Resources for Teachers
Below you will find resources that we offer to 6-12 grade teachers including in-class programs and teaching support, curriculum resources, field trip support, and professional development courses.
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Community-based professional development sessions & events for teachers
Climate Resilience Learning Day for Teachers
Join Maui Huliau Foundation for a free professional learning day focused on local climate resilience solutions and the community partners leading this work on Maui. This session is part of Maui Huliau’s Climate Literacy in Action PDE3 course and is also open to DOE K–12 teachers who are not currently enrolled in the course. Lunch will be provided.
Participants will visit community-based projects that highlight flood mitigation, wetland restoration, sea level rise adaptation, and coral restoration research. The day includes learning with ʻĀinakūkoʻa o Waiohuli Kai, Sea Grant, and Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, along with lunch and a Huliau Climate Literacy Project resource session.
Teachers will leave with a deeper understanding of local climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, connections to community partners, and classroom-ready resources that help students engage with real-world climate solutions happening in Hawaiʻi. DOE teachers in grades 6–12 who wish to continue their learning will have the opportunity to enroll in Maui Huliau Foundation’s fall Climate Literacy in Action PDE3 course, which includes virtual sessions and a learning portfolio that can be completed for professional development credit (see below for details).
For questions, contact info@mauihuliaufoundation.
ʻĀina-Based Learning Day for Teachers
Join us on Friday, July 10, 2026 at Waiheʻe Refuge and Paeloko for an ʻāina-based professional development day! Open to public & private school DOE K–12 teachers, this experience includes site tours, service work, and hands-on activities alongside community partners, including Kaʻehu and the Mauna Kahalawai Watershed Partnership.
Participants will gain ʻāina-based resources and practical strategies to root learning in place and strengthen HĀ outcomes in the classroom. DOE teachers in grades 6–12 who wish to continue their learning will have the opportunity to enroll in Maui Huliau Foundation’s fall Kūkulu Pilina: Rooting Learning in Hawaiʻi PDE3 course, which includes virtual sessions and a learning portfolio that can be completed for professional development credit (see below for details).
For questions, contact kaiulani@mauihuliaufoundation.
Educators Encouraged to Join Our Next Learning Community Gathering!
Building on insights from our previous session, this Learning Community Gathering will bring together community partners, ʻāina-based organizations, and educators to explore how we can better support meaningful, place-based learning experiences for students and communities.
The first hour of the gathering will feature presentations and perspectives from the Baldwin, Kekaulike, and Kūlanihākoʻi Maui (BKKM) Complex Area administration, the Office of Hawaiian Education, and the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design, along with voices from classroom teachers. These presentations will highlight opportunities and considerations for strengthening partnerships between schools and community organizations.
From 1:00–1:30 p.m., all participants will engage in questions and discussion, creating space for educators and ʻāina-based organizations to better understand one another’s needs and explore opportunities for stronger, more reciprocal partnerships. Optional in-person networking will follow from 1:30–2:00 p.m., and lunch will be provided for in-person participants.
The meeting will take place at the CTAHR Community Services Building at the east end of campus (nearest Maui Beach Hotel). If you enter from Kaʻahumanu Ave, you turn right and follow the road to the end of campus.
PDE3 Credit Courses for Grade 6-12 DOE Teachers
Climate Literacy In Action PDE3 Course
This professional development course is designed for Maui County secondary school teachers who want to build climate literacy among their students through learner-centered, active learning strategies. Participants will explore both Problem-Based Learning and Project-Based Learning approaches, empowering students to research, apply knowledge, and tackle real-world climate challenges. Teachers will engage with curriculum resources from Maui Huliau Foundation’s Climate Literacy Project, in use since 2017, and gain insights from Problem-Based Learning resources shared by University of Hawaiʻi staff. Throughout the course, participants will be guided through the process of designing an inquiry-based, climate change unit plan adaptable to any subject area. The course will also connect teachers with local community groups working on climate adaptation and mitigation, offering valuable partnership and resource opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom.
DOE teachers can register on Learnsoft (Object #27192 Instance #85450) beginning on 5/12/26!
NEW Kūkulu Pilina: Rooting Learning in Hawaiʻi PDE3 course
Starting this July, we are offering a NEW 3-credit course, Kūkulu Pilina: Rooting Learning in Hawaiʻi. This course is open to Hawaiʻi DOE secondary teachers and administrators who are new to Hawaiʻi or seeking to deepen their understanding of Hawaiian culture. Grounded in culturally rooted, place-based education, the course draws on key principles from OHE’s ʻĀina Aloha Framework to guide teaching and learning in Hawaiʻi. Through shared learning, ʻāina-based experiences, and applied practice, participants will deepen their understanding of Hawaiian language, moʻolelo, and place-based knowledge. These experiences are designed to support students’ sense of place, identity, and kuleana, while exploring how such approaches can strengthen Nā Hopena Aʻo (HĀ) outcomes.
DOE teachers can now register on Learnsoft (Object #28037 Instance #84881)
NEW Kūkulu Pilina: HĀ in Action PDE3 course
Later this fall, we will begin entrance to a NEW PDE3 course: Kūkulu Pilina: HĀ in Action.
This advanced professional development course is designed for educators already familiar with Nā Hopena Aʻo (HĀ), culture-based learning in Hawaiʻi, or those who have completed a previous Kūkulu Pilina course. Participants will deepen their practice through reflection, place-based learning, and collaborative action research focused on strengthening HĀ outcomes. Through engagement with ʻāina-based pedagogy, exploration of their moku and the community groups who steward its significant places, and the design and implementation of a campus-based initiative, teachers will identify meaningful ways to strengthen students’ connection to place, culture, and community.
Course dates and registration on Learnsoft will be available in August.
Hoʻākea Maui programming for the 2026-2027 school year
Hoʻākea – Mauka to Makai honors the rich history and traditions of Hawaiian voyaging. Sponsored and supported by the DOE, various waʻa (canoe) and aloha ʻāina (land and ocean based) organizations will provide hands-on learning experiences that perpetuate foundational values and perspectives of the canoe and those who came before us. In partnership with the Moananuiākea Voyage of our beloved Hōkūleʻa, this event aims to inspire our students, schools, and larger community to embrace the “Navigator Mindset” and become the leaders, stewards, and critical thinkers that can meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
From September through December of 2025, 15 Maui Nui schools and 20 waʻa- and ʻāina-based community organizations came together for the second annual Hoʻākea Maui. For the first time, waʻa were trailered directly onto school campuses—an intentional approach to expand access to more students. In collaboration with Hui o Waʻa Kaulua and Lele Aloha (Mānaiakalani), and with support from a statewide network of waʻa and ʻāina partners, the program hosted more than 15 days of immersive, culturally grounded learning. Experiences included on-campus waʻa visits, two dedicated high school career exploration days, and two interisland voyages to Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, reaching over 1,800 DOE students. Additionally, more than 30 Maui educators participated in professional development focused on integrating place- and culture-based education into classroom instruction and curriculum. Through these shared experiences, students and teachers strengthened leadership, stewardship, and real-world problem-solving skills rooted in cultural practice and connection to ʻāina.
Looking ahead to 2026, we encourage DOE teachers and administrators to join our Hoʻākea Professional Development Day on Friday, August 21 (Statehood Day), open to all K–12 educators (see flyer and registration link above). This year’s programming aims to serve all Maui DOE schools, with elementary and middle schools receiving on-campus waʻa visits for entire 4th and 7th grade classes, and high schools participating in off-campus field trips centered on voyaging and ʻāina-based career pathways. West Side schools will also engage in off-campus programming serving 4th grade, 7th grade, Kula Kaiapuni, and select high school students. Keep an eye out for our Hoʻākea 2026 series and programming near you!
Hoʻākea Maui: Mauka to Makai PD Day
To kick off this year’s Hoʻākea Maui series, Maui Huliau Foundation and Hui o Waʻa Kaulua have partnered to offer a professional development day for DOE public school K–12 teachers. Join us on Friday, August 21, 2026 at Māʻalaea for an immersive experience centered on the core values of Polynesian voyaging and the “navigator’s mindset.” The day begins aboard Moʻokiha o Piʻilani at Māʻalaea Harbor and continues at Pacific Whale Foundation classrooms, where participants will engage in interactive wayfinding activities that can be easily adapted for classroom use. For questions, contact nohea@huiowaa.org
Kūkulu Pilina Professional Development
Kūkulu Pilina is a professional development series and PDE3 course for Maui DOE secondary school teachers focused on the potential for community partnership and ʻāina-based education to deepen HĀ (BREATH) through ʻāina aloha practices contextualized to their particular place and community. Both the PD series and the PDE3 course are facilitated by Maui Huliau Foundation staff in partnership with various ʻāina-based organizations on Maui. We recently launched a new page on our website dedicated to these programs.
ʻĀina-based Resources for Teachers
During the 2021-22 school year, we launched a new page on our website to provide resources to promote community partnership and ʻāina-based learning both in the classroom and in our Maui community. On that page you will find virtual huakaʻi (field trips) and online activities created with program partners during the 2020-21 school year as part of our Maui Aloha ʻĀina Virtual Classroom. We also added a list of community partners and teachers professional development resources. You will also find ready-to-implement ʻāina-based activities designed for groups of teachers and students to engage in more culturally grounded lessons and experiences created in our current PD series.
Field Trip Support for Teachers
As a part of the Kūkulu Pilina program, we are able to support teachers with planning field trips for whole grade levels or single classes. How we can help:
- Coordinating buses
- Connecting with partners
- Customizing lessons & activities
- Day-of chaperoning
- Pre/post field trip lessons
In-School Filmmaking Support for Teachers
Maui Huliau Foundation now offers support for in-school filmmaking projects with teachers, as well as student-led film projects. This initiative launched in spring 2022 has allowed us to reach more students and respond to the growing number of requests we have received from teachers and community groups. Teachers can visit our filmmaking program page using the button below to request support for film projects with their students that have an environmental or ʻāina-based focus.
Zero Waste Education
Maui Huliau Foundation and our program partners can provide support to teachers, cafeteria staff, eco-clubs and individual students looking to implement waste reduction and sustainability projects on campus. For example, we have assisted with student-led cafeteria waste audits, including recommendations for how cafeteria waste can be diverted from the landfill via reuse, composting and/or recycling.
You can email info@mauihuliaufoundation.org to request help with these projects. You can also click on the button below to visit our zero waste education page, which includes videos, activities and other zero waste/sustainable lifestyle resources, many of which were created by our Leadership Council.
Internships
During the 2026-27 school year, we will be offering paid internships with our Zero Waste Schools & Green Events programs for high school students. Applications will open in June and students can visit our internships page for details.
Customized Climate Literacy Curriculum
This 20-minute workshop video presents an overview of resources available for grade 8-12 teachers as part of our Huliau Climate Literacy Project. It shares a brief overview of the units focusing on climate change causes, impacts, and solutions, including example in-class and virtual activities. It also shares information on student-led projects, field trips, and ways that our staff can assist teachers in implementing a customized program for their students ranging from 2-10 weeks. We can also provide teaching assistance and help facilitate student-led projects focused on climate change solutions. Visit our program page using the button below to access our online classroom and learn more.
Student Produced Films
Our YouTube Channel contains nearly 100 films created over the past decade by students in our Huliau Environmental Fimmaking Club program! These films have been selected over 160 times in festivals around the world. These films are organized in to playlists by topic such as “Plastic Pollution”, “Native & Invasive Species” and “Sustainable Agriculture”, making it easier to find a relevant film to show to your class (they are also organized by the year they were created). We also have a virtual huaka’i (field trip) playlist (shown right) containing 12 virtual field trips created during the 2020-21 school year with our students and program partners. These field trips also have self-guided and virtual activities for students in our Maui Aloha ʻĀina Virtual Classroom, which you can find on our Virtual Classrooms page.
Ready to Implement ʻĀina-Based Activities for Students and Teachers
Through our Kūkulu Pilina Program, we’ve developed ready-to-implement ʻāina-based activities that can be modified to fit any group of teachers and students. These activities promote team building, critical thinking and a deeper understanding of our human relationship with the natural environment and native ecosystems. Visit our ʻĀina Based Resources page for access to downloadble activities and lessons.
Virtual Cultural PD Session Recording
ʻO Hawaiʻi Ke Kahua o ka Hoʻonaʻauao: An Introduction to Rooting Learning in Hawaiʻi is a virtual professional development session for DOE secondary teachers and administrators new to Hawaiʻi and those that want to learn more about Hawaiʻs host culture. To view this session, click this link or visit our ʻāina-based resources page for more details on this PD experience.
Virtual Huakaʻi Playlist
