Hawaii-Pacific Foundation Inc

TO EMPOWER HAWAIIAN COMMUNITIES BY SUPPORTING PROGRAMS THAT IMPROVE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS TO THE SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.

THE HAWAII-PACIFIC FOUNDATION FOR SOFT POWER SOLUTIONS, INC. (HPF) IS A NATIVE HAWAIIAN ORGANIZATION (NHO) FOUNDED IN MAY 2010. NHO'S ARE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY SERVICE ENTITIES WHICH SUPPORT THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY AS DEFINED BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA). DEEPLY ROOTED IN FEDERAL LAW, AN NHO'S PURPOSES IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY THROUGH ITS MAJORITY OWNERSHIP AND OPERATION OF ONE OR MORE SMALL BUSINESS 8(A) FOR-PROFIT FIRMS. THE NHO'S ABLITY TO ACHIEVE ITS CONGRESSIONAL MANDATE IS, THEREFORE, DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE SUCCESS OF ITS SMALL BUSINESS 8(A) ENTITIES.GRANTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE HAWAII YOUTH CHALLENGE ACADEMY FOUNDATION (HYCA). THE HYCA TRAINS AND MENTORS 16-18-YEAR-OLD HIGH SCHOOL DROP-OUTS TO BECOME PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. THESE TARGETED YOUTH HAVE THE GREATEST RISK FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE, TEEN PREGNANCY, DELINQUENCY AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. 2018 GRANTS HAVE SUPPORTED GENERAL PROGRAMS AND A BRIDGE PROGRAM FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING. A SEVERE TEACHER SHORTAGE AND TURNOVER IN DISADVANTAGED SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAS IMACTED PRIMARY EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS. HPF CONTRIBUTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII - WEST OAHU EDUCATION PATHWAY PROGRAM PUEO SCHOLARS PROJECT WHICH EDUCATES AND TRAINS TEACHERS FROM WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES. THE GOAL IS TO RETURN THE TEACHERS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY CAN RELATE TO SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND UNDERSTAND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES RESULTING IN HIGHER SUCCESS RATES FOR BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. 2018 GRANTS SUPPORTED TEACHER TRAINING ACTIVITIES AND STUDENT RECOGNITION EVENTS.DOD STARBASE FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON 5TH GRADE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHO ARE SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMERS OR DISABLED. IT FACED STUDENT TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES THAT JEOPARDIZED THE CONTINUATION OF THIS STEM PROGRAM FOR OVER 28 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ON HAWAII ISLAND. 2018 GRANTS FUNDED A COMMERCIAL TRANSPORATION CONTRACT THAT WAS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM ALLOWING STUDENTS TO CONTINUE THIS STEM PROGRAM. THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I AT MANOA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK'S VISION IS TO ACHIEVE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HEALTH EQUITY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAWAI'I AND CITIZENS IN A CHANGING WORLD. THEIR UNIQUE FOCUS IS ON RESOLVING PROBLEMS AND BUILDING RESILIENCY IN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE WORLD, WITH SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND INDIGENOUS WISDOM AND PERSPECTIVES. THEY ARE DEDICATED TO PROVIDING AN ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE IN SOCIAL WORK, PUBLIC HEALTH AND GERONTOLOGY. PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT FROM THEIR WORK ARE FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS WHO EXPERIENCE DEVASTATING PROBLEMS OF POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; DEBILITATING ILLNESSES SUCH AS CANCER, HEART DISEASE AND DEMENTIA; AND TRAUMATIC NATURAL DISASTERS. THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK DISTINGUISHES ITSELF AS THE ONLY HIGHER EDUCATION UNIT IN THE PACIFIC BASIN REGION WITH THREE PROGRAMS SRTICULATING UNDERGRADUATE (BSW) AND GRADUATE EDUCATION (MSW, PHD). 2018 GRANTS SUPPORTED SCHOLARSHIPS, OFF SITE AND COMMUNITY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, STUDENT RECOGNITION EVENTS AND THE CREATION OF AN ENDOWMENT FUND.THE MISSION OF N? PUALEI O LIKOLEAHUA IS TO PREPARE WOMEN, MEN, YOUNG ADULTS AND CHILDREN TO BECOME PRACTITIONERS OF HAWAIIAN CULTURE, TO CARRY ON THE TRADITIONS SURROUNDING HULA, BE LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TO BECOME TEACHERS OF HULA. SINCE 1976 H?LAU N? PUALEI O LIKOLEHUA OVER 1,000 WAHINE AND K?NE HAVE STUDIED TO BECOME STEWARDS OF HAWAIIAN CULTURE AND TO PRESERVE THE TRADITIONS AND PERPETUATE HULA AS A LIVING ART AND DANCE FORM. WITH ALL THE TALENT AND KNOWLEDGE WITHIN THE H?LAU THER IS NO ONE THAT CAN DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT AND MAINTAIN A WEBSITE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. THEY NEED A MODERN VENUE AND RESOURCEFUL WAY TO PROMOTE THEIR EVENTS, ACTIVITIES AND EDUCATIONAL WORKS TO ASSIST IN TEACHING AND SHARING CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE ACROSS GENERATIONS, FAMILIES, VISITORS ANF THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. THE 2018 GRANT SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN OF A WEBSITE.