during those week(s). All classrooms will be  multi-age classrooms and grade levels correspond to the grade haumāna will be entering in the next school year, 2024-2025. All kula waena courses are full-day, week long courses and will run Thursday, June 13 to Thursday, July 11, 2024, 8:00 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. daily.

Middle School Program (Grades 6-8): One Week Sessions

COURSE CLUSTERS FOR KULA WAENA

GRADE 6-8 COURSE CLUSTERS

MEA‘AI MASTER 

Love food and adventure? Then join your fellow foodies on a sustainable food experience. These courses are about making sure everyone has enough yummy and healthy meaʻai to eat! We'll explore cool ways to grow food, cook delicious meals, and take care of the ʻāina at the same time. Expand your passion for agriculture and the kitchen through these delicious food focused courses!


Ready to become a meaʻai master? Yes, Chef! In the kitchen your hands need to be quick and clean but, in this course, young chefs will also spend time on ‘āina getting down and dirty learning how our food is grown, where it comes from, how it gets to us, and new ways to prepare delicious meals. Meats, vegetables, fruits, even desserts all start from the same source - our ʻāina. Gather your treasures and work in professional kitchens alongside real chefs and line cooks, turning amazing ingredients into incredible dishes. Farm to table – this is where it’s at. Bring ALL your senses and come along with us as we become the master of our meaʻai!

 


INFLUENCER INSIDER

Lights, camera, influence! 'Influencer Insider' is your backstage pass to the digital limelight. Discover the strategies and secrets of influencers who've mastered the art of graphic design and videos to make a positive impact. From crafting compelling moʻolelo to growing your social presence, this cluster will empower you to shine in the online universe. Ready to take your content and your  lāhui to the next level? Let the journey begin!


Calling all aspiring influencers! Get ready to dive into the world of digital creativity in this thrilling 5-day course designed exclusively for you! Uncover the secrets of crafting eye-catching graphics and captivating videos that will have your friends double tapping and liking your content non-stop! Through exciting hands-on projects and interactive sessions, you'll learn the tricks of the trade from real-life social media sensations. From brainstorming cool storylines to editing your own vlogs like a pro, your mastery will shine bright in the digital galaxy and take your social media game and lāhui to universal heights! Are you ready to create content that's out of this world? Join us for an unforgettable journey and let your social creativity soar! 

 



MOD IT WITH MO‘OLELO 

Game over, basic summer! Level up your mod skills from Rookie to Legendary as you modify your favorite games, characters, and environments through the magic of moʻolelo and ʻāina — stories from our place. Want skills to start creating skins, missions, or maps no one has ever seen before? From in-game to in-real-life, let moʻolelo inspire your latest and greatest creation as you explore the world of gaming, coding, construction, 3D printing, CNC machining, and cosplay through this course cluster. 


Do you like tabletop role-playing games? Have you ever wanted to play Dungeons & Dragons or thought what Dungeons & Dragons would be like if it were set in ancient Hawai‘i? Welcome, fellow adventures, to Action Mo‘olelo! In this course, you’ll learn how to structure, create, and play tabletop role-playing games. We will develop characters, storylines, and settings to activate your imaginations and get your creativity following. With new tools, skills, and strategies, perhaps inventors in the making actionizing our mo‘olelo as the next great story campaign. 



KICKSTART YOUR CASHFLOW

Young go-getters and future moguls, welcome to the ultimate entrepreneurial playground! Embark on an exciting journey into the world of entrepreneurship with our Young Entrepreneurs Bootcamp course cluster! Offering an immersive experience in key aspects of business success, from brainstorming big ideas to creating your first mini-business, we'll guide you through the exciting journey of becoming a Teen-preneur. Get ready to turn passion into profit! 


Embark on an exciting journey into the world of entrepreneurship as you immerse yourself in key aspects of business success. Visit local businesses and meet kanaka entrepreneurs in your kauhale while gaining manaʻo in the skills, tools, and tips you’ll need to becoming Hilo’s next successful business owner. From brainstorming big ideas to creating your first business proposal and mini business, your adventure of becoming a Teen-preneur will be set bringing ideation to sensation turning passion into profit.   



ECOVENTURE

EcoVenture Academy is your passport to hands-on environmental discovery. This course cluster is an environmental exploration from - - high-flying drone missions to becoming ʻāina futures champions! Engage in reforestation, the green revolution in agriculture, animals, and ranching, to the thrilling quest for biodiversity—Join us for an unforgettable adventure and become a true EcoExplorer!


Grab that pāpale and sunscreen and become a tourist in your own backyard. Embrace Hawai’i Tourism Authority’s Mālama Hawai‘i program which champions the idea that, “The most rewarding trips are the ones that give back.” Let’s forge new relationships with the ‘āina by embarking on adventures that simultaneously contribute to its wellbeing. Hiking mauka to replant native trees and bird-watch, working with local farmers to produce agriculture for our community, and charging the kai to act as a citizen scientist.  Ma ka hana ka ‘ike, in the doing learning will take place as our young explorers will come to activate their pono and work towards encouraging all visitors to giving back while indulging in safe and responsible ‘āina adventures. 

Calling all future marine enthusiasts! Have you ever dreamed of becoming a marine biologist exploring the fascinating world in our waters? Dive into this exciting realm of marine biology and explore Kumuola’s loko i‘a for an unforgettable experience where you'll discover the secrets of our native fishponds. Embark on a journey where you'll learn the cool techniques that real-life biologists use - snorkeling, conducting fish surveys, tagging fish, and even studying the diets of our amazing native fish. Become that guardian of our native fishponds as you contribute to the preservation of our underwater wonders while playing a vital role in protecting our loko i‘a. 

Glide into the ebb and flow of nature’s natural plume as you explore and unravel the secrets of stream life. The journey to discover the magic of water worlds, stream lōkahi, and the mysteries of stream patterns is the beginning of a conscience kanaka. Engage in hands-on activities to explore the wonders of stream science and learn how to mālama our streams for a pono and sustainable future. Your adventure awaits where science, nature, and conservation come together to inspire young kanaka explorers to being on the cutting edge of knowing the flow of their ‘āina rich water source. 

  



LET'S GET REAL ... ESTATE

Welcome to the world of bricks, beams, and big dreams! 'Let's Get Real...Estate' is your entry into understanding the fascinating world of real estate. Whether you're dreaming of designing or owning a home, flipping properties, or just curious about what makes a house a home, this course is your key to unlocking the secrets of the real estate realm. Let's build your knowledge from the ground up!


It’s Fo-Real! The world of real estate is a market waiting for you to responsibly get involved in areas of engineering, building, interior designing, selling, flipping properties, or managing the ‘āina it directly interacts with. Spend a week with the professionals in these fields who will take you through a fun paced journey and get you ready to blueprint your plans and see where your passion lies. SOLD! 




TECH ACTION FOR KANAKA JUSTICE 

(Online)  Open to KSH students only

Do you prefer working online rather than face-to-face? This course cluster engages your tech savviness as you take a deep dive into social justice topics that affect kānaka Hawaiʻi. Using your  “kānaka lens”, choose a topic of your own interest and use digital resources to design solutions that bring value to our lāhui. Take tech action for kānaka justice!


Have you ever been told that you weren’t allowed to participate in an activity because of your race, nationality, sex, or religion? This one-week learning will focus on social justice issues such as this as it relates to the U.S. This guided learning will introduce you to how this topic came to be and the rights that people, as U.S. citizens, should have & receive. 

Ever wonder how decisions that affect and impact our lāhui, ‘āina and the overall well-being of our pae‘āina are made? This one-week learning will build upon the core of social justice and how we might be able to relate these laws and connect them to our home ‘āina in our state of Hawai‘i. You will have an opportunity to increase your awareness and understanding as it relates to issues on our island as well as across our pae‘āina. 

As kānaka with a deep connection to ‘āina, we are always learning and adopting new and old ways to enter, mālama, gather, explore, engage with, build and maintain our pilina to it. E komo mai and let’s examine the ways we engage with our physical ‘āina and how we might take those same pono values and incorporate them into our cyber honua as virtual kānaka. 

Have an idea that is important or special to you, your kaiaulu or our lāhui? This course will open opportunities to get you started. This one-week learning will focus on a topic of your choice and how you might raise awareness to a larger audience using technology. Let’s open the ‘īpuka to a world of possibilities.