Project Hawai'i 2010-The Ultimate Teen Community Service Adventure Tour

  Hawaii (USA)

• Other Cities in Hawaii (USA): 
Honolulu

  United States

• Other Cities in United States: 
Hawaii

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks and 5-8 weeks
Dates: July 1st-29th 2010 (inquire for finalized dates

Description: Project Hawai'i is a unique summer experience to provide teens from all over the world to come together and make a difference in the lives of homeless children. Working hands-on interactively with their "camp buddy", teens will help build self-esteem and healthy life choices. Teens will gain mentoring and leadership qualities needed to become successful leaders of our future. Teens will earn 200 community service hours in the field of leadership, mentoring, marketing, implementing programs, fund-raising and project planning as well as recommendation letters to their school officers.

Over the 4 week tour, the teens will also learn about the Hawaiian Culture while sharing and developing life-long friendships with their group. On the tours we will embark on the wonders of 2 Hawaiian Islands, attend authentic Hawaiian Luau, learn the hula, jump aboard a snorkel cruise, and explore the mountains from above on the eco adventure. Hawai'i wouldn't be complete without learning to surf with the award-winning pro surfers of Northshore in their own secluded beaches, and each teen will have private lessons to make them masters in no time. Hiking the volcano's and waterfalls of the Big Island, Surfing the white sands of Waikiki, and absorbing the culture on Oahu will make this adventure complete.

Learn to play Ukulele with the infamous HI Town Band members and help arrange the authentic laua celebration with Hula Dancing on stage with the Brown Boys band.

Students arriving from outside of the United States will also have the option of attending ESL classes to help improve their language skills. These teens also have the option of arriving one week early for an intensive ESL training program.

Your session begins on the Big Island of Hawai'i where you will spend a full week at sleepover camp with your camp buddy (a homeless child) and explore the hidden treasures of the Hawaiian beaches, local sites and shops.

Second week we are off to the island of O'ahu to learn hands on the art of Hula and Ukulele playing with local celebrities. Ukulele lessons will be given by CJ Kama from HI Town featuring 4 songs on the TOP 5 countdown. Surf Northshore with Hawaiian legends and pro surfers at their secluded beaches. O'ahu tour would not be complete without the nightlife of the tiki tourch lite Waikiki white sands beach. Our full day adventure tour of the Polynessian Cultural Center will also share the aspects of what our islands natives combine with culture. Like visiting 9 different countries in one funfilled packed day. A wonderful opportunity to met native Hawaiians who wish to share their culture the way it was meant to be seen.

Our third and fourth week lands us back on the Big Island with a new terrain and more time with your camp buddies for a full week of day camp activities. Your adventure will also lead you to the Kilauea Volcano, the beautiful beaches of Waipio Valley (a sacred Hawaiian land), Hapuna Beach for the worlds best snorkeling and bodyboarding, as well as more cultural events to assure you feel the true Hawaiian Aloha before your tour ends. Don't forget this is your last chance to meet even more local boy surfers at the hangout in the town of Kalapana; the legendary town the volcano overtook, and only the "diehard" Hawaiians still remain on their sacred lands.

To end your Cultural experience, you will actually help create and perform at an authentic laua you have designed for your camp buddies families. This will include making your own real ti' leaf hula skirt, flower lei, and laulau (of course these Hawaiian words will be common knowledge by the end of your tour...can't wait). You will have the opportunity to put your new found Hawaiian musical and dance skills together with our islands own infamous band...Brown Boys and members from HI Town. Autographed HI Town CDs will also be given to all participants at the grand finale laua. Great opportunities throughout to have your camp shirts autographed by all the famous surfers, dancers, singers, etc.

Highlights: Highlights of the tour include the famous Waikiki Beach, 2-island tour, Snorkel Cruise, Volcano Hiking, surfing with professional award-winning pipeline surfers, learning the culture through the eyes of Native Hawaiians, learning to dance Hula and play music with the islands top performing bands, bonding with your Homeless Camp Buddy and being able to provide them with their new school supplies and outfits to start their new school year off ready to learn. And most of all, making footsteps in the Hawaiian sands worth following. Project Hawai'i is the most incredible experience anyone can have.

But most of all the Cultural experience of working hands on with local Hawaiian people learning to make authentic Hawaiian dishes from the earth, to playing ukuelele with newest Hawaiian band to hit the radio and music shelves "Hi Town".

Teens will also learn to make a real Hawaiian Hula skirt from start to finish...picking the ti leaves, stripping them, and then weaving them to make the most beautiful skirt imaginable. And there's more...teens will learn to ride the waves first time out with professional surfers of Hawai'i, the one's you see riding the pipeline on t.v. and then finish the evening on the white sand beaches of Waikiki with the Opihi Pickers, a hot band that will play live and join in the Laua grinds.

Cost in US$: Early Enrollment Bonus USD 6,500 by Jan. 31st, or 2010 price of USD 7,400 after Feb. 1

For students arriving from outside the US that would like to participate in the pre-arrival ESL class, there is an addition fee for the classes, and accommodations.

You are responsible for your own roundtrip ticket to and from Oahu, Honolulu, Hawai'i call for restrictions. You will also need to purchase or provide medical insurance and travel insurance is optional.

We have a Pre-Arrival option as well for teens who may be experiencing travel anxiety. We will be meeting teens in Los Angeles (LAX) on June 28th and 29th to fly with us to the islands on the 30th of June. Participants will have to purchase their roundtrip ticket from LAX to Honolulu on the same flight we have scheduled and pay for the extra meals and lodging cost to be determined once the teen is enrolled. Our staff will in Los Angeles on the 27th to accommodate this extra care.
Typically it is an additional 120 USD for this option.

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian and European Participants.

Participants Travel Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 7-24

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Project Hawai'i with Cultural Institute of America's Mission Statement: A teen mentoring free summer camp for homeless children. Our mission is to empower teens to make a difference in their tomorrow while making changes in present through interactive solutions. Providing the teens leadership skills to enhance the lives of homeless children and helping to end the cycle of poverty in America. While learning about and exploring the Cultural asspects from true Hawaiians and Fostering Cultural Exchange, awareness and acceptance. "Making footsteps in the Hawaiian sands worth following"

Year Founded: 1990