Big Island Project: Access for All: Boat Trips (A4A)
Kelsey Waliszewski, one of the Founders of For Children to Flourish and owner of Da Whale Boat, while working for another boat company in 2019, had the opportunity to take a group of Kohala middle school girls on a boat tour FREE of charge. “I couldn’t believe how many kids, born and raised on Big Island, had never seen a whale and/or a dolphin much less been out on a boat.” This is a consistent story of Big Island children as many live below the poverty line. “The ocean is their own backyard, and I knew when I owned my own boat company I wanted to provide an opportunity for more kids to experience the ocean so they can truly appreciate the creators and take pride in our societal responsibility to protect and preserve our planet. January 1, 2022, Da Whale Boat and other boat companies partnered with For Children to Flourish to provide a maritime experience for children and those that work with our keiki, to enjoy and learn more about the ocean and be inspired in positive character development. Not only will the education be rich, but many who have experienced trauma through the pandemic will have an opportunity to relax and enjoy being together as a family. “Being out on the ocean and learning about God’s creatures, was truly a form of therapy for me as I was going through a hard divorce,” says Kelsey, “my prayer is that we can provide that same opportunity not only to individuals but to families here on the Big Island.”
Our goal is to achieve one or more of our objectives in a 2-4 hour boat trip.
1) O.C.E.A.N. Course (Outgoing Curiousity Experiences Around Nature) How we relate to ourselves and the world around us
2) Science Education (influenced by the Coral Reef Education Institute)
3) Respite and Therapy (inspired by help and conversations with Kipuka Ho’ola)
. This beautiful experience can help kids develop an awareness of themselves and others, encourage an appreciation for our ocean and life within, and learn skills to help them overcome hard things.
Students must be 3rd-12th grade. They must attend a school on Big Island and have a reference from teacher, social worker or therapist.
Leadership Development is open to 11th graders through Seniors in college.
For questions or to sign your family or organization up please email forchildrentoflourish@gmail.com or call 808-938-8884. Send us an email as to why a boat trip would benefit your family and/or organization.
In order for this to happen we need donors! If you are interested in funding this program, click our donation tab at the top of the page. It will give you an option to choose where you would like your donation to go. Click the “Flourishing Children partnered with Da Whale Boat”. Mahalo, we couldn’t do it without you!