Aloha mai kākou, Itʻs been a year of tremendous change and new beginnings with HISGN! We hosted School Garden Workdays and Moku Meet-Ups across the island, convened garden educators in a summer neuroscience retreat, and navigated big staffing changes as we bid Eleonor a fond farewell and welcomed Leilani to the ʻohana Mālaʻai. Looking forward to 2025, HISGN will tend to our network of school gardens so they, along with our educators and youth, grow in body, mind, and spirit. It is with deep gratitude that we mahalo your commitment to Hawaiʻi Island youth. Together we will ensure that our young minds and young plants will flourish in the year ahead. We invite you to enjoy these highlights, make a gift to support this work, and stay in touch for exciting things in 2025. Me ke aloha pumehana, Jeannette Soon-Ludes, Māla‘ai Executive Director Leilani Waldron, HISGN Program Assistant Sophia Bowart, Wendy Baker, Healohamele Genovia, Derrick Kiyabu, Willie Quayle, Māla‘ai Board of Directors 2024
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Celebrating 2024, Flourishing in 2025 Program Highlights
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Summer Neuroscience Retreat In August, we tried something new as an extension of Kū ‘Āina Pā, the HISGN educator training program which has trained over 300 teachers since 2012. We brought together thirteen educators in a retreat to connect garden education with instructional practices informed by cognitive neuroscience!
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Moku Meet-Ups & School Garden Workdays This spring, Māla‘ai hosted three Moku Meet-Up networking events for garden educators and four School Garden Workdays across Hawai‘i Island. These offerings were so important for our garden educators, 96% of whom agree that the support they received from HISGN helped them to positively impact their students. One educator shared, "My favorite part of the Moku Meet-Up was talking story with others, making more connections in our local community and eating ‘ono mea ‘ai!"
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Hawaiʻi Farm to School Network As part of the Hawai‘i Farm to School Network, HISGN advocates for school gardens, agriculture education, and improved school food across the pae ‘āina (all of Hawai‘i's islands). Māla‘ai continues to find creative ways to bring these opportunities to Hawai‘i Island.
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Mahalo for nurturing ʻāina with HISGN and Māla‘ai. |
Our ‘ohana of dedicated staff have seen big changes this year! We bid a fond farewell to HISGN Program Director, Eleonor Leite-Ah Yo and welcomed Leilani Waldron as our new HISGN Program Assistant. Leilani brings deep connections with her community in Puna and we are excited for what this means to our schools in Hilo, Puna and Kaʻu. She is joining our long-time HISGN Garden Educator Donna Mitts and the rest of team Mālaʻai to nurture Hawaiʻi school gardens. |
Mālaʻai staff 2024:
Jeannette Soon-Ludes, Executive Director Kahikina Kaae-Whittle, Operations Assistant Zoe Kosmas, Garden Program Director Gabriel Grosshuesch, Garden Program Assistant Leilani Waldron, HISGN Program Assistant Donna Mitts, HISGN Outreach Coordinator, Garden Educator
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Weʻre inviting gifts of $20, $200, $2,000, $20,000! Every amount is an important seed; mahalo for giving what you can. Here are ways to give:
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Donate online: Join us with a one time donation! Click here. -
Sustain: Become a sustaining donor with monthly or yearly recurring donations. Donate here. -
Mail a check: Checks can be made out and addressed to Māla‘ai; please send to PO Box 543, Kamuela, HI 96743. -
Transfer from Financial Institution: You can use our EIN#: 51-0646670 to make a direct transfer from your investment institution or contact us for a direct bank transfer.
Together we set our intention for 2025 with a willingness to apply what we have learned to help ʻāina-centered, experiential learning flourish across our island home. Mahalo nui for supporting Māla‘ai on our journey of growth with the ʻāina, youth, and educators of Hawai'i Island.
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