‘Āina-based education takes root at HTA Kona
The vision of our Kona ‘āina-based education is simple yet profound: to empower our students to connect with the land, understand how food is grown, and cultivate a lifelong respect for the environment.
By teaching these essential skills, we hope to inspire future generations of agriculturists and eco-conscious citizens who will work toward a more self-sufficient future for Hawai‘i Island.
PLANTING THE SEEDS ON CAMPUS
Our journey begins right here on our Kona campus. We’ve transformed a portion of our school grounds into an outdoor classroom featuring six raised garden beds. From tiny seeds to thriving plants, students are involved in every stage of the growing process — and they are learning that nature requires a gentle hand and a steady pace.
While checking on new sprouts, fourth grader Cataleya L-C shared a valuable lesson in mindfulness: “I’ve learned from growing that we have to have a lot of patience because, if we rush a plant or if we water it too much… it could hurt the plant. Patience is something you’re going to need when you’re planting.”
This sense of patient observation — kilo kilo — is a core part of the curriculum. For K/1 teacher Angie Coldiron, the garden is an invaluable extension of her classroom that fosters this exact type of connection.
“The garden provides many opportunities for keiki to learn life science,” she says. “The K/1 students continue to kilo kilo and mālama our garden areas on a weekly basis. It provides opportunities for keiki to study plants in a different way.”
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BRANCHING OUR TO KAUHALE
We’re also proud to partner with Bolton Inc. and its farm Kauhale, which has a lo‘i, a composting system, fruit trees, greenhouses, raised garden beds, and two geodesic domes. While our on-campus gardens provide an essential foundation, Kauhale serves as an expansive outdoor laboratory, where students can see large-scale agriculture in action and understand the challenges and creative solutions for growing food in Hawai‘i.
These Field Studies offer more than just fresh air; they provide the spark for academic growth. “My students love every Field Study experience,” Coldiron says. “They are able to learn more and write more from their experiences. Our community has been so supportive and continues to work with our HTA staff to provide these experiences for our keiki.”
This hands-on immersion even has our younger students thinking like professional farmers. Second grader Noble P is already considering the logistics of the growing season.
“I learned to see how long the seed takes (to germinate) because if it takes too long then we won’t harvest before school is over for summer break.”
INNOVATION IN THE DOME
One of the most exciting aspects of our partnership with Kauhale is our geodesic dome. Geodesic domes offer a unique controlled environment for plant growth. By managing soil moisture, pests, and pathogens, these structures can increase crop yields and enhance overall sustainability.
Building the dome was a collaborative effort, with HTA teachers, students, and experts from the University of Wyoming Extension working side by side.
We are incredibly excited to begin planting in our dome and teaching our students about innovative methods of food production. This experience will equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the future of agriculture.
