Children from the New Beginning homeless shelter in Kalaeloa spent several days last week learning that there is a lot more to kalua pig than simply serving it out of a foil-covered pan.

The group of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders helped members of the Lili'uokalani Protestant Church in Hale'iwa prepare for yesterday's annual fundraising lu'au by stacking kiawe wood, setting up chairs and tables, smashing banana stumps and watching a pig being slaughtered and placed in an imu, or underground cooking pit.

"They got to see how dirty they can get in the process (of making an imu)," said Kahu Rennie Mau, senior pastor at Lili'uokalani Church.

The children are members of Kama'ehu, a youth program run out of the shelter by Leeward Coast homeless outreach program Ka Pa'alana.

"We want to ingrain in them the concept that if you want to be successful in life, you have to put in what you expect to get out," said Michael Kahue, Ka Pa'alana's youth program coordinator. "Prior to us coming along, they would come home after school and there was nothing for them to do so they would just wander around the shelter or get into trouble."

The program runs weekday tutoring and after-school activities for shelter students in grades K-12, and has grown to include extracurricular community outreach and Hawaiian cultural activities, such as learning how an imu works. Each Wednesday, the group heads to White Plains for a beach day.

"I think it's wonderful, what this organization is doing," said Mau. "I'm happy that this church could give them a venue to do something like this, and I think more partnerships in the future are important so that they can continue giving back."

While the program's primary focus is improving academics, Kahue says that when Kama'ehu started in January 2008, many of the students struggled socially and emotionally as well as academically.

"So we took a step back and kind of nurtured them — we did a lot of team-building activities, team sports, and built on their socialization skills," he said.

One challenge is that the high turnover rate at the shelter often doesn't allow the program to spend much time with some families, said Kahue. But for those who have participated with Kama'ehu for several months, the change is distinct.

"They've advanced so far academically, and even in their socializing. They were very shy and timid before, and now they're outgoing," said Kahue. "We see them developing good behavior. They are making a positive change."

During the summer, the program's hours expand to provide programming throughout the day during the week. This year, Kama'ehu youth have visited a lo'i (taro patch), Moli'i fishpond in Kualoa and the Polynesian Cultural Center. The program also participated in a robotics competition, where the youth built an underwater robot. Children also built personalized lamps and stools.

"We go on lots of field trips and get taught a lot of things from the Ka Pa'alana leaders about what we're not supposed to do and what we're supposed to do. I really like coming here because it's fun," said 11-year-old Na'aliyah Tagovailoa, who still participates in Kama'ehu activities after moving out of the shelter last year.

"There's a lot of kids that I can communicate with," she said. "Before I used to have anger problems, and now it doesn't bother me as much."