Hello Family and Community Engagers! It’s Kamela from Hōkūpaʻa, reaching out about our new role for the complex area. Hōkūpaʻa is a project under the nonprofit Friends of the Future; we often partner with the DOE complex area for special projects that benefit youth. Over the past several years, we’ve met with FACEs about research projects, helped make connections, and provided mini grants (more on that below).
Kamela Souza, Hōkūpa‘a Project Director

For FACEs:

1. HB1896, a bill to fund community schools, is no longer viable this legislative session, having failed to get its last necessary hearing scheduled.

For students:

1. The Hawaii Keiki Museum’s Arne & Ruth Werchick Scholarship application is due April 22nd (was April 7th; the deadline was extended but they didn't update the webpage yet). These scholarships are for college-bound students that want to do STEM projects that will benefit the island. https://www.hawaiikeikimuseum.org/scholarship 

For anyone:

1. The State’s Department of Health is hosting a Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month sign-waving event on Kuakini Highway, Thursday May 7th 11am-12pm. Flyer is attached. 

We are continuing to offer mini grants that cover student leadership development, SEL development, and benefits to school families and communities (up to $500). This year, we have an exciting new expansion: We are now also offering larger grants up to $2,500 for strong student-designed and led projects! 

We plan to build off these larger projects to foster interest and energy around what the students did. That could be through conversations, convenings, or an awareness campaign. We will also help connect students with people in the community that can keep their momentum going. 

You can read more about the updated grant process and apply through this Form.

It’s been a while since we all met, so please let me know if you have updates about what’s going on at your campus!  I plan to update the campus-based resource map for next semester, so please let me know if you have opened new Family Resource Centers, health centers, food pantries, etc. The map from the end of last spring is in the attachments.

I’d also be happy to talk or visit and write a feature for our newsletter, where you can share about upcoming events and ask for volunteers and donations.