WAIMEA — “Lessons from the Earth” and “Small Kid Time: Waimea School House Stories,” two books created from two oral history projects conducted by Waimea Middle School students, are now available on Amazon.com.
They provide a bit of Waimea history through the eyes of treasured community members. For “Lessons,” students prepared for and interviewed some of Waimea’s farmers, who shared their stories of old Waimea and the struggles of the farming life. The creation of Kuhio Village and the first Waimea Saturday market are two of the many stories that were shared.
“Small Kid Time” was in honor of the 100th anniversary of the original Waimea School building, built in 1915 and now serves as the Isaacs Art Center. Students interviewed community members who attended the original school building and found out what school life was like then, such as walking to school barefoot, midmorning snacks baked by the kitchen and May Day outside on the lawn in front of the flagpole.
Each book has a brief introduction followed by the interview transcripts and interviewee bios. This intergenerational project was a memorable experience for student interviewers and community interviewees. All proceeds will go to fund future oral history projects.