About Us

Cultivating Peace.

First, we'd like to say Mahalo to all the people that have been a part of our journey. From the amazing students that have come through this space and inspired so many new beginnings, to the teachers and faculty who have used the space to further education at Kaiser, to our volunteers from around the community that have spent so much time here, to our administration who have believed in this vision and been wells of support, our custodial staff for helping to guide our vision and share in our passion, and finally to Ms. Kapana-Baird who offered her love, her guidance and shared her story, so it could became a part of our story. 

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The Wipeout Crew was first started in 2014 when a group of inspired young people wanted to make a difference in their community. Well, they have! The student-led and student-designed organization has become a place where things that are cultivated and nourished -- like love, peace and community -- grow in abundance. Through activism, outreach, stewardship and education, the Wipeout Crew is constantly growing, expanding, deepening and widening, and above all, creating new ways to...

"Protect What We Love!"

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One of those ways is through the Peace & Sustainability Garden. In 2016, members of the Wipeout Crew came up with a new project. They wanted to learn more about sustainability by growing their own food. Starting with a unmaintained piece of land on our campus covered in deep brush and guinea grass, the team began their mission. With the help of friends and family, and with weed whackers and machetes in hand, they were able to clear the land and start planting. Fast forward 6 years and the Peace & Sustainability Garden has a place where students grow their own food and learn to use tools and build structures to support new garden ideas. 

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And new ideas are what we're here for! The Peace and Sustainability Garden is now home to two new exciting projects that have yet again expanded the garden's mission of exploring sustainability. Today, the garden is home to Hau Hele 'Ula, a native Hawaiian botanical garden that hosts over 70 native species of plants. From endemic trees to canoe plants, the garden has become one of the most rare and unique places in Hawai'i. As you walk through the garden, you can read about each plant's unique and peculiar background and the Hawaiian ways of knowing associated to each plant by using the QR codes found on each plant identification placard. . Taking care of these plants is like caring for a piece of living history and has become an honor that few get to experience. ​

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The garden has also become site of Aloha 'Āina Food Recovery Program, a new approach to caring for our land. Everyday, food that would have gone into trash bags and taken away is recovered, diverted and added to one of our many compost piles. Over time, as the food and green waste breaks down, it becomes soil that can be used in our Food garden. Students in various science classes help to maintain the area and lead the way in this exciting new direction! 

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We invite all students, educators and community members to be a part of our family and use the space to expand your own thinking about sustainability. The land has much to teach. We need only learn to listen.