Based on a STEMS^2 framework, the project ʻIke Wai o ka ʻĀina connected local educators in East Hawaiʻi Island with ʻāina-based community partners to explore what it means to be grounded in educational practices that value a sense of place, purpose, and participation. The site visit experiences at a loko iʻa, a Hawaiian-based learning farm, and a restored native wet forest provided educators an opportunity to listen to the stories of the land stewards of each site, engage in a service project, and experiment with methods for implementing concepts of ʻāina education in their classroom spaces. The study focused on how the ʻIke Wai o ka ʻĀina experience can potentially impact personal and professional development in ʻāina-based education and cultivating connections with community partners.

STEMS² Pillars: Makawalu, Moʻolelo, Sense of Place, Advocacy