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 […]
We are in this Together
by The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation staff What is happening? We find ourselves in unsettling times. In addition to a possible recession and threatened civil liberties, the impact of the Federal Government’s far-off actions is felt keenly on our shores. Hundreds of the 7,500 nonprofits in Hawaiʻi that employ 56,000 people face immediate budget shortfalls. Some of our 24,545 […]
Middle School Transition Partnership Fund – Career Readiness
Presentation and Video from Informational Webinar About the RFPFor many students, their time spent in middle school will be their shortest tenure at a public educational institution. It is also a time of greater independence, new friends, more demanding coursework and new learning opportunities. One of the HIDOE strategic plan goals is to ensure that […]
Welcome Amber!
The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation is thrilled to welcome Dr. Amber Waialea Datta as our new Marine Program Officer. Amber brings an impressive background in marine and coastal conservation, rooted in a deep commitment to indigenous stewardship, adaptive governance, and community-based resource management—particularly across the Pacific. A lifelong learner and collaborator, Amber recently completed a […]
Removing Barriers to Opportunity: The Hawaiʻi Renewable Learning Fund
In Hawaiʻi, we know that a resilient future depends on a strong local workforce. But even the most motivated student won’t complete a program they can’t afford. That’s why the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, in partnership with Social Finance, launched the Hawaiʻi Renewable Learning Fund—a zero-interest, no-fee loan program now available to low-income juniors and […]
Hawaii Youth Apprenticeship Network Design Sprint RFP
If you will be the Lead Organization for the partnership, click the button above to register to submit a proposal. Please note that the Lead Organization must be based in Hawaii. You can view the Informational Webinar for applicants below and download the presentation slides. Youth apprenticeship is a strategy that helps young people ages […]
Harold K.L. Castle Foundation Announces New Leadership Effective July 1
Dear Friends and Partners in Making Hawai’i a Place Where Our Children Can Thrive, On behalf of the board, I would like to share with you our appointment of two new leaders after current President and CEO Terry George retires on July 1, 2025 after 22 years of dedicated service. I am pleased to announce […]
Read the 2024 Harold K.L. Castle Impact Report
HKLCF Newsletter December 2025 by Eric Co
20-Year Windward Oʻahu Lookback
August 1, 2003 was my first day on the job as Executive Director of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation. I wanted to start by properly grounding myself in this place, so on my lunch hour I went to the area just below Ulupō Heiau in Kailua, just behind the Windward YMCA, looking for Doc Burrows. […]
Get Outside Hawaiʻi!
If you’ve been in Hawaiʻi long enough, you’ve caught an episode of the popular television show, Outside Hawaiʻi. Delivered straight to your living rooms for over 20 years by host Jen Boneza and the familiar sound of that oh-so-catchy ukulele picking ditty, it remains local cable channel OC16’s highest rated program. Each segment reaches an average of 55,000 […]