HCAP WEEKLY July 14, 2025

STEM Students’ Zoo Adventure – Learning in the Wild

This week, Hā Initiative’s STEM students had the opportunity to be zoologists during a special field trip to The Honolulu Zoo! It was a hands-on STEM experience that brought science to life.

Armed with animal cards, curiosity, and collaboration, our students participated in a zoo scavenger hunt. Their mission was to match a variety of animals to their taxonomic class and habitats—from the hot, dry deserts of the Southwest to the lush green rainforests and icy polar regions. Each clue challenged students to observe animals closely and think critically about their adaptations, diets, and environments.

Throughout the day, students practiced three important scientific skills. First, they practiced observation, which involved watching how animals move, eat, and interact with their surroundings. Next was classification, where they grouped animals by habitat, diet (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore), or type (reptile, bird, mammal, etc.). Finally, teamwork, which involves working together in small groups to complete challenges, share ideas, and make decisions—just like real field researchers.

Students were able to apply what they’ve learned about animal adaptations and ecosystems, use scientific thinking to problem-solve and make educated guesses, and experience the excitement of exploration and discovery in a natural setting.

Click here to learn more about Hā Initiative.

Windward District Service Center Forms New Community Partnerships

In forming a new partnership to bring more resources to clients seeking services, HCAP Windward District Service manager, Sonny, met with Sheena Paaoao of Pu’uhonua – Ke Kulanui Kaiāulu o ke Koʻolau at Windward Community College. Pu’uhonua: Places of Sanctuary, serves incarcerated individuals and Opportunity Youth through credit-bearing college coursework at Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility, Halawa Correctional Facility, Olomana School, and Women’s Community Correctional Center.

Sheena shared ideas of how HCAP’s Windward District Service Center could partner with the Pu’uhonua program by referring incarcerated inmates at the Women’s Correctional Facility to free college courses held in the prison. Federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education Title III Grant, inmates can receive no-to low cost college courses and earn an Associate of Arts (AA) degree while serving their time. This offers them the opportunity to obtain a college degree which will be helpful for obtaining employment once they reintegrate. HCAP is very excited about this program and looks forward to its success.

Click here to learn more about HCAP Program and Services.

Head Start Keiki Transition to Kindergarten

The countdown to kindergarten is officially on, and the keiki at HCAP Head Start are excited! These soon-to-be kindergarteners have been preparing all year for this transition by developing language through letter recognition and sentence formation, recognizing rhymes, patterns, and completing simple computation with blocks, colorful beads and other manipulatives within the classroom.

To facilitate a smooth transition from Head Start to kindergarten, children across the program participated in campus visits where they explored kindergarten classrooms and playgrounds, received backpacks filled with educational supplies and had end of the year celebrations. HCAP is excited to have provided them with a “head start” into the next phase in their educational journey!

Click here to learn more about Head Start.