Education and Outreach Programs & Partners

Programs and partners that utilize the HETF for engagement opportunities are highlighted here. IPIF/HETF supports partner programs by coordinating, hosting and/or leading field or service learning trips, mentoring students and interns, providing camping supplies, personnel or travel support, and sharing scientific expertise with educators.


A selection of IPIF’s partners and programs are highlighted below: 

Kupu

The HETF partners with Kupu, a nonprofit community organization and participates in two programs: The HYCC Summer Program, which is a 7-week summer team experience designed for young adults (ages 17-20), and the Conservation Leadership Development Program (CLDP), which is a yearlong program offering an intensive entry-level 11-month experience where members assist with projects that equip them with job skills and leadership growth opportunities to move ahead in their conservation career. The HETF has supported Kupu HYCC summer teams since 2012.

To learn more and to apply, please visit the Kupu Website.

Kainana Francisco (USFS) hosting an HYCC team in the kīpuka forests on Saddle Road. Work included of cleaning up other equipment from a completed research project.
PC: Kainana Francisco.

Blue Water Exchange

The Blue Water Exchange Program (BWE) is a program under Mālama ʻĀina Foundation and supported by the US Forest Service. The HETF has participated and supported the program since its inception in 2018. BWE is a six-month Capstone experience designed to nurture the next generation of leaders in conservation and environmental fields. BWE provides a unique opportunity for young professionals aged 20-30 to immerse themselves in new environments, foster connections with diverse cultures and indigenous communities, explore various career paths and broaden their perspectives through profound dialogues about our society’s most critical challenges. The BWE program’s objects are to: provide opportunities for growth that celebrate and highlight the deep connection between individuals and ʻāina (the land); cultivate a deep appreciation for and recognition of the invaluable traditions, wisdom, and customs of indigenous cultures; promote sustainable practices, environmental responsibility, and the conservation of natural resources as central pillars of the program’s mission; and prioritize building strong, supportive communities and emphasize the importance of contributing to the well-being of these communities.

To learn more and to apply, please visit the Blue Water Exchange Website.

The Blue Water Exchange program participants and staff assist Cheyenne Perry from Mauna Kea Watershed Alliance at their nursey in Waipahoehoe. PC: Cooper Salomon

Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests (AFTF)

The HETF partners with the Akaka Foundation, its programs, and partners to create ʻāina education resources and experiences anchored in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian Culture. These programs support the biocultural education and community science efforts in the communities connected to the HETF including Laupāhoehoe in Hilo Palikū and Puʻuwaʻawaʻa in Kona ʻĀkau. Their programs include the Ulu Lehulehu or “Million ʻŌhiʻa Initiative,” the Laupāhoehoe Community Public Charter School Citizen Science Program, the ʻŌhiʻa Disease Resistance Program, the Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Community-Based Subsistence Forest Area, and Pilina ʻĀina (formerly teaching change). For more information about these programs and their projects, please visit the AFTF Website.

Haumāna (students) use their ʻŌhiʻa Trail Challenge Worksheets to identify ʻōhiʻa phenology and learn about native dryland plants with guidance from Pilina ʻĀina’s Leilā Dudley. PC: Chloe Martins-Keliʻihoʻomalu

The HETF acts in partnership with the following organizations (listed in alphabetical order):