HCAP WEEKLY August 31, 2026

Leeward Family Replaces Appliances for Free Through Weatherization

Sasha and her family are longtime residents of the Leeward district. The family was already aware of the many programs that HCAP has to offer, but have never applied for services before. Until a social media post about HCAP’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) caught Sasha’s attention and led her to reach out to the WAP team to begin the application process. 

After processing her documents, the Weatherization team scheduled an in-home energy audit to measure and meter the household’s appliances that use high amounts of energy. Through the audit they determined that her household was eligible for free replacements of their refrigerator, stove, and solar water heater. The family also received other small measures – including lightbulbs, showerheads, power strips, and faucet aerators – to further support the home’s energy-saving journey.

Overwhelmed with joy, Sasha shared her appreciation for HCAP and the Weatherization program, “I didn’t think I could do this on my income, but If it wasn’t for HCAP, I wouldn’t be able to replace any of these appliances on my own.” 

Click here to learn more about Weatherization.

Hā Initiative’s FIRST LEGO League Team Construct Mission Models

The Hā Initiative: Creative STEM After-School Program continues to participate in FIRST LEGO League events leading up to the competition. This season’s theme is Bioglow, a celebration of biodiversity and the planet’s rainforests. Teams from the STEM Exploration Centers will construct an autonomous robot out of LEGO pieces and program it to complete a variety of tasks. 

In August, FIRST sent out materials to the classrooms for the upcoming season. This kit includes a table mat and the pieces to build 15 mission models. Each mission model requires the construction of LEGO pieces, ranging in complexity from 20 steps to almost 100 steps to complete. The teams must carefully follow the instructions to put them together and build the playfield their robot will compete on. The models themselves are kinetic, having specific features the robot can interact with. This season includes an older tree that the robot must support, a survey drone that needs to be launched into the air, and a massive old growth tree the robot must untangle the vines from.

These models need to be constructed precisely, since the robot will need to perform the same way at the competition. The construction of the models helps the teams build teamwork, communication, and understanding, as well as introducing the students to some of the concepts they will be utilizing in their presentations. It’s an exciting first step in the STEM learning process.

Click here to learn more about Hā Initiative.

Head Start Keiki Enhance Observational Skills Through Self Portraits

This week, the Head Start keiki focused on their observational skills by taking a look in a mirror. Through their self-portrait activity, children explored their facial features and expressions while connecting what they saw with their developing sense of identity. As they studied their reflections, they noticed how their faces changed when making different expressions, such as how their eyebrows moved when making an “angry face” or how their lips curved when they smiled.

Through this activity, children strengthened their awareness of themselves as unique individuals, while exploring how facial expressions can communicate emotions. They also practiced noticing and representing details such as colors, shapes, and spatial awareness in their drawings. Moving between observing themselves in the mirror and creating their portraits encourages children to pay attention to details while strengthening fine motor skills.

Click here to learn more about Head Start.