ʻĀINA In Schools

The Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2003 to support environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaiʻi. Our programs include ʻĀINA In Schools, 3R’s School Recycling, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation Field Trip Grants, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation Mini-Grants, and Plastic Free Hawaiʻi.

ʻĀINA In Schools is a farm to school initiative launched in 2006 that connects children to their local land, waters, and food to grow a healthier Hawaiʻi. In addition to encouraging the use of locally grown fruits and vegetables in school meals and snacks, the program includes a standards-based nutrition, garden, and compost curriculum that empowers children to grow their own food, make informed food decisions, and reduce waste. ʻĀINA In Schools also promotes field trips to local farms, chef cooking demonstrations in classrooms, as well as waste reduction, garden, and cooking educational opportunities for families and community members. We work directly with 16 Oʻahu elementary schools that have implemented the program school-wide. We have also trained an additional 146 educators from nearly 100 schools from across the state in the use of our ʻĀINA garden, composting, and nutrition curricula.