It was 1987 when the principal of Makaha Elementary, Hazel Sumile approached Gigi. "Would you like to work with all of the students of Makaha Elementary?" She asked. So Na Keiki O Ka`Aina ( The Children of the Land) was born! Since then, all the students from Makaha Elementary have been part of the program. Today, 600 students learn how to take care of the land. They plant fields of corn, beans, lettuce, green onions, wonbok, pak choi, peanuts, taro and a varieties of herbs used for cooking and for medicinal use. They learn how native Hawaiians have used different plants and trees for s pecific purposes. The children harvest what they have planted and take them home, they also learn how to cook the vegetables so they can enjoy it at home. Students also learn how to care for the animals in the animal area; the goats, chicken. Ducks. Geese, rabbits. They learn about bees and how to extract the honey from the hives, they also practice fishing in the tilapia tank while learning how to raise fish.

Because of the No Children Left Behind requirements, the program has undergone tremendous restructuring, but the administration of Makaha Elementary and teachers believe that the children learn more from their lesson if the classroom science and social studies lesson plans are supported by hands-on experiential activities, so the students also work on projects that enhance their understanding of lessons taught in the classroom.

With the positive effects that the Na Keiki program had on Makaha Elementary students, in 1966, the Learning Center was created. Using the same principles as the Na Keiki program, the Learning Center was envisioned as a classroom without walls, the students were encouraged to actively participate in the learning process by using all of their senses. The program outreached to other schools within the Wai'anae Coast, making it possible for other students to experience their environment through practical activities such as caring for the animals, fish, learning about how honey is made with an on site apiary, hands-on planting and harvesting and learning about alternative energy and about the Hawaiian culture. Through word of mouth, other schools were requesting to visit the farm. The Learning Center was opened to other schools throughout O'ahu. Presently, the Learning Center has been visited by 80 schools and served over 4000 students and adults. The General Curriculum gives an overview of plants and animals, and the Hawaiian curriculum theaches about the migration of the Polynesians, their traditions and cultural practices and the uses of Hawaiian plants.

Na 'Imi Wai is an after school program of Hoa 'Aina O Makaha for grades four through six. Participants of this program are students from Makaha Elementary that are interested in the environment. Under the guidance of Jonathan Deenik, the students learn how to monitor water quality, record and measure water data. As part of the educational component, students have the opportunity to learn how to use the media to explain what they do in the program by videoing and interviewing students and adults in the community. Na 'Imi Wai students of 2000 was awarded an Video Excellence Award and recently gained another recognition by being awarded, The Hawai`i Cares Award from the Moanalua Gardens Foundation. When not monitoring water quality or videotaping, students participate in cultural fieldtrips in and outside of their community

Malama Makaha Creditwork is a program designed to assist the 4th, 5th and 6th grade students of Makaha Elementary School by supplementing their school fundraising activities toward their educational fieldtrip fees. Hoa`Aina O Makaha provides the students and their families the opportunity to earn credits while doing a variety of task on scheduled workdays on the farm and in the community. The credits that students and their families earn by participating in the workdays are later converted into monetary amount allotted to each grade level. Students earn one credit for each hour they participate in the workday (maximum is 3 hours per workday) which is converted to $5.00 per credit. An adult participation earns $10.00 per credit earned (3 hours maximum). This has encouraged families to participate in the scheduled workdays for their child. Last year 2004-2005, there were twenty-one (21) scheduled workdays with 183 students/youth participating and 175 adults of which a majority returned to help other students reach their field trip goals. The total amount of work hours amounted to 2,586 hours of participation. An important component of this program is allowing the last hour of the workday towards the sharing of experiences, concerns, reflections, evaluation of the workday and the sharing of food.

The program has strengthen the bonds between Makaha Elementary, Hoa`Aina O Makaha and the community. With the participation of adults and youth in the program, parents have been able to spend quality time with their child/children.

Hale Ku'ai is an afternoon program for fifth and sixth grade students of Makaha Elementary. The program offers the students the opportunity of hands-on operation of a store. They are taught skills of basic bookkeeping, inter-personal communication between staff and custormers, stocking, pricing, inventory of items and sales. Students also research into child labor laws and fair labor practices.

In 1995, the Peace Center was completed and dedicated on the 50th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Peace Center is a conference/retreat center that provides a place where people from different countries and diverse cultures can begin to brigde the distances that separate us, wether it is physcial miles, or racial, political and socio-economics beliefs.

By coming together and sharing and learning from each other, we can begin to search for the common thread that will unify us in our quest for global peace.

Some fresh vegetables, fresh and dried herbs, and honey have been sold in the community. The amount of produce has been limited because of the nature of the program which is primarily educational.

Our famous spaghetti mix, herb salt, poultry mix and Ki`awe honey are prepared for our Christmas Fundraiser. Proceeds generated from our fundraising efforts are put back into the program for continuity.