Abstract
This paper examines how immersive field courses advance environmental sustainability through academic community service, using kalo (taro) cultivation partnerships in Hawaiʻi as a case study. Drawing on eleven years of field-based pedagogy (2014-2025) involving college students and Native Hawaiian organizations, we demonstrate how hands-on agricultural engagement creates transformative learning experiences promoting cultural understanding and environmental stewardship. Our community-based courses integrate students into traditional kalo farming practices embodying aloha ʻāina (love of the land) and Indigenous sustainability principles. Through partnerships with Native Hawaiian nonprofits, students participate in water management, soil restoration, and agricultural preservation while learning how traditional ecological knowledge addresses environmental and cultural challenges. This approach, grounded in lōkahi (harmony/unity), bridges Western academic learning with Indigenous sustainability practices. Results show immersive field experiences foster deeper environmental consciousness, cultural competency, and sustained sustainability commitment among students. Participants develop systems-thinking approaches while contributing meaningful service to community-led conservation efforts. Our results reveal how place-based field education effectively integrates sustainability education with community partnerships, creating reciprocal benefits for students, communities, and environmental preservation. This research contributes to understanding how immersive field courses serve as powerful pedagogical tools for advancing environmental sustainability through community engagement and Indigenous knowledge systems.
Presenters
John StraitProfessor of Geography, Assistant Chair & Geography Program Coordinator, Environmental & Geosciences, Sam Houston State University, Texas, United States Ava Fujimoto Strait
Assistant Professor of Practice, Environmental and Geosciences, Sam Houston State University, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Education, Assessment and Policy
KEYWORDS
Keywords: Field Education, Environmental Sustainability, Community-Based Learning, Indigenous Kowledge, Hawaii
