Hōkūpaʻa Updates
Resources, community news, and bright spots.
Cup-of-Cheer 2025-2026
Cup-of-Cheer has grown a lot over the past five years, but the mission is the same as when we started: uplift and promote positive connections on school campuses by showing appreciation for all school personnel…With 2025’s fall semester pau, we have visited 16 out of the 19 public schools in the Honokaʻa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena Complex Area, and we will visit our 17th in May. This is already another record-breaking year for participation, reaching over 1,000 school personnel!
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.
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.
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: 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.
Bright Spot: Konawaena Elementary Family Craft Night
Families can always use more positive opportunities to visit their student’s campus. Mandatory meetings with teachers and other staff can be seen as a chore or even provoke anxiety. But we know that good things happen when families, students, and staff gather together to do something fun.
BRIGHT SPOT: NO KE OLA PONO O NĀ KEIKI FIELD DAYS
What better way to uplift everyone than by coming together to host fun elementary school field days? Led by the West Hawaii Department of Education district office, these GEER Grant-funded* “No Ke Ola Pono O Nā Keiki” — roughly translated as “For the Health of Our Children” field day events include activities, sports equipment, and refreshments for students, teachers, and school staff.
BRIGHT SPOT: "WINTER WONDERLAND" AT KE KULA 'O 'EHUNUIKAIMALINO
What to do when Winter Break is approaching and everyone could use a boost?
Kumu Alapaʻi Kaulia, the Parent Community Networking Coordinator at Ke Kula ʻO ʻEhunuikaimalino, applied for a Hōkūpaʻa mini grant for a drive-through “Winter Wonderland.”
STORIES FROM THE FIELD: CINCO DE MAYO CUP-OF-CHEER AT HONOKA'A
As the unprecedented 2020-2021 School Year comes to a close, we wanted to share some photos from a fun school event with Honoka‘a High & Intermediate School and Honoka‘a Elementary School. While we weren’t there for the whole event, we were able to kick things off with a spin on our usual morning coffee “Cup-of-Cheer.”
Teacher Feature #1: Geri Ann Davidson of Kahakai
There are many good things happening in our West Hawaiʻi schools and we appreciate the opportunity to share what our teachers and schools are doing. Geri Ann Davidson is our first teacher to be featured. Enjoy!