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What to expect DURING CAMP?
Pono Outdoor Program’s Summer Camp is a full-immersion outdoor experience designed to build confidence, awareness, and a deep connection with nature Monday thru Thursday 9am-2pm. Throughout the summer June 8-July 3, keiki will spend their days swimming in natural waters, hiking diverse landscapes, and learning how to responsibly forage from the land. They will gain hands-on experience with essential life skills such as safe knife handling, fire building, water purification, natural building techniques, and foundational first aid—all taught with a strong emphasis on safety, respect, and kuleana. Students will also learn to recognize potential hazards in the outdoors and develop the confidence to respond with calmness and awareness. Just as important, this is a space for children to build meaningful connections with peers, working together, learning from one another, and growing as a community. By stepping away from electronics, campers are given the opportunity to reset and reconnect their body, mind, and spirit, leaving them feeling grounded, capable, and truly at home in the natural world.
What are some common questions.....
1.) Where do we have class?
Pono Outdoor Program operates as a nomadic classroom, intentionally traveling throughout Central Maui and Upcountry to give keiki a truly diverse and immersive learning experience. By exploring a variety of environments—such as Makawao Forest Reserve, Olinda Forest, ʻĪao Valley (when open), and Kanahā Beach—students learn how to adapt, observe, and connect with different ecosystems, from forest to valley to ocean. Each location offers its own lessons, challenges, and cultural significance, allowing children to develop a deeper understanding of the land and their relationship to it. Our nomadic approach encourages resilience, curiosity, and respect, as no two days or places are the same. Parents drop off and pick up at each designated location, making each day a new adventure rooted in exploration, diversity, and real-world learning.
2.) What is the cost of the summer camp?
Our 4-week Summer Program is designed as a meaningful investment in your child’s growth, confidence, and connection to the natural world. At $1500 per student, we strive to keep our tuition competitive while offering an experience that goes far beyond a typical camp. We understand that cost can feel like a big commitment, which is why we offer sibling discounts and special rates for families already enrolled in our yearly program—please reach out to learn more. As an association, every contribution goes directly back into the program, supporting our dedicated staff, essential supplies for daily adventures, and ongoing safety training to ensure all keiki are well cared for. What truly sets our program apart is the intention behind it—this is a space free from electronics, where children can unplug, build real connections with their peers, and reconnect their body, mind, and spirit through hands-on experiences in nature.
3.) Why choose Pono Outdoor Program for a summer camp?
Parents should choose Pono Outdoor Program Summer Camp because it offers something truly rare in today’s world—an authentic, unplugged childhood experience rooted in connection, confidence, and real-life skills. This is not a typical camp filled with screens or busywork; it is a fully immersive outdoor journey where keiki learn to trust themselves, work together, and engage deeply with the natural world. Through hiking, swimming, foraging, fire building, water purification, and natural building, children gain hands-on skills that build resilience and independence. Our nomadic approach across diverse Maui landscapes exposes them to different environments, teaching adaptability and respect for ʻāina in all its forms. Just as important, campers form meaningful friendships and a strong sense of belonging as they learn and grow alongside their peers. With experienced, safety-trained staff and a program grounded in kuleana and awareness, Pono Outdoor Program provides a powerful reset—nurturing the body, mind, and spirit while giving children the confidence to navigate both nature and life with a deeper sense of purpose.
Enrollment Documents
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