Storytelling & Place-Based Learning

The tour placed storytelling at its heart. Keiki gathered to hear narratives about Mānoa Valley — its people, its landscapes, and its layered past. Through these stories, children connected personally with the place and its cultural significance.

Kūkaʻōʻō Heiau

A highlight of the visit was the tour of Kūkaʻōʻō Heiau, an ancient stone temple site on the grounds. Children observed the heiau up close and learned about its historical role within the valley.

Native Hawaiian Plant Garden

The group also explored the Native Hawaiian Plant Garden, where they encountered plants significant to Hawaiian culture and daily life. The garden offered a living classroom for understanding the relationship between people and the ʻāina.

Paintings of Old Mānoa Valley

During the visit, keiki viewed paintings depicting Mānoa Valley as it appeared in earlier times. These artworks helped the children visualize the valley's transformation and deepened their appreciation for its history.

The Mānoa Heritage Center pilot visit demonstrated how place-based learning can transform a child's understanding of their connection to the land. By gathering at Kūkaʻōʻō Heiau and hearing stories of the valley's people and landscapes, keiki began to see Mānoa not just as a place they inhabit, but as a living cultural landscape with deep ancestral roots. This approach to education — grounded in Native Hawaiian knowledge and the intersection of traditional and contemporary understanding — fosters a sense of stewardship for the water, land, and ocean that sustains the ahupuaʻa. Such experiences remind us that greeting Mānoa with welina means more than words; it means truly knowing and caring for this wahi pana.