Nurturing a Culture of Giving Back through Impact Academies

Expanding LJA’s Impact Academies, which currently serve grades 9-12, by extending the model to serve students in grades 6-8, increasing the program’s reach and LJA’s work to instill a culture and practice of giving back. The LJA student leaders worked to support the work of the middle school students and having the work become part of the academic schedule. Students made deep connections with kupuna who suffered from loneliness (Kupuna Project), they produced beautiful lei for visitors and to celebrate community members (Lei for Life), they provided snacks for prospective students (Ono Squad), they helped run booths at our Artsfest (Leadership Academy), they helped with the feral cat population (Pono Popoki), and they transplanted 100 kalo at Kahanaiki and on campus (Kalo Krew).