Mālama Learning Center welcomes the opportunity to share information about our programs and conduct mini hands-on activities at various community fairs across O‘ahu.  Below are the fairs we’ve been to recently. Mahalo to all of our partners who have extended invitations to us.  If you would like to have us at an event, please contact us at (808) 692-8200 ext. 2267 or email: info@malamalearningcenter.org. 

High School Hikers Ecology Camp, Feburary 18th-20th, 2012

We recently partnered with the Sierra Club's High School Hikers program to take students exploring the outdoors.  Two students from Kapolei High School's Go Green club came along with us to" Ecology Camp" over Presidents Day weekend at Our Lady of Kea'au camp. It was a busy weekend of hiking to Ka'ena point, planting a fire break in Makaha Valley, meeting students from other high schools, and enjoying the outdoors! We can't wait for the next camp.

Millilani High School Science Learning Center's Screening of "Bag It!," February 11th, 2012

MLC joined Kapolei High School's "Go Green" club in holding an educational booth at the screening of, "Bag It," a documentary about the impact of plastics on the environment.  We made reusable plastic ring holder bags and talked with other clubs at the school about how to reduce their dependence on "single use" plastics.  The Go Green club was so inspired by the film that we are planning our own showing at Kapolei High School!

World Wetlands Day and Launch of the Hawai'i Environmental Literacy Plan (HELP), February 4, 2012

Last year we partnered with the Hawai'i Environmental Education Alliance, The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to write the Environmental Literacy Plan for the State of Hawaii.  This year we launched HELP at World Wetlands Day at the Kailua Methodist Church.  We held a booth with the Hawai'i Environmental Education Alliance to introduce families and community members to HELP and tell them about the plan for its implementation in Hawaii's schools.

HECO's Clean Energy Fair, October 15, 2011

For the past several years, we've participated in Hawaiian Electric Company's energy conservation fairs at Pearlridge Shopping Center. This year, the fair focused on clean energy -- and our booth gave people ideas about cooking without use of fossil fuels. We featured earth ovens, which we teach how to make in our workshops.  Kids at the fair had fun making pretend earth ovens out of play dough while their parents imagined what it would be like to have a real one in their yard.

Leeward Community College's Fall Job Fair, October 5, 2011

Thanks to Leeward Community College's Job Prep Services office, hundreds of students had the opportunity to learn more about job opportunities, including green jobs.  We enjoyed hosting a booth about our programs, recruiting prospective candidates for the Hawai'i Green Collar Institute.

Schools of the Future Conference, September 8, 2011

Mahalo nui loa to the Hawai`i Association of Independent Schools' Grow Hawai`i Program for the invitation to set up an educational booth at the Schools of the Future Conference attended by more than 800 educators. In line with the theme of organic school gardens, we demonstrated making natural pesticides using ingredients and tools straight from the kitchen and garden. It was wonderful to see so much enthusiasm for school gardens among so many educators and students.

Keiki Oceanfest, July 23, 2011

It was great fun to help organize a series of educational booths for the 2011 Keiki Oceanfest in Waimānalo.  Keiki entering the competition and their families participated in a marine debris game, learned about native Hawaiian limu, weaved lei limu kala, pledged to do their part in reducing marine debris, and made recycled beach bags. We also helped in a beach cleanup and did a "garbology" activity to determine where the sources of our ocean trash.  It was a busy day at the beach!

School Gardens Conference, July 7, 2011

With the help of Pualani Ramos, we taught teachers attending the School Gardens Conference about bucket gardening, combining art and science. About two hundred teachers from across the state attended this information- and activity-packed conference held at Hoa‘āina o Makaha and organized by the Kohala Center. School gardens are certainly “growing,” which is a wonderful trend that we hope will continue.

Hawai`i Nature Center's 30th Anniversary and Earth Day Celebration, April 23, 2011

Congratulations to Hawai`i Nature Center (HNC) for 30 wonderful years of serving Hawaii's youth in environmental education. Many of these youth, including some of us at MLC, came through their programs as students or instructors. What a great legacy HNC has perpetuated!  At this fair, HNC "alumni staff" gathered with many organizations and hundreds of individuals to share information and inspiration on how to live in better harmony with the earth. At our booth, we let people get up close to composting worms to promote vermiculture. What a fantastic day!

Leeward Community College's Job and Career Fair, April 20, 2011

We participated in Leeward Community College's annual job fair, hosting a "green collar jobs" section of booths at the event.  Representatives from DLNR-Division of Forestry and Wildlife, KUPU/RISE, and USFWS talked to students and teachers about current and future positions available in the environmental job field. Through this fair, we introduced students and teachers to our Hawai`i Green Collar Institute and tested people on their knowledge of the "green jobs" field through an interactive game!

Grow Hawaiian Festival, Bishop Museum, April 2, 2011

It was a sunny and festive day at the fourth annual Grow Hawaiian Festival, featuring Hawaiian culture and the natural beauty that sustains it. We were fortunate to be selected to have a booth where we demonstrated simple ways to preserve food using the sun's energy. Early participants enjoyed samples of lime tea, mamaki tea, and dried 'opelu and aku. Mahalo to Hawaiian Electric Company for sponsoring this great event!

Kamehameha Schools Sustainability Fair, February 4, 2011

For a second year, we participated in the huge sustainability fair on the Kapalama campus of Kamehameha Schools. There were lots of great educational booths ranging from solar energy to organic farming. We focused on "green collar" jobs in line with our Hawai`i Green Collar Institute. Students played a fun game matching green jobs to the type of work they do. 

Halau 'Ike O Pu'uloa Pa`ina La Hanau, January 28, 2011

Our Hawai'i Green Collar Institute partner, Halau 'Ike O Pu'uloa (Native Hawaiian Student Support Program) of Leeward Community College, celebrated its 1st birthday and invited us to be part of the festivities. We set up a booth along with many other wonderful programs that offer services to Native Hawaiian students. It was a wonderful gathering with live Hawaiian music and delicious locally grown and caught food from Cafe Ka'aha'aina at the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Clinic.

Wai`anae Farmers' Market, Sept. 18, 2010

We were invited to set up a booth at the market demonstrating an easy way to make a reusable shopping bag out of old T-shirts. With scissors, sewing machine, and fabric paint and stencils, we enjoyed teaching kids and adults how to do this simple craft that has a lot of environmental benefits. We'll be doing more activities at farmers' markets, thanks to a recent grant from the Hawaiian Electric Company.

Hoa‘Āina O Mākaha Open House, May 1, 2010

More than 1,000 people came to Hoa'Āina o Mākaha's Open House. What fun we had at the farm learning about the ahupua'a of the region, growing plants, churning butter, cooking and with the sun's energy, eating locally grown foods, aquaponics, and much more! Located next to Mākaha Elementary School, Hoa‘Āina O Mākaha is a wonderful resource to the community’s children and families, connecting them to the land and how to live off of it.

Kōkua Festival, April 24-25, 2010

We partnered with Mālama Hawai‘i at the Waikīkī Shell to celebrate the 2010 Kōkua Festival. At our joint booth, we featured the programs and architectural design of MLC as well as offered a hands-on “Reduce, Reuse, Renew” section where we created bags made out of six-pack ring drink holders. We also showed how you can make chic jewelry from used materials that one would normally throw away. Mahalo to the Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation for hosting the “eco-village” and concert, which benefited environmental education in Hawai‘i.

Grow Wai‘anae Festival, April 7, 2010

We joined the Cultural Learning Center at Ka‘ala at Wai‘anae High School’s Grow Wai‘anae Festival. This Grow Fest was focused on continuing the knowledge and practice of growing and cooking our own food in sustainable ways.  MLC and practitioner May Hasegawa used ogo grown by the marine science program at Wai‘anae High School to show students how to make a pickled ogo salad.  Students from the Natural Resources Academy at Wai‘anae High School prepared tilapia, kalo andagi, pa‘i‘ai, and cooked food in an imu, smoker and earth oven. (photo by Mike Kurose)

Seagull Schools Inservice Training, March 25, 2010

Mahalo to Seagull Schools for inviting us to their inservice training where we shared tips on "fun ways to get kids to love the earth." We had fun, too.

Kamehameha Schools Sustainability Fair, February 17, 2010

We joined other environmental groups to showcase sustainable living to 400+ Kamehameha School students on O‘ahu. Our team showed students how to reuse plastic ring holders to make bags. It was such a hit, we’ll be sure to do this again with others to help keep these plastic items out of the waste stream that could end up harming wildlife.

Kapolei Community Fair, November 13-14, 2009 

We participated in the first annual Kapolei Community Fair on the grounds of Kapolei High School (KHS).  KHS students, parents, and teachers teamed up with local businesses and community volunteers to put on this event. People recycled old computers, printers, and other electronics at the Green Zone. Students also raised money for disaster victims in Sāmoa, Tonga, and the Philippines. At the MLC booth, student volunteers asked students of all ages what they would like to see at the MLC via a simple art project.