Mālama 'Āina Foundation

Mālama 'Āina Foundation Preparing communities to excel in STEAM through the application of traditional values and cultural practices.

08/18/2026

Quarter 2 Wrap-Up - April to June 2026

Hoʻoulu: Growing Our Impact

From Hilo to Waiʻanae, Quarter 2 was rooted in growth through relationships. Together with our educators, cultural practitioners, community partners, and ʻohana, we created opportunities for haumāna to deepen their connection to ʻāina, ʻike Hawaiʻi, science, and their kuleana to the places and communities that sustain them.
Highlights:
• Growing Connections – Haumāna learned beyond the classroom at Puʻuwaʻawaʻa, Kahikina Learning Center, and Kālaemanō, exploring dryland forests, ʻōhiʻa lehua, cultural landscapes, traditional practices, and the importance of mālama ʻāina.
• Waʻa, Science & Reciprocity – In-class curriculum connected He waʻa he moku, he moku he waʻa with ecosystem science, helping students explore food webs, interdependence, balance, and the role each of us plays in caring for the systems that sustain life.
• Haumāna Become the Kumu – During Mahope ʻOhana Night, students in Hilo and Waiʻanae stepped into leadership roles, sharing their ʻike through hands-on activities centered on waʻa, kalo and maiʻa, moʻolelo, hula, and culture-based STEM learning.
• Hoʻoulu Beyond the School Year – Summer programs on Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu continued to engage keiki through gardening, lei making, wayfinding, Makaliʻi, hei, and other place- and culture-based experiences rooted in ʻike kūpuna.

From classroom to waʻa, mauka to makai, Hoʻoulu reminds us that meaningful growth happens when we nurture pilina, share ʻike, and create opportunities for the next generation to learn from and care for Hawaiʻi.

Mahalo to our kumu, staff, cultural practitioners, partners, ʻohana, and communities who continue to grow alongside us and help cultivate the next generation of leaders, stewards, and storytellers of Hawaiʻi.

08/14/2026

We’re hiring across Hawaiʻi Island!

We’re looking for people who are passionate about working with youth, grounded in community and ʻāina, culturally respectful and humble, adaptable, collaborative, dependable, and genuinely committed to helping young people grow and succeed. 

Open positions include:

Mobile S.T.E.A.M. Van Coordinators -  East & West Hawaiʻi
Educational Specialist - Kohala
Facilitator - Hilo

If you feel you’d be a good fit for our team we’d love to hear from you. 
👉 Swipe to learn more about each position and scan the QR code to apply on Indeed.
📩 You may also send your resume and cover letter to mail to: [email protected]

07/30/2026

Mahalo to Kalani Kahalioumi, Director of Ocean Recreation Programs for Hawaiʻi County, for inviting Mālama ʻĀina Foundation to be part of a special day of learning with more than 100 kumu from Waiākeawaena Elementary School!
Our Curriculum Coordinator, Kawehi Kammerer, and Program Specialist, Loki Vares, shared ways educators can incorporate ʻike kūpuna, place-based learning, and ʻāina-based experiences into their classrooms. Kumu also participated in ocean-safety learning, connected with the crew of Kiakahi, and explored the Richardson Ocean Park Museum.
We are grateful for opportunities like these to build pilina with educators and support learning that connects haumāna to ʻāina, kai, culture, and community.

06/02/2026

Spring ʻOhana Night 2026

At Spring ʻOhana Night, students share their Semester 2 learning with families and guests through interactive stations and presentations.

Waʻa – Students shared their experience aboard the waʻa kaulua with Kapena Kiko and taught guests about the different parts of the waʻa.
Huaka’i – Haumāna reflected on how the Kona Low impacted their spring break plans while sharing what they learned about kapa making with Puakea Forester and the Hawaiian martial art of lua with Kuialuaopuna.
Kalo & Maiʻa – Guests learned about the parts of these important plants and were invited to kui kalo using kalo harvested during their visit to OK Farms ECO Experiences.
The Moʻolelo of Hinaikeahi & Hinakuluua – Through stop-motion animation, students shared the legend of Hinaikeahi and Hinakuluʻua, exploring its relationship to the imu and its connections to waterways in the Hilo area.

Mahalo to our host sites, sponsors and everyone who joined us in celebrating the hard work, ʻike, and growth of our haumāna this semester. We are proud of all they have accomplished and grateful to our ʻohana and community for supporting their learning journey.

05/21/2026

🥬🍅 Mahalo nui to Nā ʻŌiwi Kāne for generously providing the funds to purchase our Mahope Program’s 2026 Spring ʻOhana Night produce boxes, and mahalo nui to and Frank Foods for supplying these beautiful veggies and whole roaster chickens for our haumāna and their families!

05/08/2026

✨Wednesday’s are for Huaka’i! 🤩

Three sites, three programs, one shared purpose: empower haumāna to be grounded in their identity and heritage, transform mindsets and foster healthy communities 🌱

05/05/2026

WE’RE HIRING!

Ready to take learning on the road and make a real impact in our communities?
Join us as the STEAM Van Coordinator for the Ke Kaʻa ʻEnehana Program

Think of it as Hawaiʻi’s version of a “magic school bus”—you’ll be traveling across Hawaiʻi Island, coordinating community partnerships and events, and bringing hands-on STEAM and ʻāina-based, culturally grounded learning experiences directly to students. You’ll create engaging, place-based opportunities that connect youth to culture, community, and ʻāina. Every day is different, meaningful, and rooted in purpose.

🕒 Full-time (M–F, with some evenings/weekends)

If you love working with youth, staying organized, and being on the move, this could be the perfect fit!

Email your resume to [email protected]
Tag someone who should apply 👇

05/02/2026

🌱 Creative Vibes, Mālama ʻĀina Foundation’s after-school program in Kohala, on Hawai‘i Island, recently visited the Hawai‘i Beekeepers Legacy Exhibit at Anna Ranch Heritage Center in Waimea.

The exhibit explores the deep relationship between bees and agriculture in Hawai‘i, highlighting the history of organized beekeeping in the islands, its connection to Hawaiʻi’s ranching and agricultural heritage, and the essential role bees play in food production, pollination, and the health of island ecosystems.

Through photos, hands-on displays, storytelling, and a short documentary, students discovered how something as small as bees can have a powerful impact on Hawai‘i’s land and food systems.

How can you support bees?
You can help by purchasing local honey to support Hawai‘i’s beekeepers and by planting bee-friendly flowering plants in your garden to provide food and habitat for pollinators.



04/28/2026

Quarter 1 Wrap-Up 🌱 January to March 2026

Hoʻokumu: Beginning with Purpose

From the end of 2025 to the beginning of April 2026, together with DOE, County of Hawaiʻi, Nā ʻŌiwi Kāne, and our extraordinary partners, we brought Ho‘ākea Mauka to Makai to East Hawaiʻi - bringing learning to life for over 3701 haumāna across Kaʻū–Keaʻau–Pāhoa and Hilo–Waiākea area complexes. Through hands-on, place-based experiences, students strengthened their connections to ʻāina, waʻa, culture, and community.

Highlights:
• Kalo & Maiʻa – Haumāna learned Mo’olelo around the kalo and mai’a and explored the many uses of these canoe plants through cooking, and kuʻi kalo into paʻiʻai and poi.

• ʻIke Hawaiʻi + Science – Q3 in-class learning connected ʻike kūpuna with modern science, as students explored sustainability, ecosystem dynamics, and pono lawaiʻa through hands-on investigations, data, and problem-solving

• Mālama ʻĀina in Action – At Kahikina Learning Center, students planted ROD-resistant ʻōhiʻa, learning life cycles and kilo practices while contributing to the future health of Hawaiʻi’s forests

• Mālama Mau – Support for Lāhainā Intermediate school uplifted both haumāna and kumu, providing stability, care, and opportunities for connection through ʻāina-based learning during ongoing recovery

From classroom to coastline, this quarter reflected the power of culturally grounded, place-based education to inspire the next generation of leaders and stewards.

Mahalo to our partners, educators, host sites, and communities for making Quarter 1 meaningful and impactful as we continue to grow the next generation of leaders, stewards, and storytellers of Hawaiʻi.

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1259 ʻAʻala Street, Ste 304
Honolulu, HI
96817

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Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 9am - 4:30pm

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