Project Kai: Ocean-oriented Field Trips


Photo credit: HIHWNMS
Project Kai seeks to provide field trip opportunities to students to learn about Hawaii’s ocean and natural resources. The project, a partnership between the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program and Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, encourages environmental stewardship by connecting children to the land and the ocean that sustains them through in-the-field educational programs and activities.



Photo credit: HIHWNMS

With regular field trips beyond the resources of most educators and school systems, Project Kai serves as a model for how communities can support meaningful learning that allow students to gain first-hand exposure to science while developing a stronger awareness for the importance of the ocean in their own backyards.

Project Kai will provide financial assistance to Hawai’i schools which otherwise could not afford to participate in educational environmental field trip opportunities. The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation oversees coordination of Project Kai by accepting applications and awarding financial assistance to Hawai’i schools to participate in meaningful environmental field trips to support NOAA’s education mission and provide in the field marine curriculum lessons to Hawai’i students


Photo credit: HIHWNMS
Project Kai Field Trip Opportunities

Eligible Field Trip Sites*:
Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Education Center (Maui)
Mokupapa Discovery Center for Hawaii’s Remote Coral Reefs (Hilo)

*additional sites will be added in the future as Project Kai partnerships develop

Eligible Field Trip Activities:
Field trip activities that support NOAA’s Education mission will also be considered for funding. Field trip activities may include beach clean ups, education cruises on NOAA’s research vessels, etc.



How to Apply: Download an application and submit it to Kokua Hawai’i Foundation two months prior to your field trip.