Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: Hāmākua Youth Foundation
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As: Hāmākua Youth Center
Mailing Address: PO Box 381
City: Honokaa
State: Hawaii
Postal Code: 96727
Main Phone: 808-775-0976
Main Fax:
Organization Website: https://www.hamakuayouthcenter.net/
Employer ID Number: 80-0410125
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date:
Requested Amount: $10,000.00

Project Title: Hāmākua Youth Center Programs
Project Description:

Hāmākua youth are at-risk due to socioeconomic insecurity. Research shows that low-income, food insecure youth are at risk of impeded mental health and social-emotional learning outcomes, potentially having long-term consequences for self, community, and environment. Complicating matters, Hawaiʻi’s over-reliance on tourism creates a scarcity of genuine cultural practices, which can similarly erode resilience in youth.

To address these issues, we currently offer three out-of-school programs:

1. Our Afterschool Program incorporates Hawaiian pedagogy, offers social-emotional and academic support, and prioritizes outdoor time for enriched mental health.

2. Our Cultural Connections Program (i.e., intersession program) incorporates Hawaiian pedagogy, highlights environmental kinship, offers hands-on learning experiences, and includes trips to places of cultural and environmental significance.

3. Our Community Well-Being Program (i.e., food assistance) serves 200-300 families, offsets barriers associated with food insecurity, and encourages conversations about food sovereignty.

HYC follows the principle of he aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka (the land is chief and man is its steward). We promote Native Hawaiian practices such as kilo (observation of the natural world), blend scientific inquiry with mele and oli (songs and chants), and prominently incorporate ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (the Hawaiian language) into all curricula. We collaborate with numerous partners, such as Hawaiʻi Science and Technology Museum and Waipiʻo Farmers’ Association, to organize food sovereignty outreach, youth-focused cultural events, and modern and ancestral science lessons. In 2022-2023, we were proud to have been recognized as a torchbearer of Hawaiian knowledge with funding from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

We collect data on our students’ progress in social-emotional learning outcomes as well as indicators of cultural learning.

Total Project Budget: $194,904.28

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): THINK Fund (Hawaii Community Foundation) = $50,000.00 (committed); Equitable Access Arts and Culture (Hawaii Community Foundation) = $27,500.00 (committed); Atherton Family Foundation = $20,000.00 (potential); County of Hawaii Waiwai Program = $20,000.00 (potential); State of Hawaii Grants-in-Aid Program = $20,000.00 (potential), County of Hawaii Community Well-Being Program = $15,000.00 (potential); McInerny Foundation = $30,000.00 (potential); annual fundraiser revenue = $35,000.00 (potential); annual program membership fees = $25,000.00 (potential)

Project Duration: 2026 calendar year, so any funding awarded would support programming during the second half of the 2025-2026 AY
Geographical Area Served: HYC serves the youth and families of the rural Hāmākua Coast of Hawaii Island
Age Group To Be Served: 5-16

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Ms
Contact First Name: Monica
Contact Last Name: Szczupider
Contact Title: Grant Development
Contact Phone: 808-219-2593
Contact Email: development@hamakuayouthcenter.net