About Seeds of Hope
On Friday, October 16, 2009 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Kohala Center will be hosting a special luncheon to celebrate the work of the Hawai‘i Island Garden Network. The luncheon, “Seeds of Hope,” will take place aboard the Golden Princess while she is docked in Hilo. The dining room of this newly refurbished cruise ship that crosses the Pacific, tours the Hawaiian Islands and journey’s as far as Alaska, will be the site of the gala benefit for the children’s garden programs sprouting and growing in schools all across Hawai‘i Island.
October 16, is also the 26th Annual “World Food Day”, a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization worldwide event designed to increase awareness, understanding, and informed year ‘round action to alleviate hunger. As an isolated island people, we have become increasingly aware of the need for greater community education and action to build strong and resilient food security systems for Hawai‘i Island. Can you imagine future communities of people all over Hawai‘i Island knowing about, choosing and eating locally grown foods? The future is about creating healthier communities and systems of agriculture.
Forty-five schools on Hawai‘i Island have begun to create garden programs. They are committed to these magical outdoor living laboratories for students as places to develop ecological literacy, provide hands-on learning experiences for all subjects and grade levels, develop healthy lifestyle choices, and participate in environmental stewardship.
A school garden is the perfect venue to provide the kind of learning (Ma ka hana ka ike. “By doing we learn.”) opportunities for deepening skills in language arts, social sciences, the arts, and developing a deeper understanding of the interrelationships between people and the natural world.
Building gardens, preparing and nurturing the soil, planting and harvesting food, preparing and eating healthy foods that grow well on our island, will prepare our young citizens for building a more sustainable world for our island’s future.
Many island dignitaries and school garden teachers will be part of a special luncheon program. This includes a preview of Hawai‘i filmmaker Danny Miller’s “Seeds of Hope” documentary, which was filmed for Hawai‘i Public Television and showcases the work of teachers and students in our island school garden programs. Featured speakers Mayor Billy Kenoi, Senators Russell Kokubun and Dwight Takamine will share their visions for a more sustainable and self-reliant food future for Hawai‘i.
Please join us for this celebration of agricultural education. Meet and speak with our school garden teachers. Lend your support to these growing programs. Your support is critical at this time: funding for many of our programs has been reduced due to the downturn in the economy.
For more information on the Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network, go to www.kohalacenter.org/HISGN/about.html
Photo credit for seed picture on right: Craig Elevitch