In summer 2024, a select cohort of high school haumāna joined the second annual ʻĀina Edge Summer Research Assistant program.  At the Kumuola Marine Science Education Center, they stepped into the daily rhythms of loko iʻa stewardship and kuleana‐based inquiry. This immersive experience was designed to develop the next generation of ʻŌiwi leaders through hands-on practice, cultural grounding, and scientific research.

From daily cleaning and clearing to mentoring and teaching younger program participants, raising the next generation of ʻŌiwi leaders entails building and applying diverse skills to achieve the larger goal of fishpond restoration. These interns embodied the values and attributes of aloha ʻāina. Guided by ʻāina, loea, kumu, and their peers, they learned to read the health of the loko—conducting fish counts, calculating fish abundance and measures of fish health, researching ʻōpae distribution and life stages, and developing innovative ways to share the group’s learnings. Along the way, they internalized lessons about working “when no one is watching” and viewing leadership as “uplifting the community.” By holding each other accountable, they discovered that “teamwork is important, quality of work is important, time management is important,” and that true leadership lies in serving others.

This deep engagement with loko iʻa life laid the foundation for their individual research. Throughout their eight‐week experience, interns presented weekly updates on individual research projects they designed to contribute to the larger summer research effort. They learned when to seek guidance and how to organize and lead a team toward shared goals. While most began the program feeling “quite confident” in their ability to conduct scientific research, by the end, one student reported feeling “very confident,” and all described a deeper sense of belonging—transforming once abstract questions or concepts into tangible actions and understandable conclusions. One intern noted, “Lawena literally means behavior… it shows your respect for the areas you are in,” illustrating how cultural protocols infused every data point with purpose. 

The interns’ research gained widespread recognition with their presentation of findings at the 2024 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference, the “Paka” in their individual research through the ʻŌiwi Edge Innovation Process. At the conference, haumāna were seen as experts in their areas of study and sought out after their presentation to explore their research in more detail and share hands-on models of their work. 

By learning and co-developing alongside kumu, experts, and community, haumāna did more than collect data—they became true researchers and stewards of ʻāina, gaining leadership skills that transfer beyond the loko iʻa. Their summer journey offers a vivid portrait of what authentic, real‐world experiences look like—where scientific inquiry, cultural values, and community service are inseparable. These summer research assistants exemplify how culturally rooted, hands-on experiences at our kula not only build technical skills but also nurture the next generation of ʻŌiwi innovators and leaders.