A Summer of Service, Learning, and Listening
The first summer program that pairs Princeton students with Native Hawaiian organizations through full-time internships, volunteer service, and cultural learning opportunities, aiming both to support local community efforts and to expand Indigenous Studies education on campus.
Independent Student Initiative
This is a student-led program organized independently by Princeton students. While we are members of the Princeton community, the initiative is not formally affiliated with the University.
Our Program
Princeton Pono Pathways is a student-led initiative that brings other Princeton students into sustained engagement with Native Hawaiian communities through immersive summer experiences grounded in land-based learning and community partnership. Students intern with local organizations where they explore specific Native issues in depth, while volunteer projects like loʻi kalo (taro patch) farming, marine conservation, and cultural site restoration, along with expert-led presentations, provide broader context on Indigenous history, law, and resistance. The program aims both to support ongoing community-led efforts and to educate students on historically marginalized topics, ultimately deepening their understanding of Native Hawaiian culture, land, and ongoing struggles for justice.
Cultural Immersion
Students learning traditional Hawaiian practices
Core Program Components
Internships
Each student is placed in a full-time internship with a local partner organization. Students spend four days per week (Monday through Thursday) working on issues such as Indigenous policy, legal advocacy, cultural revitalization, environmental restoration, and economic equity. Each year, a list of internship partners is released in advance. Students may indicate preferred sites, but placements are made based on alignment and availability and cannot be guaranteed.
Contribute meaningfully through a summer internship.
Volunteer & Cultural Learning
Fridays and Saturdays are reserved for volunteer projects, cultural fieldwork and historical field trips. These activities are designed in collaboration with local organizations and include loʻi kalo (taro farming), marine restoration, watershed conservation, cultural and sacred site visits, and guest lectures. These experiences are intended to provide students with a holistic understanding of Native Hawaiian knowledge systems, histories, and ongoing community-led work.
Serve with care, respect, and humility.
Housing & Transportation
Housing arrangements vary by year, but the program’s goal is to secure shared living space for all participants. Students live together throughout the summer, creating a built-in support network and fostering ongoing group reflection. Outside of internships, students participate in nearly all program activities as a group. This cohort model promotes accountability, peer learning, and shared responsibility. A reliable and affordable group rental car arrangement is coordinated in advance to ensure all students have access to internship sites and community events across Oʻahu. Food is cooked by the students in a manner similar to the on-campus co-op style.
Grow through place-based, community-centered education.
Program at a Glance
Program Sites
Princeton, New Jersey (Spring & Fall)
Description
Students engage in academic preparation through Hawaiian history coursework, cultural orientation, and foundational readings in Indigenous justice. Some activities take place remotely. The fall phase is intentionally light, requiring only the completion of a few reflective write-ups.
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi (Summer)
Description
Students complete full-time internships with community organizations based in Honolulu. In addition to internship work, the program includes ʻāina-based volunteering, cultural field trips, and service activities that take place across the island of Oʻahu.
Program Timeline
Our three-phase program offers a comprehensive experience that begins with historical grounding essential to understanding the cultural context of their work, followed by immersive summer internships and fieldwork, and guided fall reflection to deepen personal and academic growth.
March – April
View Overview
Before traveling to Hawaiʻi, students participate in preparatory sessions led by PhD student Kale Kanaeholo, focusing on the history of the Native Hawaiian people and the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. These classes provide the essential cultural and historical foundation for understanding the deep-rooted impacts of colonialism and for engaging respectfully with Native communities. The curriculum also introduces students to key concepts in Indigenous justice theory, helping frame their upcoming experiences through a lens of equity, accountability, and cultural sensitivity.
Key Activities:
- Preparatory sessions led by PhD student Kale Kanaeholo
- History of the Native Hawaiian people and the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi
- Cultural and historical foundation for understanding colonialism
- Key concepts in Indigenous justice theory
- Some activities take place remotely or on campus
June – August
View Overview
During the 11-week summer phase in Hawaiʻi, students take part in full-time internships with community-based organizations advancing Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and social equity. Alongside their internships, students volunteer in ʻāina-based stewardship projects and support social service initiatives that serve Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Weekly programming also includes cultural field trips, guest lectures, and service opportunities that foster deeper engagement with community resilience and place-based knowledge.
Key Activities:
- Monday-Thursday: Internships with partner organizations
- Friday: Volunteer events and guest lectures
- Saturday: Cultural and historical field trips
- Sunday: Rest, reflection, and rejuvenation
- ʻĀina-based stewardship and service projects
- Cultural field trips and guest lectures
September – October
View Overview
In the final phase of the program, students synthesize their experiences by writing blog articles that reflect on their time in Hawaiʻi and the lessons they’ve learned. These reflections will form the basis of a campus newsletter aimed at sharing insights, uplifting Indigenous voices, and fostering greater awareness of Native Hawaiian issues within the broader Princeton community.
Key Activities:
- Blog articles reflecting on summer experiences
- Campus newsletter sharing insights and uplifting Indigenous voices
- Fostering awareness of Native Hawaiian issues at Princeton
- Fall phase is intentionally light, requiring only a few reflective write-ups
Latest from Our Blog
Welcome to Pono Pathways
Learn about our mission, values, and the transformative experiences that await participants in our program.
Cultural Immersion Experiences
Discover how students engage with Hawaiian culture, traditions, and community practices during their time in Hawaiʻi.
Community Partnerships
Explore the meaningful relationships we build with Native Hawaiian communities and organizations.