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
Hawaiʻi in the Face of Federal Turmoil
A good friend and partner who runs a grassroots community non-profit in rural Oʻahu approached me a few weeks ago. The consistent recipient of significant Federal funding over many years to support Native Hawaiian services—particularly for underserved children, those monies were recently pulled, abruptly and completely. After already letting two-thirds of her staff go, she […]
The Case for Investing in What Works: Lessons from GoodJobsHI
Imagine after high school, that you chose immediate income over college, taking a service job that offered quick money but little long-term growth. Now, you are in a position with no room to advance and your wages soon won’t be enough to support the family that you hope to start. This short-term gain came at […]