Hōkūpaʻa Updates
Resources, community news, and bright spots.
Stories from the Field: 3rd Annual Puakalehua Celebrate ʻOhana Festival
It was the third annual Puakalehua Celebrate ʻOhana Festival last month! …As always, the event featured wonderful early learning providers and supporters. Twenty organizations volunteered to host tables with hands-on keiki activities and goodies, along with plenty of information.
Stories from the Field: Footsteps to Transition Fair
The Footsteps to Transition Fair in Waimea served families and students with disabilities from North Hawaiʻi and Hamakua, with schools and organizations from across the islands. Dozens of community, government, education, and nonprofit partners ran tables offering attendees resources, information, connections, and fundraising goodies.
Bright Spot: Transformative Translations #2
As Transformative Translations celebrates its 5th year, the program continues growing in its mission to uplift languages and empower their speakers. Since we last interviewed the director, the Transformative Translations team has added even more options for students…
Bright Spot: Honokaʻa Dragons Spring Fair
“By giving students a chance to be in charge and contribute in a hands-on way, we supported their overall wellbeing, encouraged leadership, and helped them feel more connected — not only to each other, but to the school and community around them…This event made a real difference in how students saw themselves and each other.”
Bright Spot: School Based Health Centers by Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center
“Our School Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are a doctor’s office inside of your child’s school. The goal is to provide care that is in addition to the care received at their medical home/doctor’s office, not to replace that routine care.”
Stories from the Field: 11th Annual West Hawaiʻi Science & Engineering Fair at Pālamanui
We had so much fun spending a Saturday at the Hawaiʻi Community College - Pālamanui campus amongst enthusiastic students, teachers, and volunteers for the 11th Annual West Hawaiʻi Science & Engineering Fair.
Bright Spot: DECA Hawaiʻi Island Regionals
Almost every business leader was once a student, taking in experiences and knowledge to influence their future ideas. We like to support school and community efforts to connect students pursuing all types of passions, including those with entrepreneurial or corporate ambitions. This past January, we had a great time volunteering to help some of the island’s business-oriented high school students show off their pitching skills.
Stories from the Field: 2nd Annual Puakalehua Celebrate ‘Ohana Festival
Early learning provides a strong foundation for children to be successful lifelong learners, and it can often be a lot of fun, too! It’s especially beneficial for the whole ‘ohana when everyone gets involved. Playing and enjoying positive time together is great for bonding and learning. So we’re so glad that the second annual Puakalehua Early Learning Consortium’s Celebrate Ohana Fest was able to welcome ~1,500 people!
Stories from the Field: Elementary Career Exposure Fair, October 2024
It’s never too early or too late to explore career options! There are so many possibilities right here on Hawaii Island for kids to consider when they think about what their lives could be like after they finish school.
Youth Sustainability Summit Resolutions
The Hawai‘i Sustainability Summit held in May 2024 convened local stakeholders to keep driving the county — and the state — into a more sustainable future…the summit involved local youth in grades 8-12 to create actionable plans. Updated 9/12/24.
Bright Spot: CU Hawai‘i Youth Programming — Reality Fairs & More
Financial literacy is important, but can be daunting. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources. CU Hawai‘i does in-person and virtual financial literacy presentations for groups of all ages, and also pops up at events like community fairs, career fairs, and school family nights.
Bright Spot: Elementary Career Exposure Fair, May 2024
The careers of today and tomorrow ask for more and more skills and experience than before. The workers of tomorrow ask for the opportunities to pursue what is important to them. Finding the balance point is a challenge for everyone. By gaining knowledge and experience of their options and their preferences, our youth can approach this challenge with greater confidence and a higher chance for success.
Bright Spot: Transformative Translations
Recognizing that young people from multilingual households are often underappreciated community assets, a West Hawaiʻi teacher gathered support to launch an innovative career pathway and community service project.
Cup-of-Cheer Returns!
After a couple of years on hiatus, we are once again working with our original partners to bring back Cup-of-Cheer. The HIDOE complex area, Delta Kappa Gamma Rho Chapter, and Hōkūpaʻa are reunited with the intention to visit all 19 public schools in the Honokaʻa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena Complex Area. And we could use some help!
GUEST BLOG: Kaukau 4 Keiki Project by Laʻakea Judd, UH-Hilo Ka Pouhana Peer Mentor
Amidst the busy summer bustle, dedicated students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s Ka Pouhana Program spent six weeks leading a community project for Hilo families.
Return of the Hui for Youth Opportunities
After taking a hiatus for several months, hui collaborators reconvened in May of 2023. The hui members are passionate about address youth’s needs and aspirations so that they can be successful, well-connected, and just have fun.
Kealakehe Intermediate Students’ Community Service Ideas
This past March, Kealakehe Intermediate School hosted a career fair to introduce students to local career pathways. As part of our booth highlighting nonprofit management as a career pathway, we asked students to imagine that they could do anything to benefit their community.
Bright Spot: Holualoa Elementary School Murals
This spring, Holualoa Elementary School has been getting a powerful makeover. It’s all thanks to a collaboration between the school and its parent-teacher organization, the grassroots art nonprofit Lydia8, and the community-based organization Aloha MAP.
Stories from the Field: Kealakehe Intermediate School’s career fair
It is so important to expose kids to potential career pathways early. Especially with the multitude of new career and technical education pathways students have to choose from, it’s especially beneficial for them to learn their options before high school.
Remembering Art Souza
Art Souza was a champion for education, youth, and community for decades. Art brought so much warmth and wisdom to our navigation council, and continued to serve with us after his retirement from the Department of Education.