HCAP WEEKLY August 11, 2025

Kalihi Client Receives Tuition Assistance to Complete Dental Assisting Academy

Rowenta is 21-years-old and received her General Educational Development (GED) through the Hawaii Job Corps program. Looking for different ways to help provide for her family, she applied for a dental assistant course with the Hawaii Dental Assisting Academy (HDAA). The staff at HDAA referred her to HCAP’s Kalihi-Palama District Service Center for tuition assistance through the Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services (ECS) Program.

After completing her intake and qualifying for the ECS program, she was able to receive assistance with her tuition costs for the dental assisting program. Rowenta had also recently found a part-time job to help her family pay monthly expenses while attending school. Through her hard work, she completed her dental assisting classes and received her certification in July 2025. She is hoping to be more financially stable after getting a job with her newly obtained certification.

Rowenta is now looking for a job that utilizes her dental assisting certification. Her dedication and commitment to achieve her dream is a great start towards her journey in the dental field. Based on her positive attitude and strong ambition, Kalihi-Palama staff have no doubt she will be successful in the future. HCAP congratulates her on her accomplishment and wishes her all the best as she starts this new chapter of her life as she journeys towards self-reliance.

Click here to learn more about Nā Lima Hana.

Kumuhonua Participant Completes Nurse Aide Certification and Moves Into Permanent Housing

Kumuhonua Transitional Living Center (KTLC) would like to congratulate program participant, Adrienne, who has secured permanent housing on August 1st, 2025. Adrienne started her journey at KTLC in November 2022. Since then, Adrienne has been working hard to stay on track by keeping all her meetings with her case manager, Carolyn Pule, and working through the barriers that obstructed her from securing permanent housing. Adrienne has also been working closely with Nola at HCAP’s Kalaeloa District Service Center for employment counseling services through the Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services (ECS) Program.

Through the ECS program, Adrienne was able to enroll into a nurse aide program at Professional Healthcare Educators and completed her certification. Now, Adrienne is employed as a Nurse Aide and she has stated that she loves her job. While working, Adrienne has been putting money aside each paycheck so that when it was time for her to obtain her housing, she would have saved up enough to pay for her first month’s rent and her deposit.

Despite Adrienne being homeless and all the challenges she has faced, Adrienne remained positive and never gave up. Since her stay here at Kumuhonua, not only has Adrienne increased her income, but she has also gained the tools that she needed to be successful. Adrienne has expressed to her case manager, Carolyn Pule, and Kalaeloa manager, Nola, that she is very excited to finally have a place to call her own. Adrienne stated that she will be forever grateful for all the help that she has received from all staff at KTLC.

KTLC staff are all proud of the work that was put into making this a successful and positive transition for Adrienne and they wish her the best of luck in this new chapter of her life.

Click here to learn more about KTLC.

The Hā Initiative After-School Program is Back In Session!

Hā Initiative: Creative STEM After-School Program staff are excited to be back in action as they kick off another school year full of creativity, exploration, and STEM discovery! This week marked the official start of the after-school programming, and what better way to launch the season than by connecting with students and families at two of the program’s partnering schools.

The first outreach event took place at Princess Victoria Kaʻiulani Elementary School’s Open House. The STEM teachers were thrilled to welcome returning students and many new faces along with their families into the Hā Initiative ohana. This was a great opportunity to introduce everyone to the wide range of engaging opportunities the program offers: from hands-on STEM lessons and experiments to digital learning, family gatherings, field trips, and the program’s robotics team.

One of the most popular activities at the Open House was an interactive spinner wheel game, which challenged students to answer STEM trivia questions covering a wide range of topics like predators and prey, magnets, bubbles, habitats, energy, and water. The kids were excited to test what they knew and just as eager to learn new concepts. Another highlight of the day was a handmade marble roller coaster. Students took turns playing with it, watching how gravity, speed, energy, and angles worked together to move the marble from the start to the end of the roller coaster.

Later in the week, the STEM teachers continued the excitement at Hauʻula Elementary School, where they were met with an equally enthusiastic group of students. The room was buzzing as kids gathered around our handmade catapults, trying to launch candy into a target. There were lots of laughs, cheering, and a healthy dose of problem-solving as they adjusted their aim and strategies with each try.

Throughout both events, the teachers were reminded of how meaningful it is to spark interest in STEM through creativity and community. It was heartwarming to see families engaging alongside their children and showing support for their learning journeys. The Hā Initiative staff couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the year. Here’s to a new school year full of growth, discovery, and inspiration.

Click here to learn more about Hā Initiative.