Education
Heʻeia is home to a dynamic community of ʻāina-based education programs that reach more than 6,000 students per year. The Reserve supports organizations throughout the ahupuaʻa by coordinating professional development for teachers and facilitating collaboration among partner sites. Collectively, we educate the community about estuaries, coastal ecosystems, and Hawaiian resource management practices such as loʻi and loko iʻa.
Education for Dual Fluency and a Community-Based Economy
Heʻeia NERR’s educational efforts promote “dual fluency,” or the ability to draw on Indigenous and contemporary knowledge to manage Hawaiʻi’s natural resources. We also strive to create pathways to college and careers in natural resource-related fields for local students. Read more below about the ways in which we pursue these goals.
Teacher Training
E kuhikuhi pono i na au iki a me na au nui o ka ‘ike.
Instruct well in the little and the large currents of knowledge.
ʻŌlelo Noeau 325
Outreach
Our outreach efforts further public understanding of Hawaiʻi’s estuaries and the cultural and ecological systems that sustain them. We offer classroom visits and guest lectures for K-12 and college students, and collaborate with our site partners to conduct tours of the Reserve that are customized for different subject areas and grade levels.
Our on-site programs use a range of pedagogies to promote high levels of engagement and critical thinking, and incorporate service-learning activities that contribute to biocultural restoration to develop peoples’ connections to the place.
College and Career Pathways
‘A‘ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka hālau ho‘okahi.
All knowledge is not taught in
the same school.
ʻŌlelo Noeau 203
Fellowships
The Reserve offers graduate and undergraduate fellowships when funding is available. Thus far we have mentored 36 Ph.D. and master’s level graduate assistants and undergraduate interns. NERR interns and graduate students conduct research aligned to the needs of our site partners. They also provide technical assistance to Reserve monitoring programs and translate research into innovative educational products.
We strive to help each individual student identify their academic interests and career goals, and build a personal relationship with the place where they conduct research and restoration.
Community Involvement
Nānā ka maka, hana ka lima.
Observe with the eyes;
work with the hands.
ʻŌlelo Noeau 2267
Laulima
Laulima means many hands working together. Each week the Heʻeia NERR extended ʻohana of staff, graduate students, and collaborators joins together to work alongside our co-management partners in the loʻi, wetlands, forest, and fishpond.
These Laulima Days are not only a chance to make a physical difference in the restoration of the Reserve, but also to catch up and get to know each other outside of the research setting. The most meaningful and valuable conversations and connections happen when you’re waist-deep in mud.
ʻĀina Education Professional Learning Program for Teachers
One of our main educational programs is geared towards assisting Windward Oʻahu teachers become ʻāina-based educators. This year-long series of workshops and personalized support is open to public and charter school teachers from Waimānalo to Kahuku.
For more details on the program, view these slides.
Applications for our 2024-25 cohort are currently closed.
