Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — With the graduation season coming to a close and the long break ahead providing a sense of relaxation and freedom for American Samoa students, the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) team along with the Feleti Barstow Public Library and the ASG Department of Education, have been busy at work preparing for their Discovering Amerika Samoa Program, which had its first session day this week.

The program, which was first held in 2011 but has been on hiatus for a decade, aims to create an educational curriculum centered around learning about American Samoa in a holistic way.

The program covers a lot of ground.

In the next four weeks the 70 participants will learn all about our territory's geography, government, culture, history, and so much more. In addition to hands-on projects and an incredible guest lecture line up, the program also boasts a whopping 10 field trips fit into their 20 session days, highlighting the importance for our children to experience all our island has to offer. From the eastern Tula Observatory to where the road ends in Maloata, where they will be hosted by the Gurr family, program participants have a lot of land to cover.

The program kick-started with a parent orientation and focused on having the children break the ice as fellow adventurers and academic peers. In addition to setting the mood for a fun and safe atmosphere, students were also given a diagnostic exam to create a baseline understanding of how much the children are taught and to track the program's success.

"Understanding where you're from is such an important part of identity. Our children learn about other places and other people all the time in school and we think it's important to give them an educational experience that is more relevant to them and their life experiences. Through this program, we not only want our kids to have fun but to also take away a deeper love for their home that is rooted in an appreciation for all of its constituent parts," ABLE President, Elinor Lutu-McMoore said.

 With a jam-packed schedule of activities, it is shaping up to be a well deserved break for these students.

ABOUT ABLE

ABLE is a 501(C)3 non- profit organization founded by HC Afoa L. Su'esu'e Lutu in 2004 to provide coordinate services with the mission of improving the lives of American Samoa residents.