Kupu Ola, which means “to bring forth or sprout life,” is a culture-based education (CBE) and outdoor classroom program that brings project-based cultural programming into schools. Our outdoor classrooms focus on helping at-risk youth, families, educators, and the community to nurture identity through hands-on learning, Hawaiian language, and cultural practices.

Cultural-based instruction has the potential for narrowing educational achievement gaps because it allows keiki to build relationships and engage in learning tied to a deeper sense of community. Because of that, Kupu Ola is not only an educational empowerment program, but a community development program as well. The Kupu Ola program strives to:

• show keiki that their actions matter.
• tap into the community’s wealth of knowledge.
• provide a place for children to develop.

Kupu Ola works to build and reinforce Native Hawaiian culture, language, and traditions while reestablishing land connections through outdoor instruction. This approach allows kinesthetic learners to thrive and can be used to teach math, science, literacy, art, and social and emotional skills.