The living classroom: Exploring the impacts of ʻāina-based education on adolescents in Hawaiʻi

Abstract

Abstract This qualitative case study examined the impacts of ʻāina-based education on Native Hawaiian adolescents’ well-being, cultural connectedness, and identity development through a partnership with Hoʻāla ʻĀina Kūpono’s Kapu Ka Hāloa program. Using focus groups with adolescents (n=9) and parents (n=7), curriculum review, and program observations, the study explored how cultural values and generational knowledge are embedded through ʻāina-based education, how the curriculum aligns with Positive Youth Development (PYD) principles, and how participation impacts youth development. The Kapu Ka Hāloa curriculum demonstrated strong alignment with PYD principles across five learning outcomes: proficiency in traditional practices, strengthening cultural identity, fostering environmental stewardship, enhancing leadership skills, and improving understanding of language and protocols. Thematic analysis initially identified four themes from both adolescent focus groups (connection to land as a source of learning, cultural continuity and holistic well-being, intergenerational and community bonds, empowerment and sustainability), with a fifth theme emerging specifically among the older adolescent group (emerging kuleana), and four from parents (cultural growth and identity, holistic development and well-being, community and family integration, and environmental and ʻāina-based learning). These findings suggest that ʻāina-based education can effectively foster positive youth development and holistic well-being in Native Hawaiian adolescents, with impacts extending beyond individual participants to strengthen family and community relationships. This thesis study contributes to growing evidence supporting Indigenous-led approaches to education and well-being while highlighting the importance of understanding development as inherently connected to ʻāina, culture, and community rather than as an individual journey.