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
Mahalo Miloliʻi
Over twenty years ago I was a UH graduate student, interning for the back-then very-new Marine Program for the Nature Conservancy in Hawai‘i. Invited by Uncle (and eventual State Senator) Gil Kahele, Miloliʻi was my first community-based ocean management ‘project.’ Over the course of many late-night talk story sessions, day-long dives, canoe paddles, and […]
Own Your Own Future Grant Opportunity
Parents and caregivers play a key role in promoting upward mobility and motivating their children to think about future employment. When families are involved and engaged in their child’s education, students are more likely to improve their attendance, earn higher grades, graduate, and go to college. With the rapidly changing economy and the often-challenging college […]
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 […]
Welcome Maria!
The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation is thrilled to welcome Maria Quidez to our team! Maria steps in as our Education Program Associate, responsible for supporting the community driven Pilina Fund, our ‘āina based education work across the Koʻolau region and statewide efforts to strengthen public education. Maria has significant experience working with adolescents through her […]