photo caption: students from Kailua, Kalaheo and Kahuku High Schools celebrate completion of internships with Hawaii Herald, Kuilima Farms, Makai Pet Hospital, Ōlelo Media and Pixar Animation, and Tofu Creative. My interest in education as a career was sparked while watching my grandmother teach French to seventh grade students in upper Manhattan. I was ten at […]
Expanding Our Work in Middle Schools
Think back to your middle school years. How did you feel on your first day walking onto a new campus after spending seven years at your last school? Did you get lost trying to find each of your different classrooms? Do you remember how awkward it felt when the lunch bell rang and you couldn’t […]
Announcing our new Climate Resiliency Strategy
The Harold Castle Foundation’s first new strategy in over 20 years. Photo Credit: Hawaii Sea Grant King Tides Project, Rafael Bergstrom 2017 We are at a critical moment for our state and our planet: we know that unavoidable climate impacts are here and that even with aggressive climate action, they will persist through the second half […]
Maui Will Rise
by Terry GeorgePhoto Credit: Naʻalehu Anthony We are only two weeks into the worst disaster for our state since statehood and the deadliest fire in the United States in over a century. At the time of this writing, the fires in West Maui and upcountry are still not 100% contained, but what we know so […]
Why don’t more students go to college?
Column originally appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on April 30, 2023 By Laura Bekes, Alem Tecle and Alex Harris Only about half (51 percent) of the graduating high school class of 2022 matriculated to a 2- or 4-year college, a statistic that has remained flat for the last several years. This is troubling as higher […]
Preschool for Every Keiki
The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation’s education grantmaking primarily focuses on the K-12 through higher education pathways for students. But sometimes, an opportunity is too good to pass up. This is certainly the case with our recent investment (of time more than money) in the effort to dramatically expand preschool access in Hawaii. Why is this […]
Mālama Kahana and Huilua Fishpond
The Huilua fishpond, located in Kahana, is one of a handful of ʻia loko (fishponds) that still exist on ‘Oahu. Hoʻāla ʻĀina Kūpono, led by community members from and of the Kahana ahupua’a, aim to continue stewardship of Huilua fishpond, including the mākāhā in need of restoration. The organization’s leaders are students of both the […]
Windward Community College Enrollment
Nestled at the base of the Ko’olau mountain range lies the emerald campus of Windward Community College. Celebrating its 50th birthday, this institution serves as the gateway to higher education for residents of Ko’olauloa and Ko’olaupoko. Early in the pandemic, though, troublingly low student enrollment rates plummeted even further. We sought to meet the challenge […]
Aloha Ko’olau: Fostering Pilina in Windward O’ahu Communities
While we look ahead to the relaunch of the Pilina Fund Grant to build community resiliency in Windward Oʻahu, it seems an appropriate time to look back and celebrate the good work achieved by committed groups throughout the region during the first-year pilot of the fund. The Castle Foundation, like many other similar organizations, grappled […]
Our Shared Impact
Koʻolau Pilina Fund Now Accepting Applications
The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation is excited to announce that the Ko‘olau Pilina Fund has reopened for applications. Now in itʻs second year, the fund prioritizes projects specifically tailored to Ko‘olau communities on Oʻahu from Kahuku to Makapuʻu. The purpose of the Koʻolau Pilina Fund (the fund) is to build community resilience in the Koʻolau […]
Public Schools Show Encouraging Recovery
Hawaii Strive HI data and test results were released last week. We now know that students are recovering from learning struggles made worse by the pandemic but they are no means where they should be in order to be ready for college and the workplace. Today, the National Assessment of Education Progress was released. These […]
Koʻolau Housing Hui:
When there’s a confluence of need and opportunity, that’s usually a good time for philanthropy to step up. The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation saw that need during the first year of the pandemic, when so many families lost work and income and were unable to fully pay their rent. Opportunity came in the form of […]
Strengthening the Koʻolau Hawaiian-focused Charter School ʻĀina Hui
(Guest commentary by Alice J. Kawakami and Chelsea N. K. Keehne) Since 2018, Koʻolaupoko Hawaiian-focused Charter Schools (HFCS) and ʻāina partners have cultivated pilina between students and ʻāina, with support from the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation and Kamehameha Schools. Our schools (Ke Kula o Samuel M. Kamakau, Malama Honua PCS, and Hakipuʻu Academy) and ʻāina […]
Middle School Transition Partnership Fund
The deadline for applications has passed and we are no longer accepting proposals. You can download the full RFP here our watch our informational video below. You can contact Maria Quidez should you have any additional questions. For many students, their time spent in middle school will be their shortest tenure at a public educational […]
Career Pathways Quality Incentive Grant
The Quality Incentive Grant opportunity has now closed and we are no longer accepting applications. College and career pathways offer the promise of better outcomes for low-income students, such as higher credit accumulation, lower high school dropout, better college enrollment and persistence. Motivated by this promise, regional education leaders across Hawaii are advancing pathways into […]
Skilled Trades Request for Partnership
The Skilled Trades RFP has now closed and we are no longer accepting applications. “Skilled trades” refer to occupations that require specialized training and technical expertise in areas such as construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and welding. A new analysis shows the critical role that skilled trades play in Hawaiʻi’s economy and their impact on the […]