Community Partners

Mala’ai is truly the work of many hands and hearts. A huge effort by volunteers went into making Mala’ai a reality – beginning with the project’s founder, Dr. Michelle Suber, and Garden Leader Amanda Rieux. It also includes many generous partners, funders and supporters including Slow Food USA, Slow Food Hawai’i, the Earl and Doris Bakken Foundation, Atherton Family Foundation, North Hawai’i Rotary, Waimea Homestead Farmers Market , Mauna Kea Quilters, Honopua Farm, County of Hawai`i, Waimea Lions Club, Hawai`i Community Foundation, The Kohala Center, the Laura Jane Musser Foundation, the Bill Healy Foundation, as well as many smaller donors, mentors, volunteers and cultural practitioners.

Mala’ai is in partnership with Waimea Middle School. We are intrinsically linked with the administration, faculty and students of the school. We are grateful for the cooperation, ingenuity, skill and hard work of the administration, teachers, and staff of the school. We are honored to serve the students. Waimea Middle School is Hawai`i’s first Public Conversion Charter School.

The WMS Strategic Plan focuses on student achievement, family engagement and community involvement. The school’s governance model is one of respectful collaboration involving all stakeholders — teachers, staff, parents, students and community.