Grant Recipients

Partnering with our local, public high schools to host prom for students with special needs!

Ho‘ea proudly sponsored the Kaimuku High School Bulldog ”Unity Prom” 2023 to provide an inclusive opportunity for students with special needs to celebrate–and just have fun! The first Unity Prom was held in 2019, in which Ho’ea worked closely with Kaimuki High School Staff and Faculty to coordinate the inaugural event which was held in the school’s gym. While this annual event was put on hold starting 2020, Ho’ea did not miss a beat for 2023. This year’s prom was held at the Waialae Country Club– complete with buffet, photographer Garrett Nose, DJs, and special VIP guests from University of Hawai’i Athletics. And once again, Ho‘ea’s sponshorship meant the entire event was at no cost to the students who joined from Kaimuki, Kalani, and McKinley High Schools (along with some of their fellow classmates, support staff, and aids). It was a heartwarming prom to remember. As Hawai’i News Now so aptly put it: “A coming-of-age event for everyone: Unity Prom gives all types of learners a chance to celebrate.”

Launched by Punahou School in partnership with the Hawaii State Department of Education

The PUEO Program was launched by Punahou School in 2005 in partnership with the Hawai’i State Department of Education. PUEO is designed to inspire public school students from challenging circumstances to develop the skills and confidence to excel in school and attain their college aspirations. Forty students enter the program each year as rising sixth graders and remain with the program for seven summers. The program currently partners with more than 60 Hawai’i and continental U.S. public and private schools.

A legacy of Pacific Ocean exploration

Founded on a legacy of Pacific Ocean exploration, the Polynesian Voyaging Society seeks to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs that inspire students and their communities to respect and care for themselves, each other, and their natural and cultural environments.

KA‘I is a public-private school partnership between ‘Iolani School and Pālolo Valley schools.

The KA‘I Programs (Kūkulu Alaka‘i ‘Iolani, "Creation of Leaders") began in 2010 as a public-private school partnership between ‘Iolani School and Jarrett Middle School in Pālolo Valley. KA‘I has since grown as a community partnership with Pālolo Valley, and now includes KA‘I Keiki, KA‘I Kūlana, and a School Year Wrap-Around Tutoring Program. The KA‘I Programs currently serve more than 100 students from preschool to postsecondary education. The KA‘I Programs are committed to the long-term empowerment and positive growth of Pālolo Valley youth. By partnering with key community stakeholders and connecting students with transformative opportunities and leadership development, the KA‘I Programs seek to create sustainable change for its students and the Pālolo Valley community.

Pearl City‘s American Youth Soccer Organization

AYSO is a non-profit organization that provides youth soccer programs for participants all over the United States and internationally in the Virgin Islands and Trinidad and Tobago. Consisting of over 50,000 teams and 500,000 players nationwide, AYSO is one of the leading youth soccer organizations in the world. It is often called “the biggest soccer club in the world.”

Quality education in the culinary and pastry arts

The mission of Kapiolani Community College’s Culinary Arts Program is to provide a quality education in the culinary and pastry arts with an emphasis on blending the classical techniques with the global influences of our unique geographic location. This mission is achieved through a progressive curriculum, operational excellence, multi-industry alliances and the promotion of lifelong learning.

To reduce and prevent drug abuse in Hawaii through awareness, education, and action.

The Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii provides innovative services that help keep Hawaii’s children and families healthy, strong, and resilient against drug and alcohol abuse. Formed in 1987 out of a spirit of business and community concern, CDFH is a highly regarded leader in the substance abuse prevention field. Every child in the islands should have the opportunity to grow up drug-free. To accomplish this, we conduct nationally recognized family strengthening services, best practice programs for youth, capacity building with communities, training and technical assistance, and public awareness campaigns. Our Prevention Resource Center also serves as Hawaii’s Regional Alcohol and Drug Awareness Resource (RADAR) Center for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention educational materials, resources, and programs.

4 Moanalua High students competed & won University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Global Regions Finale

How do you measure the success of financial education for high school students? Get some 80 freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors from around the world into a high-tech conference room atop Wharton’s Huntsman Hall, and let their financial knowledge and conviction lead the way. Knowledge@Wharton High School and Aberdeen Asset Management, a global asset management company with U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia, did just that on Saturday, April 30 – also the final day of Financial Literacy Month in the U.S. — during our fourth-annual Investment Competition Wharton Day Finale. They welcomed more than 130 invited high school students, educators, parents and financial professionals to participate in the presentation, observation and evaluation of the 16 finalist teams from this year’s 2015-2016 KWHS Investment Competition, sponsored by Aberdeen. Fifteen student teams competed the day of the Wharton Finale event (and one via conference call during the prior week) by presenting their final investment strategies to a panel of four Aberdeen judges. A total of 13 teams traveled to Wharton to present live, while two teams presented remotely via Skype. Among the live presenters were the top three Indian teams from the KWHS South Asia and Middle East regional competition. The finalists were selected from a group of more than 200 teams that submitted investment policies in January and March. Those final written policies were the culmination of 10 weeks of learning investing concepts, developing strategies in teams of four to nine students, placing online trades through Wharton’s OTIS platform, and thinking critically and creatively. OMG Capital, a team of four students from Moanalua High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, won the second-place prize of $1,000.