Love for Lahaina

On August 8-9, 2023, hurricane-fueled winds fed fires on the island of Maui, making it one of the top 10 deadliest wildfires in the US since 1871 (National Fire Protection Association). The historic town of Lahaina was destroyed, and as of August 21, 2023, over 100 people were known to have perished and over 2,000 buildings were destroyed. This Project Heart Beats gives your students the opportunity to think of ways they can help the community of Lahaina and and the island of Maui as the residents start to rebuild after experiencing tragic devastation.

The challenge is to find a way to help from right where you are. Using the Design Thinking Process, students identify a specific need, imagine a response, and build a real action plan using their Time, Talent, and Treasure. Maui is an island — people couldn't simply evacuate to safety — and the work of rebuilding will take years. That's exactly why showing up still matters, and why it's never too late for a class to become part of the response.