Written By: Sheanae Tam and Niki Fisiiahi-Thomayer (Ulu Aʻe Transitions)
Mahalo to Ben Parker Elementary School Kumu Jennifer Nakamura and her 5th & 6th grade students for collaborating to create an immersive and positive school environment!
During Fall 2025, 5th and 6th grade students at Ben Parker Elementary School discovered that leadership takes many forms and can be woven into art projects. A new mural project led by Ulu Aʻe Transitions cultural educator & artist Sheanae Tam, and supported by project coordinator Niki Fishiiahi-Thomayer and Beau Uehara from ALU LIKE, Inc., brought together students, staff, and the community to visually celebrate the stories and spirit of Hawaiʻi and Koʻolaupoko. Ulu Aʻe Transitions is housed at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is supported by a federal Native Hawaiian Education Program grant award.
Drawing inspiration from the moʻolelo of Kāneʻohe and Heʻeia that students are exploring in Kumu Jennifer Nakamura’s Nā Mea Hawaiʻi class, the mural project invited students to interpret and express what they have learned about their kaiāulu, their community, through art. Rooted in Ben Parkerʻs Foundational Commitments to Lead, Learn, and Grow, the completed mural connects students to place through visual storytelling.
“Over the last few years, my students have been learning about our kaiaulu and have been strengthening their pilina to Koʻolaupoko,” shared Kumu Jennifer. “Our students have become familiar with Hawaiian values and culture through moʻolelo, learning about the ahupuaʻa, native plants and animals, and nā mea Hawaiʻi (all things Hawaiʻi). In the process of creating this mural, I was delighted to see students include so many ideas related to things we have learned in class.”
Each stage of the mural project — from researching and sketching to painting — encouraged students to see themselves as leaders, learners, and creators. Guided by the school’s vision of He Alakaʻi Kākou – We Are All Leaders, the mural process demonstrated that leadership begins with connection: to one another, to place, and to the stories that shape identity.
“It was beautiful to me that they are familiar with our kaiāulu and chose to include things significant to us, like the Koʻolau Mountains, the kai, and our ocean lifestyle,” said Kumu Jennifer. “It was beautiful to see students adopt a sense of leadership and watch them move through the mural process from a place of aloha.”
The collaborative art process also became a lesson in pilina — the relationships that bind people and place. Under Sheanae Tam’s guidance, students brainstormed imagery that reflects the land and sea around them, their school values, and the stories of their ancestors. Together, they created a unified composition that wove nearly everyone’s ideas into a single mural — a visual testament to collective growth and unity.
“Looking ahead, I hope that the mural keeps us all connected to our school as well as our ʻāina, our home, our Hawaiʻi,” reflected Kumu Jennifer. “I have enjoyed watching students take pride in their project and have witnessed joy and excitement from all of our keiki throughout this entire process. I am filled with gratitude knowing that this mural will continue to be a special reminder for all of us, present and future, of this special place we call home.”
Ultimately, this mural represents more than art — it is a living expression of aloha ʻāina and alakaʻi in action. It celebrates how leadership grows when students understand their place, their stories, and their shared responsibility to care for one another and for Hawaiʻi. Through this project, Ben Parker students did not just paint a wall — they painted vision of community, belonging, and hope.
