2026 Environment and Policy Internships (EPIC): Kauluakalana
Job Title: Kauluakalana Intern
Department/Team: Kauluakalana
Location: Kailua, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Duration: 40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer
Reports to: Mahina Kaomea (ʻĀina Education Coordinator, Community Programs)
Areas of Interest: Food sovereignty, education, community outreach
About Kauluakalana:
Kauluakalana is a community-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 2019 by kamaʻāina (natives) of Kailua, those who have been raised by the lands and leaders of their ahupuaʻa (land division) to chart and navigate a course leading to kanaka (people) and ʻāina (land) reunited in a relationship that feeds us physically, intellectually, culturally, and spiritually. Traveling in the wake of those who came before, we are committed to ʻĀina Education and Restoration for the purposes of cultural revitalization, community regeneration, identity reclamation, and the renewal of kuleana (responsibility) in Kailua, one of the most storied ahupuaʻa on Oʻahu.
Vision: With a restored Ulupō heiau and Kawainui fishpond at its piko (center), we see our ahupuaʻa of Kailua lashed together by a braid of ʻāina, kanaka, and culture, forming an enduring bond that generates balance and abundance for our community.
Mission: Our mission is to restore and grow healthy relationships between people and place through the aloha ʻāina practices of retelling our Kailua-specific stories, replanting and eating our ancestral foods, and caring for the sacred sites, lands, and waters of our beloved ahupuaʻa of Kailua.
To learn more about the history and details of our work, here is some helpful reading:
- Browse our website at kauluakalana.org
- Mai Ka Piko A Ke Mole: Clearing Paths And Inspiring Journeys To Fulfill Kuleana Through ʻĀina Education by Maya L. Kawailanaokeawaiki Saffery, our co-founder, President, and Strategic Director (link)
About the Team:
Our small, grassroots team is excited to work with a Stanford intern who is interested in growing skills in both ʻĀina Education and ʻĀina Restoration, ultimately supporting a variety of activities across our programs. This internship will be overseen by our ʻĀina Education Coordinator for Community Programs and supported by our team (Executive Director, ʻĀina Restoration Coordinator for Ulupō, ʻĀina Restoration Coordinator for Makaliʻi, and ʻĀina Education Coordinator for School Partnerships).
Position Description/Scope of Work:
At Kauluakalana, we are deeply committed to strengthening our connection between kanaka (people) and ʻāina (land) through culturally rooted practices and environmental stewardship. Our internship program is designed to immerse participants in hands-on experiences that honor the traditions of our ancestors while equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to be leaders in their communities. Interns will engage in both ʻĀina Education and ʻĀina Restoration activities, helping to preserve and rejuvenate the rich cultural and natural heritage of Hawaiʻi, specifically, in our beloved ahupuaʻa of Kailua. Through this work, interns will not only contribute to the land's healing but also grow as stewards of their own kuleana (responsibility) to their own ʻāina and community, guided by Kauluakalana’s mission, vision, and 3-pronged approach to restoring kanaka-ʻāina relationships: Haʻi Moʻolelo (storytelling), Hānai (growing and feeding people our ancestral foods), and Huli ka Lima i Lalo (turning hands down to the land).
List of Potential Projects:
Examples of ʻĀina Education tasks at Ulupō and Makaliʻi:
- Interns will support with planning and leading Ka Pahuhopu o Kawainui, an out-of-school, Hawaiian culture-based, ʻōlelo-rich, ʻĀina Education program designed for middle school to early high school-aged learners from Kailua and neighboring ahupuaʻa in Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu. The program focuses on engaging youth with cultural practitioners from our community in intergenerational transfer of Hawaiian knowledge and practices including story-telling, mele, food cultivation and preparation, and community-based land stewardship and restoration.
Examples of ʻĀina Restoration tasks at Ulupō:
- Interns will be mentored in a variety of farming tasks and will have the opportunity to learn both the theory and practice of biocultural restoration efforts occurring at Ulupō. Skills include managing complex loʻi systems including springs & ʻauwai, stewarding Ulupō (an agricultural heiau) and Kawainui fishpond, planting and caring for māla (dryland gardens), traditional food preparation, managing invasive species by weed whacking and clearing with handtools, and tasks as assigned.
Examples of ʻĀina Restoration tasks at Makaliʻi:
- Interns will be mentored in a variety of sustainable farming practices and will have the opportunity to learn both the theory and practice of biocultural restoration efforts occurring at Makaliʻi. Skills include managing complex loʻi systems including springs and ʻauwai, planting and caring for māla (dryland gardens), establishing agroforestry systems, managing invasive species through weeding, weed whacking, and clearing regions with both hand tools and alongside heavy machinery, and other tasks as assigned. At Makaliʻi, which is a new site for our organization, there will be a particular emphasis on monitoring current ecological systems (e.g. transects, water quality) and clear cutting invasive species to restore traditional ecosystems.
Desired Skills/Qualifications:
The internship is holistic, interdisciplinary, and focused on developing transformational change practitioners across industries. Interns will gain knowledge and skills from various disciplines, including Natural Resource Management, Hawaiian Studies, and STEM fields, preparing them for diverse college and career pathways. A successful intern at Kauluakalana will be proactive, responsible, respectful, dependable, eager to learn, strong communicator, strong work ethic, and willing to collaborate as a critical member of a team, bringing energy and passion to Kauluakalana. Interns must be flexible, open to working in both ʻĀina Education and Restoration including working alongside heavy machinery (especially at Makaliʻi) and in deep water (being able to swim), and able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic and collaborative work environment. They will participate in cultural practices and protocols, such as offering mele (chants) and telling moʻolelo. The relationship is reciprocal, benefiting both the intern and Kauluakalana. Interns will complete a final project and a post-internship survey. Desired qualifications include any level of proficiency with ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi, experience working with communities in Hawaiʻi and/or in Koʻolaupoko, and experience as a student or teacher of ʻĀina Education.
Logistics:
- EPIC fellows are required to work full-time (35-40 hours per week) for 10 weeks over the summer, and will receive a stipend of $8,000 - $9,500, depending on financial need. This stipend is intended to help cover living and transportation expenses during the fellowship, which the student is expected to arrange and coordinate.
- Preferred start date and end date: June 13-August 21, 2026
- Due to the high cost of living, this position may be most accessible and/or financially feasible to students who already live on Oʻahu or have the ability to stay with family. We are open to all applicants, but please note that costs may exceed the stipend given.
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Approximate Breakdown of Costs (to be covered by the student):
- Rental housing on Oahu: approximately $1,500/month
- Food costs (7 days x $50/day): approximately $350/week
- Holo card (for public transit): approximately $80/week
- Round trip flight from SFO/SJC to HNL: approximately $500-700
Eligibility:
Stanford undergraduates from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, public service involvement, and experience. Learn more about our previous EPIC cohorts! Students must be enrolled for winter and spring quarters of this year and be in good academic standing to be eligible for a fellowship. Students may not be serving a suspension and may not be on a Leave of Absence (LOA).
Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, and Co-terms are eligible; Graduating seniors cannot apply for the February deadline, and are ineligible for additional financial aid beyond the base stipend. Graduating seniors may apply if there is a Round 2 deadline in the spring quarter. All students, including co-term students, must be in the undergraduate billing group in spring quarter (this is important!). Student athletes should confirm the impact of any awarded stipend on their athletic eligibility by contacting the Compliance Services Office prior to submitting their application. Please refer to the Haas Center for Public Service's website for additional Cardinal Quarter Undergraduate Fellowship Program Policies and Requirements.
Note: students are only eligible for one Stanford-funded full-time experiential learning opportunity during the summer, and are not permitted to engage in another full-time internship, job, coursework, or volunteer opportunity. Students are responsible for arranging and paying for their own housing and transportation during the fellowship.
Requirements:
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Spring Quarter:
- Commit to working full-time (35-40 hours week) for 10 consecutive weeks
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Complete an online program orientation through the Haas Center for Public Service
- This will include designing a personal learning plan that you will share with your site supervisor and academic mentor
- Complete the Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service in-person workshop or worksheet
- If you are working internationally, complete the International Academy Canvas course, and participate in pre-departure orientation with Stanford Global Risk
- Meet with your assigned Stanford academic mentor at least once prior to the start of the fellowship (more check-ins during and after your experience are encouraged)
- Attend EPIC cohort building events and activities in spring quarter, as your schedule allows
- Complete and submit all required forms and paperwork
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Summer Quarter:
- Engage in your full-time fellowship (starting no later than July 6, 2026; exact start date to be determined with your site supervisor)
- Attend EPIC cohort building events and activities in the summer, as your schedule allows
- Submit a mid-summer evaluation
- Submit a final project report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with donor(s) as requested by program staff
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Fall Quarter:
- Debrief with your academic mentor at least once
- Attend a de-briefing meeting for the purpose of reflecting upon and evaluating summer experiences
- Participate in outreach activities to share your experiences and help publicize the program
*Failure to complete any of the requirements may result in the student's stipend being rescinded in part or in full.
Fundamental Standard:
Violations of Undergraduate Fellowships program policies are violations of the Fundamental Standard and may be referred to the Office of Community Standards. Students who fail to abide by the policies set forth by the Undergraduate Fellowships Program, the Haas Center for Public Service, and Stanford University will have low/no priority for future Haas Center funding opportunities and programs. The Haas Center reserves the right to rescind funding at any given point and time should they be apprised of any policy violations as outlined above.
More information about this fellowship opportunity is available through Cardinal Quarter. This program is one of more than 500 Cardinal Quarter opportunities through which Stanford students pursue a full-time summer or quarter-long public service experience with Stanford support. Check out Stanford University's Cardinal Service site.
