Kahauiki Village After School Arts 2026

During our March afterschool program at Kahauiki Village, Teaching Artist Sheanae Tam led an immersive drawing lesson centered around kalo, one of Hawaiʻi’s most culturally significant plants. Sheanae brought in kalo she had grown herself on her farm and shared the deep cultural connections between the plant and Hawaiʻi’s creation moʻolelo.

As students observed the plant up close, she explained how the anatomy of kalo connects to these stories and traditions, helping the haumāna understand the powerful relationship between culture, land, and identity. Sheanae even prepared kalo for the students to taste, giving them the rare opportunity to experience kalo not only visually, but through touch and flavor, before beginning their drawings.

The class then transitioned into a calming drawing session where students practiced kilo—careful observation—while sketching the kalo plants in front of them. Using brown kraft paper instead of the white paper they were accustomed to, students explored line, tone, and color in a new way, learning how toned paper can shape the way artists see and create.

As music chosen by the keiki played in the background, the classroom filled with singing, laughter, and focused creativity. The lesson beautifully blended culture, storytelling, sensory learning, and artistic practice—an example of how arts education can nurture curiosity, connection, and joy.