Drug Prevention Program
The Living Pono Project developed the Kupa’aina Explorations program to help young adults and youth develop personal positive outlooks, values, and team-building skills; to teach them to be courteous, respectful, act responsibly, and to be team focused in all their daily activities; to improve and take care of their health and well-being; and to encourage them to care for and recognize the importance of preserving Hawaii’s unique environment.
PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of this project is engage 80 at-risk youth in a 7 week explorations program that provides an opportunity for them to interact with and learn from professionals in the fields of: conservation, natural resource management, fisheries, and traditional Hawaiian land management.
Project objectives:
- Provide a continuum of care to 80 at risk youth addressing adolescent substance abuse and other high risk behaviors
- We will provide two days of hands on training in technical marine surveys including presence and abundance surveys and water quality testing to prepare at-risk youth for employment in marine related professions including marine resource conservation and management, marine science, and marine technology
- Student will apply knowledge gained from training workshops to conduct presence and abundance surveys, and water quality testing at four locations on Maui; Lahaina, Oluwalu, Kihei, and Wailuku.
- We will arrange for (4) four professionals to speak to at-risk youth about marine resource conservation, fishing and fishery management, Hawaii fishing regulations, and sustainable fishing practices.