Ka Makana Ali‘i Hosts INPEACE’s Free Hands-On, Culturally Based Learning Experiences Throughout June

The community is invited to experience three different exhibitions that connect modern and traditional science to help keiki engage, connect with, and succeed in STEM

KAPOLEI, HI (June 20, 2024) — Ka Makana Ali‘i has partnered with the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture (INPEACE) to offer free hands-on, culturally-based learning experiences at the Center through the month of June. Learners of all ages are invited to experience INPEACE’s three culture and science exhibitions: The Science of Kapa; Kaulana Mahina: Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around; and Loko Iʻa: Fishpond Fun!

Each exhibition was created by INPEACE’s Kaulele program as an informal way to engage science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities through indigenous Hawaiian knowledge. These educational moments connect modern and traditional science to help young learners engage, connect with, and succeed in STEM academics and occupations.

“We are honored to partner with INPEACE to bring their amazing cultural learning experiences  to the Center for West O‘ahu,” said Ka Makana Ali‘i general manager Stephanie England. “These exhibits connect the importance of education and science with the richness of our island culture in a way that is so special. We can’t wait for the public to experience this at no cost.”

Making its Hawai‘i debut at Ka Makana Ali‘i is the newest exhibit, Loko Iʻa: Fishpond Fun! Keiki and visitors explore the kai (ocean) where innovation and culture thrive. Keiki will enter the exhibit by passing through (or around) the mākāhā (gate) and learn about the Loko Iʻa (Hawaiian Fishpond) and how it has been used to sustainably raise iʻa (fish) for many generations. Loko I‘a opens to the public on Thursday, June 20. INPEACE will host a formal program on Thursday, June 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. to celebrate the creation of the exhibit with entertainment, refreshments, prize giveaways, and to recognize the collaborators who contributed to this project.

The Hawaiian lunar calendar is the foundation for the learning module, Kaulana Mahina: Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around. Native Hawaiians have long practiced scientific observations around the moon phases. This exhibit inspires to transform daily routines to align with the science of Kaulana Mahina, the Hawaiian lunar calendar. All ages will learn how the mahina (moon) phases affect environmental activities, including fishing and planting. Kaulana Mahina opens to the public on Wednesday, June 19.

The Science of Kapa is an interactive experience for all ages to learn the various tools used to transform a native plant wauke (paper mulberry) into kapa (cloth). The goal of the Kauhale exhibit is to impart the many useful functions of kapa in everyday life for Native Hawaiians in the present as they were used in the past. The Science of Kapa opened to the public on June 10.

Although the displays will have staggered launch dates, all will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Macy’s wing between Zales and Sephora through Saturday, June 29.

Visit our website at www.kamakanaalii.com for more details about upcoming promotions. For the latest news and updates, follow Ka Makana Ali‘i on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, all with profile name @kamakanaalii. For media inquiries and on-property approval, please contact alyssa.amasol@finnpartners.com.

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About Ka Makana Ali‘i
Ka Makana Ali‘i offers residents and visitors a family-friendly, mixed-use center in the heart of Hawai‘i’s fastest growing community. The 750,000-square-foot Macy’s-anchored center features more than 100 exciting stores, restaurants, a state-of-the-art Consolidated Theatres and the state’s first Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton located on property. The newest development, The Grove at Ka Makana Ali‘i, creates an additional 109,000 square feet of space with lifestyle retailers, eateries and services, such as 24 Hour Fitness, Foodland Farms, Straub Clinic and Urgent Care, and PetSmart. Serving as the premier gathering place in Kapolei, Ka Makana Ali‘i fulfills the shopping and dining needs of the ever-expanding community. Its convenient location offers excellent highway access, ample parking and public transportation for shoppers. Through an innovative partnership with Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Ka Makana Ali‘i will financially support programs benefiting Native Hawaiian interests statewide for decades to come. For more information, please visit www.kamakanaalii.com.

About JLL
JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $20.9 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 103,000 as of December 31, 2022. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.

About INPEACE
In 1994, three visionary community-minded educators from Kauaʻi and Honolulu came together to create the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, more commonly referred to as INPEACE. As Native Hawaiians, both Sherlyn Franklin Goo and Alice Kawakami brought their unique perspectives to the work. Together with Kathy Au, who had been working in Native Hawaiian education for years, they all had a strong commitment to community and culture-based education. Sharing food, traveling together, and having extensive conversations led to the following core principles and beliefs that ground the agency to this day:

  • Education will improve quality of life.
  • Community partnerships are essential to the educational process.
  • Communities have resources and assets.
  • Communities have the right to self-determination.
  • Culturally grounded experiences are essential to the educational process.
  • Cultural strengths support education.

The marriage of these ideas, along with relationships in the funding world, led to the birth of our flagship programs, which established the foundation of INPEACE services.

Media Contact:
Alyssa Amasol
(808) 539-3437
alyssa.amasol@finnpartners.com