HCAP WEEKLY April 4, 2022

Hā Initiative Students Visit MadSci Lab

Hā Initiative: Creative STEM After-School Program students took a field trip to MadSci Lab at Ala Moana Center, where they learned about 3D printing and coding, and concocted slime. More than 50 students from HCAP’s Kalihi, Leeward, Honolulu, and Windward STEM Exploration Centers attended the field trip.

“Our Hā Initiative students had an amazing time on the field trip to MadSci Lab,” said Hā Initiative Program Manager Julianna Lehman. “As a teacher, it was really fun to see how the students were able to apply what we learned about chemical interactions in the classroom to the activities conducted at MadSci Lab. An added benefit was for the students to see folks who took their love for science and turned it into a business and career for themselves.”

At MadSci Lab, students got to observe a 3D printer and various 3D-printed objects. They also participated in hands-on activities, taking turns at the slime and coding stations. To learn basic coding skills, students used computers to code a simple game. They had fun creating and customizing their own slime to take home, with different colors, textures, and scents.

HCAP Staff Provide Employment Services to Work Furlough Participants

HCAP’s Central and Kalihi-Palama District Service Centers recently welcomed back work furlough program participants from the Oʻahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC), Laumaka Work Furlough Center, and the Waiawa Correctional Facility after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this long-standing partnership, HCAP supports work furlough participants’ job-seeking and reentry by connecting them with the Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services Program.

The Central and Kalihi-Palama District Service Centers hosted employment preparation and job development classes taught by HCAP staff, in which participants learned how to create an email account, write an effective resume, and apply for jobs online. Central District Service Center staff also offered classes at the Waiawa Correctional Facility. Many work furlough program participants have little to no computer skills, and are excited to learn how to send and receive emails. Participants also received assistance with other employment essentials, including Holo Cards for transportation, tools, clothes, shoes, and hygiene products to help them return to the workforce.

HCAP staff are proud of this ongoing partnership, and are looking forward to seeing the work furlough program participants meet their employment goals and achieve stability.

Going on a Bug Hunt with HCAP Head Start

The keiki at Maunawili Head Start are studying insects. This week, they learned about an ant’s body composition: Head, thorax, abdomen, six legs and antennae. While on a bug hunt, the keiki discovered an ant hill. They observed the ants’ movements as they transported food into the ant hill. Upon returning from their bug hunt, Ava created a visual representation of the ants using red and black paint and her thumbprints.

HCAP Continues COVID-19 Precautions for Staff, Clients and Community

The health and safety of staff and clients remains a priority at HCAP amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This week, Windward District Service Center staff attended a KEY Project ʻOhana Food Bank drive-through event to distribute masks and COVID-19 home test kits to attendees, provided by the Koʻolauloa Health Center. Although the indoor mask mandate on Oʻahu was recently lifted, Windward District Service Center staff want to ensure that masks and tests are still easily accessible to those who may need them, including kūpuna and individuals living in multigenerational households.

All staff and visitors are continuing to wear masks while in HCAP facilities across Oʻahu, including HCAP’s Corporate and Head Start offices, District Service Centers, the Kumuhonua Transitional Living Center, and Head Start classrooms. HCAP has stayed abreast of public health trends and best practices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to do so, to protect staff, clients, and the community.