Report to Members
201 7 Supporting the future of our community and our Kūki‘o ‘ohana.
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Dear Kūki‘o Community Friends and Partners We love Hawai‘i Island. That’s why we spend as much time here as our busy lives allow; enjoying the beauty of the glistening ocean, taking in the peaceful breezes and spending time with our family and friends. We are growing roots here and want to support the community to thrive as a place of opportunity and success. The Kūki‘o Community Fund is a way for us to be a part of this place by supporting great programs that prepare the next generation to make good decisions that will impact their families and ours. Nurturing the ethos of the whole island makes it a better place for all of us to live and enjoy. The focus of this fund is to provide opportunities for our Kūki‘o ‘ohana (extended family) and the young people of this island. By investing in innovative youth programs, creating opportunities for higher education, and honoring the local Hawai‘i culture, we aim to benefit the families in our community. We are happy to have so many of our members join us in caring for this place and investing in our keiki (children). If you love this place, like we do, we invite you to join us in preparing local children and families for a successful future. With deep gratitude and aloha, Sally, David, Andrea, Gib, Hannah, Danielle, Ross, and Dawn Kūki‘o Community Fund Advisory Committee
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2017 Kūki‘o Community Fund Advisory Committee In partnership with local island leaders, Kūki‘o members give their time, wisdom, and resources to raise the funds needed to make community investments and grants possible — giving back to the island that gives all of us so much.
Sally Hartman
David Johnston
Andrea McTamaney
Hannah Springer
Danielle White
Ross Wilson Jr.
Past Members Samuel Ainslie Carl Carlson Benjy Garfinkle Grant Heidrich BJ Kobayashi Jim Lally Robert Punihaole (deceased) Elle Stephens
Staff The Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) brings over 100 years of experience in philanthropy in Hawai‘i, building partnerships, crafting change, sharing knowledge, and enhancing lives. By partnering with HCF, the Kūki‘o Community Fund benefits from their locally-based professional staff, deep knowledge, and cost effective infrastructure for grantmaking and operations. Lydia Clements Vice President of Foundation and Corporate Partnerships Diane Chadwick Director of Community Philanthropy — Hawai‘i Island Chelsey Chow Philanthropy Officer
Gib Myers
Dawn Zierk (Chair)
Caroline Landry and Leann Sander will join the committee in 2018.
Waimea Office 65-1279 Kawaihae Rd, Parker Square #203 Kamuela, HI 96743 (808) 885-2174
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Approximately 11% of Pālamanui’s total campus enrollment are Ēlama students.
ĒLAMA
ENLIGHTENING THE FUTURE A chance at higher education is often a dream for youth in West Hawai‘i. The Kūki‘o Community Fund’s cornerstone funding of the Ēlama Project at University of Hawai‘i’s Pālamanui Campus has provided many non-college-bound students and their famillies a chance to make dreams come true.
ĒLAMA PROJECT — BOUNDLESS HOPE The Ēlama Project’s mission is to assist non-college-bound high school students and adults to enroll and successfully complete work-ready certificates and associate degrees.
Kūki‘o Community Fund has awarded $304,691 in support of the Ēlama Project since it began in 2015.
The rate of completion has steadily risen throughout the years and the number of students enrolled has grown markedly.
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Kūki‘o Community Fund Employee Scholarships Chase Ivey, a 31-year-old first time father to a 10-month-old baby girl and second time recipient of the Kūki‘o Employee Scholarship, has been working at Kūki‘o in the Golf Course Management department for 3 years — climbing the ranks to reach the position of foreman. Before joining the Kūki‘o team, Chase worked at one dead end job after another. Kūki‘o helped Chase find enjoyment and direction in his work on the golf course. He says working at Kūki‘o “gave me a dream of someday running my own golf course.” Chase is pursuing an online degree in Turf Science through Pennsylvania State. “They have the best turf science class in the country. I want to use my degree to further my career in the golf course industry and provide a better income for my beautiful family.” “As a new father this would not be possible financially without your generous contribution.”
Chase Ivey, Kūki‘o employee scholarship recipient, and his wife Crystal celebrate their daughter's first Christmas season.
Ka ‘Imi Na‘auao — The Pursuit of Knowledge Launched in 2017, the Kūki‘o Community Fund Employee Scholarships provide Kūki‘o employees and dependents the opportunity for continued education at any accredited two- or four-year higher education institution. This opportunity is designed to be flexible to address the needs of Kūki‘o employees
that may juggle job, family, and school commitments. Students can attend either part-time or full-time and scholarships are renewable to encourage degree and training completion. These scholarships are an investment in Kūki‘o employees, their families, and the local community.
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KŪKULU MUA Building a future
By funding the STEM Learning Partnership, the Kūki‘o Community Fund is helping pave the way for Hawai‘i Island’s youth to explore career pathways that never before existed. This investment in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) provides learning opportunities and prepares youth for future career success. A recent survey of Kūki‘o employees revealed that most of the schools receiving grants through this program are attended by Kūki‘o employees’ children.
The STEM Learning Partnership is supporting a transformation in the way that children are being educated. In addition to rigorous academics, students are learning life skills that will help them to be successful; skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity. Through these grants, the Kūki‘o Community Fund is reaching over 12,000 local students and 900 educators. For example, Waimea Elementary School (WES) students are bound for excellence with a new source of knowledge at their fingertips. The WES 1-to-1 Computer Program provided every second, third, fourth and fifth grader with their own laptop and has transformed the learning environment at the school. WES Principal, Scott Tamura, shared the impact of this project, “Students are now able to engage in lessons that truly prepare them for their
future by accessing an infinite amount of content knowledge that is used to problem-solve real world scenarios. Teachers now facilitate collaborative lessons in which students work with classmates and peers around the world.” In addition to the development of 21st century skills, the program has also prepared WES students to be responsible and ethical members of the community. Students are taught how to care for their computers so that they can be used beyond the manufactures expected lifespan, how to appropriately interact with others online, and what it means to be ethical technology users. Additionally, Mr. Tamura says, “Students get much more individualized instruction which dramatically increases their engagement in lessons and learning.”
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Funding for our children’s future: • Nā Kōkua o ke Kai connected Kealakehe and Hilo Intermediate schools with marine science experts at the Marine Mammal Center to support and inspire student engagement in science through real-life, contemporary challenges such as protecting Hawaiian monk seals and the extraordinary marine life ecosystem they rely on. Additionally, the program included three teacher professional development sessions and ongoing 1:1 coaching, ensuring that curriculum included STEM concepts such as calculating percentages and drawing conclusions from data. • Introduced to local teachers and schools just 5 years ago, the THINK Big Island VEX Robotics Leagues now host 70 Hawai‘i Island teams consisting of approximately 600 students, providing hands-on learning that can be applied to future careers in engineering, design, construction, and computer systems. • Kealakehe High School’s 2020 STEM Academy Cohort is building towards senior year engineering/science entrepreneurship funding to bring their work and training to market. Their first project was the creation of affordable educational resources for elementary school teachers, structured as basic, hands-on engineering challenges designed to get their students working and thinking as a team and as engineers. The challenges are being distributed in print, online, and through in-person demonstrations by cohort members.
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‘O KE KAHUA MA MUA Applying classroom learning to real world situations Like the Kūki‘o Community Fund’s investment in STEM programs at schools that serve Kūki‘o employees’ families, FLEX grants fuel nonprofits serving the Kūki‘o ‘ohana and the children of this community, creating opportunity and instilling hope that will last a lifetime.
FLEX Grants
Kūki‘o Community Fund has
The Kūki‘o Community Fund, along with like-minded Hawai‘i donors, provide high-performing nonprofit organizations serving West Hawai‘i with unrestricted funds through the Hawai‘i Community Foundation FLEX Grants program. This type of funding enables organizations to prioritize their own needs and respond to unforeseen circumstances or opportunities.
been a catalyst for change in
These grants:
the community for 17 years,
• Support youth programs that provide enriching learning opportunities like conflict resolution, nutrition science and art design.
inspiring hope, creating career paths, and enlivening the future of our Kūki‘o ‘ohana and beyond.
• Often used to scale quality programs already in place and uniquely designed for the West Hawai‘i community.
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MĀLA‘AI
The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School Māla‘ai, The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School created an outdoor living laboratory that integrates with the school’s lessons on nutrition, biology, culture and math. Part of this program’s success is through providing students a less structured environment that allows them to develop their own experiments and take ownership of their knowledge.
BIG ISLAND MEDIATION
Communicating a Brighter Path The West Hawai‘i Mediation Center (WHMC) provides peer mediation programs for public school students grades K–12, including those serving Kūki‘o families like Kohala Elementary, Parker, Waikoloa Middle, and Kealakehe Elementary and Middle Schools. This program helps to provide access to safe, confidential, youth-centered conflict resolution and empowers youth with essential life skills that will allow students to navigate conflict in positive and productive ways.
Over $2 MILLION raised and distributed in the last four years for community programs that benefit our Kūki‘o family and beyond:
$600,300
$460,999
2017
2015
$582,500
$400,750
2016
2014
HAWAI‘I INSTITUTE OF PACIFIC AGRICULTURE Sustainable Farming
Hawai‘i Institute of Pacific Agriculture’s (HIPAg) sustainable agriculture program teaches youth to be ecologically conscious and to learn propagation, composting, nutrition, cultivation and agroforestry skills. HIPAg serves schools across the island including Kanu o ka ‘Āina, Parker, Waikoloa, Kona Pacific and the Kohala schools.
KONAWAENA HIGH SCHOOL Project Graduation
Konawaena High School students designed and raised money toward their goal of holding their first annual fund and sober post-graduation celebration. FLEX funding helped provide this opportunity to 145 students who have paved the way for future generations to celebrate safely.
Together in 2017 we supported:
$155,000 for FLEX Grants
$225,000 for STEM Funding
$115,500 for Scholarships
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2017 Kūki‘o Community Fund Grantee List SCHOOLS
NONPROFITS
Chiefess Kapi‘olani Elementary School — Journey Through Time: 100 Years Past and Present
Akamai Workforce Initiative — Internship Program
Ēlama Project of Hawai‘i Community College at Pālamanui
Aloha Performing Arts Company
Hawai‘i Pacific University — eDNA Citizen Science Program at Kua o ka La New Century PCS in Hilo, Miloli‘i, and Puna
Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii, Inc.
Honoka‘a Complex Innovation Lab Honoka‘a Complex STEM Partnership Hui Kāko‘o O Laupāhoehoe Kanu o ka ‘Āina Learning ‘Ohana — Mālamapōki‘i Outdoor STEM Learning Laboratory Kea‘au Elementary School — Robotics Inspire Kea‘au High School — Cougar Tech Robotics VEX, Service Learning, Outreach, and Microrobotics Support Kealakehe High School — Building Sustainable STEM Pathways in West Hawai‘i Ke Kula 'o Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u — Ko Kula Kai Kona Pacific Public Charter School Konawaena High School Kūki‘o Employee Scholarships — Various Colleges and Universities Māla‘ai — The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School — Development of STEM Programming in Learning Gardens Marine Mammal Center — Na Kōkua o ke Kai: Advancing Middle-School Marine Science and Ocean Conservation Parker School UH-Hilo College of Continuing Education and Community Service and Krause Center for Innovation at Foothills Community College — Mini-MERIT and MADE Programs for Educators University of Hawai‘i Foundation — Hawai‘i Community College Summer STEM Academy Scholarships
After-School All-Stars Hawaii
Big Island Mediation, Inc. Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island Boys To Men Mentoring Network, Inc. Family Support Services of West Hawaii Friends of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge — Teaching Change Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park — Kīlauea Bioblitz Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Friends of the Future — Earl's Garage Girl Scouts of Hawai‘i — Girl Scouts Hawai'i Program & STEM Fest Hawai‘i Institute of Pacific Agriculture — School to Farm STEM Field Trips Hawai‘i Outdoors Institute — Hawai‘i Outdoors Institute Summit to Sea Environmental Science Course Hawai‘i Science and Technology Museum — SpartanWORKS Hilo Medical Center Foundation — Create and Navigate Opportunities in Education (CANOE) STEM Program ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i — MANU ‘Imiloa Kahilu Theatre Foundation Kahua Pa‘a Mua Inc. — Understanding Microbial Importance in Soils (UMIS) Kalanihale — STEMM ALOHA in South Kona Hawai‘i Keaukaha One Youth Development — RISE 21st Century After School Program North Kohala Community Resource Center
University of Hawai‘i SOEST — THINK Big Island VEX Robotics Leagues
Success Factory — The Success Factory, building student skill and confidence to thrive in STEM careers
Waiākea High School — Waiākea Robotics
The Kohala Center — STEM in the Natural World: Cultural and Scientific Pathways to the Careers of Tomorrow
Waiākea Intermediate School — B-Cubed: Building Better Bots — Think Outside of the Box Waimea Country School — WCS Coding & Programming Initiative Waimea Elementary School — 1 to 1 Student Computer Program
Zoological Society of San Diego — ‘Alala Reintroduction Community Inquiry Program
The Kūki‘o Community Fund was established in 2001 so that Kūki‘o members could: SUPPORT quality giving opportunities near Kūki‘o.
We invite you to learn more about what we do and how we work and encourage you to join us in making a difference on Hawai‘i Island!
LEARN more about local community needs and effective solutions.
Contributions are tax-deductible and can be made online at HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org/KukioFund, be delivered to the concierge, or sent to:
LEVERAGE their philanthropy in Hawai‘i with other like-minded investors. Together, we are making a difference. Mahalo for your commitment, your involvement, and your generosity!
Kūki‘o Community Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation 827 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI 96813 (EIN: 99-0261283)
By supporting education and youth development, the Kūki‘o Community Fund is increasing the success of local youth in school, in work, and in life.