When KS Hawai‘i High School Hawaiian language kumu Pōmaika‘i Baptista began a two-part service learning project with her 82 Hawaiian 2 haumāna, she had three simple objectives in mind:
- To identify basic sentence patterns in Hawaiian
- Identify and create a list of new vocabulary terms, and
- Use ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language) to create research books to be used in a second grade science class at Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, a Hawaiian-focused public charter school in Kea‘au.
What would result from this proposal would be a great partnership and impact students at the school for years to come.
“Students participated in a two-part service learning project that allowed them to apply the lessons learned in class in a way that benefits the greater Hawaiian community,” shares Baptista.
The first part of the project was fundraising, in which students researched ‘ōlelo no‘eau (Hawaiian proverbs) centered around the theme of “E ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i.” Students then created notepad and sticker designs, which were sold to raise the funding needed to purchase an iPad and print the books they would create.
The second part included creating the research books in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language) centered around scientific topics and uploading them onto the iPad to include interactive features that the second grade students could access. The books needed to align with the Nāwahī curriculum and meet the needs of Hawaiian-speaking students.
“These books helped target a science standard that was lacking in the second grade class due to a lack of Hawaiian language resources in that curriculum area,” says Baptista.
Through the semester-long project, students created 15 hard copy books and 12 e-books that were recently delivered to the Nāwahī class.
The class was also able to purchase two iPad minis for the Nāwahī class, immediately benefiting 38 students and two kumu. The iPads now allow the kumu to download different apps and create Hawaiian-based curriculum, games and assessments in the Hawaiian language.
“My students are so excited to have a new collection of books to add to our class library,” shares Nāwahī kumu Kanani Maka‘imoku, whose second grade science class was the partner for this project.
“The iPads give me, as a teacher, more ways to make learning more engaging and relevant for my students. There are so many learning activities that can be utilized thru the different apps available. All of the hard work that Kumu Pōmaikaʻi Baptista and her class put into this project will be appreciated by students for years to come."
Mahalo to KSH High School Assistant Student Activities Coordinator Mary Lynn Earle for sharing this story.
Kumu Pōmaika‘i Baptista (right) along with haumāna from her Hawaiian 2 class made learning more culturally relevant for the public charter school students.
One of the science-related classroom books created by the students centered around i‘a (fish).
Another book was created which highlighted the science of koa.
Students created and sold notepads to raise funds to purchase iPads for the public charter school.
TAGS
keaau campus,ks hawaii,community service,service learning,olelo hawaii,charter schools
CATEGORIES
Kaipuolono Article, I Mua Kamehameha, Newsroom, Campus Programs, Hawaii
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