It is with deep gratitude and humility that I begin my new role as Chair of the Board of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation. Across six decades, the Foundation has partnered with remarkable organizations and community leaders working to improve the lives of people across Hawaiʻi. To help steward an institution with such a rich history […]
Reflections from HKLCF Fellow, Krysta Reese
My first interaction with philanthropy started at the YMCA of Honolulu as a volunteer for its Annual Support Campaign to raise money for program scholarships. Later through the YMCA Teen Program, I was able to engage in the Youth Participatory Action Research Grant (YPAR). YPAR guided our team through the entire life cycle of a grant. We identified issues […]
The Hawaiʻi Youth Apprenticeship Network (HYAN)
The pageantry of Hawaii’s high school graduation season–better than anywhere else in the country–is upon us. For many, this is a culminating moment to celebrate the accomplishments of young people and their ‘ohana. But once all the lei are given out and the graduations parties end, what comes next for nearly 12,000 public school graduates? […]
Skilled Trades: Reflections and Projections
Over the last two years, our Foundation has proudly invested in a focused portfolio of seven grants—each designed to help more young people in Hawaiʻi enter the skilled trades, especially those from underrepresented and rural communities. We marked the close of this work at our Skilled Trades Final Convening in late 2025 at Honolulu Community […]
Launching our Foundation Newsletter
HKLCF Newsletter December 2025 by Eric Co