Aikahi Ohana Puts Lessons In The Earth
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Dax Mench and Steve and Nicholas Seifried carry
a freshly minted planter which will grace (Jack
and Kim Johnson’s) Kokua Hawaii Foundation’s
organic garden project at Aikahi Elementary
School. Photo by Byron Lee, staff photographer.
Aikahi Elementary School is one of five lucky schools islandwide selected for the Kokua Hawaii Foundation’s newest program,‘AINA (Actively Integrate Nutrition and Agriculture) In Schools.
Aiming to educate keiki about healthy eating and environment-friendly practices, the ‘Aina/Aikahi project for fall got under way Sept. 16 in the schoolyard as students and volunteers worked to install 12 raised garden beds to be used as lessons for the program. Grades K, 1, 4 and 5 will get their first lessons this month.
“The students will actually be planting their gardens, and the gardens will be used differently depending on the grade and curriculum,” said Barrie Morgan, who is coordinating Aikahi parent volunteers for ‘AINA in Schools.
“The kindergarten and first-graders will use the garden beds to understand the basics of what a plant needs to grow, how food is important to people’s bodies. Fourth- and fifth-graders will look at Polynesian plants and a more scientific evaluation of plant growth. As part of the grade’s Polynesian theme, they will plant sweet potato in one of their garden beds.”
Grades K and 1 also will have a butterfly garden to show beneficial insects, a sunflower garden and a salad garden called “Tops and Bottoms.” That garden, Morgan explained,“will teach the students that some plants we use the tops like lettuce and some we use bottoms like carrots.”
‘AINA In Schools is a non-profit coalition of stakeholders dedicated to connecting children to their land, water and food in order to grow a healthier future for Hawaii. Its promotes healthy school lunches with locally grown produce, nutrition education, garden-based learning, agricultural field trips and solid waste management.
Grammy-nominated North Shore musician Jack Johnson and his wife Kim founded the Kokua Hawaii Foundation in 2003. As one of its many environmental education efforts, ‘AINA in Schools is also being introduced this year at Sunset Beach Elementary (Johnson’s home school), Makaha and Wheeler elementary, and at Waialae Public Charter School.
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