Hui Malama O Ke Kai

After-school programming - the foundation-building hmk keiki program intensively serves up to fifty 5th & 6th graders each year, while the project-based hmk `opio program serves up to thirty 7th-12th graders annually. Hmk works directly with the local doe schools, community partners and extended families to identify and enroll waimanalo's most vulnerable youth. These two vital hmk after-school programs follow the doe calendar and provide culturally grounded ocean and land-based youth development and leadership activities monday - friday from the ending of the school day until 6:00pm. Specifically, the after-school program day always begins with traditional Hawaiian protocol and is followed by a healthy snack, including a daily fruit/vegetable, as well as a full hour of homework assistance. Students then partake in the Hawaiian values-based learning activity for the day which occurs on-site, within the waimanalo community or around o`ahu at-large. The older `opio students participate in specific papahana (projects) that facilitate their involvement in age- appropriate experiences, community service projects and mentoring opportunities focused on leadership and cultural development, as well as attainment of higher education program/career readiness goals. The hmk keiki and `opio after-school programs provide over twenty-five hours of culturally grounded after-school youth development programming strategically combined with family strengthening services, five to six days each week, at no cost to participating families other than a commitment to become more involved in their children's lives. Higher education and internship programming - additionally, services for college-age after-school program alumni (ages 18-24) have recently been formalized allowing the hmk alaka`i program to offer higher education/vocational training support simultaneously with paid professional internships within the organization resulting in a cadre of very high- caliber young employees. Now blessed with a 44-year lease on 11 acres of land, the development of the hmk site will serve as a cornerstone for increased and meaningful internships by integrating Hawaiian traditions and cultural practices with progressive site-based development plans. Family strengthening & community building programming - and finally, the hmk `ohana program connects with Hawaiian families at their na`au (core) and speaks to them with dignity, respect and cultural pride. This is accomplished through the delivery of monthly evening/weekend activities and on-going family and community building workshops such as papa kalai papa me pohaku ku`i `ai (traditional poi board and stone carving class) and papahana kalai wa`a (traditional canoe carving class) as well as monthly site-based activities such as construction of waimanalo's first modern-day traditional canoe house (hale wa`a). Hmk's unique approach to serving children daily and their extended families in further activities throughout the program year results not only in healthy youth development, but also increases factors such as healthy family bonding and enabling a tight-knit community with strong social safety-net supports. A cultural educational learning center - the hmk organization has fairly recently acquired an eleven-acre site within the community and has spent the last two years cleaning and clearing the land and partially renovating the existing buildings. There is still much to do, however, our goal of developing a cultural, educational learning center for the children and families of waimanalo keeps us moving forward. Our vision is to build a model, modern-day, working ahupua`a on the land while expanding and sustaining high-quality youth and family programming. This will require a culturally grounded sustainability plan/business model that guides site development including but not limited to: the building of traditional buildings (hale wa`a - canoe house - currently in progress, halau - communal gathering space), agricultural cultivation projects (kalo/ti leaf/breadfruit/kukui nut oil), hands-on cultural projects (lo`i/mala, a hula pa, native gardens - currently being developed) and space for expanded youth/family programming as well as cultural/community events. Additionally, the children and families of Hui Malama O Ke Kai, and the community as a whole, will also be given the chance to be deeply involved in the development of this site/community resource.