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Welina Mai - Welcome
ʻĀina-Based Education (ABE) is an empowering approach to learning built upon a framework of Hawaiian values and principles. The ʻĀina-Based Education Community of Practice is a new hub for individuals and organizations practicing ʻĀina-Based Education (ABE) throughout Hawaiʻi. This Community fosters a stronger network among seasoned and novice practitioners, encouraging all to participate and grow at their own pace. It embraces diversity, involving a wide range of partner organizations that provide hands-on learning opportunities whether outdoors on the land, in the water, or in a classroom.
The momentum for ABE is building and the ʻĀina-Based Education Community is ready to grow.
Please join us!
Conceptual design for ʻĀina-Based Education Community of Practice (January 2025)
Artwork created by Molokaʻi artist Sage-Marie Yamashita, featuring a pūʻolo embellished with kukui, representing a wealth of enlightenment. Kukui is a versatile plant introduced to Hawaiʻi by Polynesian voyagers.
how is ʻĀina-Based Education defined?
how is ʻĀina-Based Education defined?
ʻĀina-Based Education (ABE) can be defined in many ways. Putting the bright minds of many practicing ʻāina-based educators together, we developed this definition:
ʻĀina-based education is teaching and learning through ʻāina – all that feeds and sustains us on land, in water, and all around us. It emphasizes the value of native ecosystems and cultural identity, promoting a holistic educational approach. Rooted in Hawaiian culture, it fosters reciprocal relationships that connect us physically and spiritually, empowering learners to integrate ancestral wisdom in the way forward so that people and nature thrive. ʻĀina-based education embodies the wisdom of the ʻōlelo noʻeau: O ka hā o ka ʻāina, ke ola o ka poʻe -- the health of the land is the health of the people.
In essence, ABE has been practiced by kānaka maoli (Native Hawaiian people) for centuries and is gaining traction in our schools. Educators who are skilled in it see their students thrive in multiple subject areas while developing skills in social and emotional learning. Educators themselves flourish through expanded relationships with their peers and community partners. ABE ignites passion for green careers and builds a long-term ethic of aloha ʻāina, which is arguably needed now more than ever.
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