Pathway Programs
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Pathways in PIPES
PIPES houses four transformative Pathway Programs, based off of our Framework, that provide opportunities for interns, mentors, and community members to focus on best practices toward healthy and abundant ecosystems, ethical research, cultural sensitivity, reciprocity and responsibility in aloha ʻāina. Internships include hands-on work experience (40 hours/week), 1-on-1 mentorship, mentor and intern development workshops, cohort learning spaces, and networking opportunities.
Moʻo ʻĀina Pathway Programs
Naʻau (Ancestral Pathway Program):
specific projects to reconnect interns with their ancestral places and/or practices. Projects may vary from building a cultural practice, analyzing ethnographic information, or entering an apprenticeship in place-based knowledge.
Objective: Growing genealogically-tied individuals into their potential as experts and supportive roles in community for critical decision-making and contributors to the longitudinal well-being of place/practice.
ʻĀina (Ecological Pathway Program):
“boots on the ground and fins in the water” projects where interns are engaged in the preservation, restoration, and management of ecological spaces. This may entail invasive species eradication, native out-planting, or marine/terrestrial surveys and monitoring.
Objective: Growing lawena-conscience, highly skilled team members that contribute to preservation and protection of place through a deep understanding of natural cycles and function.
Kaiāulu (Community Pathway Program):
community-driven projects where interns can play a meaningful role in resource management plans, outreach, education, and/or advocacy. Projects will be centered around implementing sustainable management plans, evaluating existing outreach models, or assisting in data management, among other aspects of community engagement.
Objective: Growing individuals into meaningful community members capable of contributing to roles in management plans, outreach & education, and or projects spanning multiple organizations and collaborative efforts.
Kaʻao (Research Pathway Program):
research-heavy projects that emphasize indigenous data science, bio-cultural research, quantitative/qualitative data collection and analysis. This might entail the intern formulating a research project from scratch, performing appropriate protocols for handling data, or carrying out a portion of an existing project.
Objective: Growing individual capacity for rigorous research that is rooted in Moʻo ʻĀina values and relationships, and aims to sharpen skills in project design and analyzation of quantitative/qualitative data sets.
Who Should Apply?
Naʻau Pathway
Ideal candidates:
- show strong desire to reconnect to a specific place or practice.
- have strong desire to perpetuate genealogical knowledge being shared or passed down.
- have ability to learn effectively from an ancestor or knowledge holder.
- understand the importance of inherited and acquired ancestral intelligence.
ʻĀina Pathway
Ideal candidates:
- hold deep connection to the natural world and a strong desire to mālama (care for) it.
- have experience in hunting, fishing, farming, surfing, outdoor activities, and/or aloha ʻāina practices.
- show interest in building practical and technical skills in the field.
- maintain an openness to hike, swim, and work in varying weather conditions.
Kaiāulu Pathway
Ideal candidates:
- have a strong desire to work and serve a specific community.
- enjoy working in collaborative settings and developing interpersonal connections.
- possess creative and innovative qualities to contribute to collective abundance.
- have desire to implement new skills at their home or other communities.
Kaʻao Pathway
Ideal candidates:
- display strong desire to conduct research.
- have acquired research techniques and wishes to refine them.
- are capable of targeting specific issues, thinking critically about project design to answer principal questions.
- have a desire to deepen the skill of data collection, communication, and articulation to a wide-ranged audience.
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Cohort
PIPES recognizes that the inherent and effective stewardship practices of Hawaiʻi are embedded in the language of the land and Hawaiian lifeways. Working with community partners to design an immersive learning project ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, we offer this special opportunity that is meaningful to the intern, mentor, and host organization. Please note that seats in this cohort are very limited, and require proficiency and fluency in the Hawaiian language.