ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi.

All knowledge is not acquired in the same way or in the same place.

IMPACT ACADEMIES

Impact Academies Overview

The Impact Academy Program can be broken down into two main programmatic components: 

1. Impact Academies and 2. Impact Projects.  

Impact Academies are specialized “houses” or “workshops” where meaningful community work is undertaken.  Within each Academy are a number of different Impact Projects. Impact Projects are cohorts of Academy members (students and faculty) that are completing work that addresses a significant need within the community, whether local, national, or global. 

Other Important Reminders:

1. Registration for Impact Academies is mandatory for all secondary students.

2. Impact Academies meet every Academy Block Tues/Thurs (HS 2:20-3:30, MS 2:20-3:10) beginning Tuesday, Jan 16th, 2024.

3. High School Registration opens Monday, Jan 8th at 12:05pm. Middle School registration opens Monday, Jan 8th at 12:45pm. Registration closes Tuesday, Jan 9th at 3:30pm.

4. Rosters will be determined based on prior student involvement, quality of application, and timeliness of application.

5. Students are highly encouraged to sign up for the same projects on Tuesday and Thursday. The Ex Ed Office values consisted and sustained commitment to Impact Projects. However, some Impact Projects may only meet on Tuesday or Thursday. Students who sign up for one of these projects should sign up for another project for the other day. Participation in Impact Projects is mandatory both Tuesday and Thursday.

6. Make sure to read the description of each project carefully to see what days it meets, what grades it is open to, and any other requirements or prerequisites.

For more information regarding Academies and Projects, please view our Impact Academies FAQ.

Please email the Experiential Education Team with any questions: exed.secondary@lejardinacademy.org

christina.hoe@lejardinacademy.org

Avery.Filer@lejardinAcademy.org

Joel.Saito@lejardinacademy.org

Project Catalog

MS Only. Tuesday and Thursday.

Activism Team

Engage in the legislative process by providing written and in-person testimony. Work with community leaders to elevate youth voices on important issues. Learn how to take action for meaningful change.

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Advanced Concert Band

Members in Band will work on the fundamentals of music notation, sound production, and performance. In addition, this group will find ways to share their sound beyond the walls of LJA and will perform for community groups and events.

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

*Required for students already rostered in Advanced Concert Band

AV Academy

This Middle School Impact Project focuses on journalism, news broadcasting, and the technical skills needed for video production.

Grade 6-8. Tuesday and Thursday.

Bulldog Builders / Plastic Makerspace

This Impact Project focuses on learning basic carpentry, construction, design skills. Bulldog Builders will work with clients to construct infrastructure projects in and around LJA in addition to completing the Tiny House.

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Castle Hospital Internship

The Hospital Internship Program is designed to get students first-hand experience in the healthcare field. Students apply externally to volunteer programs at either Queens Medical Center or Castle Hospital. Once accepted they work at the hospital for at least 4 hours a week. Students interested in this program should inquire with the Ex. Ed. Team.

*Off-Campus
*Students Need Own Transportation

Coding for Change

Students work in small teams, engage with community members, and learn to code with the goal of creating a mobile app to address an existing problem.

Grade 9-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Compost Team

Students will learn the ins and outs of composting. Students will identify areas in which our school can reduce our waste stream while using compost to boost our food systems, and help implement changes designed to address those areas.

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Concert Choir

Concert Choir will learn the basics of musical performance and use these skills to build community connections.

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Creativity Cohort

Welcome to the world of creative expression! This impact project is designed to ignite your artistic passions and empower you to embrace your unique creative voice. This impact project invites students on a journey of self-discovery, artistic exploration, and skill development across a variety of visual arts mediums. Whether you're a seasoned artist or new to the creative scene, this class offers a nurturing and collaborative environment to nurture your imagination and transform your ideas into captivating artworks.

Grade 9-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Dawg Squad

Dawg Squad is all about keeping spirit and morale high at our school. This Impact Project focuses on rallying the community for school and athletic events and will be working to ensure all of our community events are broadcasted through appropriate channels and supported.

Grade 9-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

E Paipai Pono

Our vision is to create a team of young people who are civic-minded, engaged in their community, and eager to exchange honest and authentic narratives. E Paipai Pono aims to engage and educate our community by providing in-depth reporting, analysis, and commentary on important public issues. Through our dedication to journalistic excellence, we strive to empower our peers and community to make informed decisions.

Grade 6-12. Thursday only.

Garden Team

Work to maintain edible plants in the garden beds on LJA's campus! Students will take an active role in planning, planting, and caring for the plants from seed to harvest. This care will include establishing healthy soil, defending from pests, and watering Monday-Friday, and eventually- harvesting fruits and vegetables as they become ripe!
*Limit: 3 Students (until Garden has become more developed)

Grade 9-12. Thursday only.

Graphic Design

This Impact Project focuses on learning about graphic design techniques and platforms. Once foundational skills are learned, the group finds clients in the community to work for.

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Hale Building

Students in this project will help establish and build a traditional Hale on campus. Under the guidance of Kanaloa Bishop, a Native Hawaiian cultural practioner, students will learn traditional Hale building techniques as well as the cultural importance of Hale.

Grade 8-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Hamakua Restoration

Student volunteers restore native species and endangered endemic flora, clean up debris, and remove invasive plants in Hāmākua Marsh; HS students become trained site docents to lead educational activities with younger students.

Grade 9-12. Thursday only.
*Off-Campus
*Students Need Own Transportation

Happiness Hut

The Happiness Hut crew will organize, coordinate, and execute fun events for the school using the Happiness Hut up in the high school.

Grade 9-12. Tuesday only.

SCHOOL INTERNSHIP

There are a number of ongoing on-campus internships that students can choose from ranging from supporting the admissions office to working with Extended Day. Students interested in an internship will work with the Experiential Education Office. This selection is dependent on internship availability and need.

Includes:
Extended Day Interns
After School Activity Interns
Admission Office Interns
Front Desk Interns
Classroom Interns
Secondary Dean Team Interns
Ex. Ed. Office Interns

Kawainui Stewardship (Kahanaiki)

Agroforestry project that includes ongoing development and maintenance of a community garden space, care for native species and food plants, removal of invasives, stormwater runoff mitigation, and more at this environmentally significant site right across the street from LJA campus. This project is part of the Kawainui Stewardship Certification (KSC) Program. The KSC program is a youth leadership program intended to teach students about resource management, risk mitigation, event coordination, and communication with the goal of having students lead their own workday.

Grade 8-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Kipuka Pala’a

Started in early 2021 by LJA Faculty and High School students, Kipuka Palaʻa is an ongoing native forest restoration site on LJAʻs campus. This grassroots efforts is actively removing invasive species that populate much of our schoolʻs adjacent forest and has been re-introducing native plants.

Grade 9-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Mele Mural

Public art can act as a binding agent in communities. The mural team works to address areas on campus that might need some spicing up! Past projects include furniture, walls, and mobile murals.

Grade 9-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Model UN

The United Nations Model UN Programme aims to build and maintain strong links between the UN and Model UN participants across the globe. It does that through guides and workshops, which teach students how to make their simulations more accurate; by visiting Model UN conferences and sharing firsthand knowledge of what the actual UN is like; and through encouraging Model UN clubs to take real action to support UN values and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students attend one local conference a month and one traveling conference a year.

Grade 8-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Makerspace

Have a mindset for design, tinkering, and creating? This STEM focused Impact Project might be for you! Learn programs like AutoCAD and skill such as 3D Printing.

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

MS Tutors

The Peer Tutoring Program is designed for students who want to support their fellow peers in their academic classes. They may be assigned to work down in the Middle School during support block and may be assigned a room or group of students to work with.

Grade 7-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Na Pohaku

Students remove invasive species, restore native ecosystems and help with the ongoing restoration of a native loko iʻa (fishpond) at Nā Pōhaku o Hauwahine, a wetland site in Kawainui Marsh that has a long history of cultural significance to Native Hawaiians.

Grade 8-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Nihon Harmony

Japanese culture has historically played an influential role in Hawaii. In this Impact Project, students will learn Japanese arts such as calligraphy, origami and traditional tea ceremony. Once these skills are acquired, students will work on hosting a community based event where they can teach others these skills!

Grade 9-12. Thursday only.

PILINA EDUCATION: FASHION AND DESIGN

Engage with industry professionals, exploring diverse facets of fashion and design. Craft your own creative vision through a culminating project of your choice. Explore topics like fast fashion and sustainable practices.

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Pono Popoki

Students in Pono Popoki will explore the root causes of stray and free-roaming domestic animals (cats and dogs) in Hawaii and their impacts on fragile ecosystems. Work will include caring for the cats on LJA’s campus, TNR (trap, neuter, and return), engaging in outreach and awareness, and organizing and running school-wide and community events. Pono Popoki members will be exposed to this issue outside of our LJA campus and will work with community partners.

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Robotics (required for Robotics Team members)

Students participate in a diverse, student-led community robotics team composed of students from Windward area schools. The team participates in FIRST Robotics competitions, which aim to inspire students to learn more about science and technology and develop valuable skills in engineering, programming, and teamwork.

**High School First Robotics Challenge Students required to sign up for Robotics Semester #2

Grade 9-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

After School Rock Climbing Interns

Support the After-School Rock Climbing program! Learn coaching and leadership skills! Work with primary school students to coach the basics of rock climbing and belaying.

Grade 9-12. Monday and Tuesday.

Tea, Literature and Cookies

The Tea, Literature and Cookies group will work on literacy initatives in the community. This group will work on designing, creating, and implementing a Little Free Library in the High School.

Grade 9-12. Thursday only.

Theater for Change

This Impact Project will focus on utilizing the power of theater and performance to educate the community. Students will create an original 1/2 hour (30-minute) piece of original theatre based on the principles of "Theatre for Change", to be performed for the LJA community and recorded live for the larger local community.

Grade 6-8. Tuesday and Thursday.

Visual Arts Production Team

This Impact Project focuses on developing studio skills, providing DP Art Students with the space, time, and instructional support to help develop their portfolio and collection of art for their senior art exhibition. In addition, members of this academy will support the different art-related events and activities throughout the year. Students will be responsible for the setup, running, and takedown of the Senior Art Exhibition and Annual Artsfest. Through this Impact Project, students have the opportunity to develop studio projects and skills necessary to take an active and creative role in our community.

Grade 9-12. Tuesday and Thursday.

Wild Kids Junior Counselors

Work as a Wild Kids Junior Counselor for the following programs:

Wild Blocks: Conceived through the desire to offer students more time in nature (the majority of a typical day is spent indoors), this program works with Primary School students K-5 in the forest throughout the week (during school) and engages in nature-based play, innovation, and creative problem solving *During the school day

Wild Kids After School: After school for two hours we explore the land adjacent to Le Jardin Academy’s campus and enjoy mudslides, scavenger hunts, hiking, tree climbing, making up games, building shelters, creating nature-based art, camouflage activities, scouting for trails, tracking birds, and searching for the magical forest elves known as "Little Greenies."
*After School

Commitment: Students must commit at least 3 hours a week. Interested students should work with the Experiential Education Team to make their schedule.

Grade 9-12. Monday-Friday.

Yearbook

The yearbook team will take on the critical role of conceptualizing, designing, and creating content for this year’s Yearbook. Tell the story of this school year!

Grade 6-12. Tuesday and Thursday.