--- title: Kupa'aina Explorations | Reconnect Youth with Hawaiian Culture description: Explore Hawaiian culture through hands-on learning experiences. Engage students ages 3-20 in immersive field trips that teach traditional values and environmental stewardship. --- [![08dd010b-56e4-4031-9410-088b326eb257-0-2official\_logos-Living Pono Project logo-aeef1f-1](https://livingpono.org/hubfs/08dd010b-56e4-4031-9410-088b326eb257-0-2official_logos-Living%20Pono%20Project%20logo-aeef1f-1.png)](https://livingpono.org?hsLang=en) ![menu](https://livingpono.org/hubfs/menu.webp) ![close\_24px](https://7479797.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7479797/close_24px.svg) - Our Programs Show submenu for Our Programs - [Kupa'aina Explorations Program](https://livingpono.org/programs/kupaaina-explorations) - [Living Pono Plantation](https://livingpono.org/programs/living-pono-plantation) - [Malama Service Dogs](https://livingpono.org/programs/malama-service-dogs) - [Na Hoa O Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project](https://livingpono.org/programs/na-hoa-o-maui-nui-seabird) - [Resilience Hub Network Coordination](https://livingpono.org/programs/resilience-hub-network-coordination) - [Resources](https://livingpono.org/resources) - About Us Show submenu for About Us - [Remembering
Hoapili Ane](https://livingpono.org/about/remembering-hoapili) - [Contact Us](https://livingpono.org/contact-us) - Our Programs Show submenu for Our Programs - [Kupa'aina Explorations Program](https://livingpono.org/programs/kupaaina-explorations) - [Living Pono Plantation](https://livingpono.org/programs/living-pono-plantation) - [Malama Service Dogs](https://livingpono.org/programs/malama-service-dogs) - [Na Hoa O Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project](https://livingpono.org/programs/na-hoa-o-maui-nui-seabird) - [Resilience Hub Network Coordination](https://livingpono.org/programs/resilience-hub-network-coordination) - [Resources](https://livingpono.org/resources) - About Us Show submenu for About Us - [Remembering
Hoapili Ane](https://livingpono.org/about/remembering-hoapili) - [Contact Us](https://livingpono.org/contact-us) [Donate Today](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=BRB3D9YVHEFMN) Our Programs # Kupa'aina Explorations Program Reconnecting Youth to Hawaiian Culture Through Land-Based Learning ![pono-plantation-beginning-farmer-1](https://livingpono.org/hubfs/pono-plantation-beginning-farmer-1.jpeg) What We Do ## Program Overview Kupa'aina Explorations brings students out of the classroom and onto the land to experience Hawaiian culture firsthand. Through customizable field trips and hands-on activities, young people ages 3 to 20 discover the values, practices, and knowledge that sustained their ancestors for generations. This program goes beyond textbooks. Students participate in cultural activities that teach them about traditional Hawaiian agriculture, environmental stewardship, and the ahupua'a system that once sustained entire communities from the mountains to the sea. They learn by doing, whether that means pounding poi, identifying native plants, understanding traditional wayfinding, or practicing the values of aloha, pono, and laulima (cooperation). **Customizable Huaka'i (field trips) available during the school year:​ Program cost: $10 per student** **Ages 3-20** ![img-0142\_orig-1](https://livingpono.org/hs-fs/hubfs/img-0142_orig-1.jpeg?width=800&height=800&name=img-0142_orig-1.jpeg "img-0142_orig-1") Student Goals ## **Program Objectives** **Acquire knowledge and skills of Hawai'i's cultural heritage.** Students learn about the plants Polynesians brought to Hawai'i, how they were used for survival, and the sophisticated agricultural systems that sustained island populations for centuries. **Participate in Hawaiian cultural activities through interactive, hands-on experiences.** From traditional chants to craft-making, from taro cultivation to understanding fishing practices, students engage directly with cultural practices rather than simply reading about them. **Develop and embody Hawaiian values.** Students cultivate values of being pono (righteous), laulima (cooperation), aloha (compassion), and ohana (family). These values extend beyond cultural education to become life skills that serve youth in all areas of their lives. **Care for and recognize the importance of preserving Hawai'i's unique environment.** Students develop environmental awareness and stewardship values that inspire them to protect the natural resources that define Hawai'i. The Specifics ## **What Students Experience** ##### Polynesian Voyaging and Settlement Learn how ancient Polynesians navigated thousands of miles of open ocean to discover Hawai'i, the plants they brought to make settlement possible, and the knowledge systems that allowed them to thrive. ##### Plant Identification and Uses Identify native and Polynesian-introduced plants, learn their traditional uses for food, medicine, tools, and cultural practices. ##### Ahupua'a System and Sustainability Understand how the ahupua'a land division system created sustainable communities and explore how these principles can be applied today. ##### Hands-On Cultural Activities Participate in traditional chants, ku'i kalo (pounding poi), craft-making, and other interactive cultural practices. ##### Hawaiian Values in Action Practice kuleana (responsibility), malama (care), and other Hawaiian values through group activities and community service. Schedule Your Huaka'i ## Connect Your Keiki to Culture and Land Whether you're a teacher, youth leader, or homeschool parent, Kupaʻaina Explorations offers immersive field trips that bring Hawaiian values, traditional practices, and environmental awareness to life. Contact us to plan your custom huakaʻi.   [Contact Us to Book](https://livingpono.org/contact-us?hsLang=en) ## Living Pono Project The Living Pono Project is a Native Hawaiian-led and operated organization, with 100% of its Board of Directors, leadership, and staff rooted in the communities we serve. Our team brings deep expertise in Indigenous agriculture, conservation, education, and community resilience, combined with lived experience that reflects the needs and aspirations of Maui’s families.         facebook icon instagram icon linkedin icon youtube icon twitter icon ### Our Programs - [Kupa'aina Explorations Program](https://livingpono.org/programs/kupaaina-explorations) - [Living Pono Plantation](https://livingpono.org/programs/living-pono-plantation) - [Mālama Service Dogs](https://livingpono.org/programs/malama-service-dogs) - [Nā Hoa O Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project](https://livingpono.org/programs/na-hoa-o-maui-nui-seabird) - [Maui County Resilience Hub Network](https://livingpono.org/programs/resilience-hub-network-coordination) ### About Us - [Resources](https://livingpono.org/resources) - [Remembering Hoapili Ane](https://livingpono.org/about/remembering-hoapili) ###### Get In Touch 808-276-8600 info@livingponoproject.org 95 Lono Ave #110, Kahului, HI 96732 [Contact Us](https://livingponoproject.org/contact-us?hsLang=en)   [Donate Today](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=BRB3D9YVHEFMN) Copyright © 2026 Living Pono Project | All Rights Reserved. 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