HCAP WEEKLY March 2, 2026

Nā Lima Hana Client Obtains Dental Assisting Certification and Completes 180-Days of Employment

Kaena is a Central District Service Center client who was referred to HCAP’s Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services (ECS) program by a partnering vocational school. At the time of her intake, Kaena was working as a landscaper and struggling to support her child and her mom, who could no longer work due to health concerns. Dental health has been a passion of hers and she had a dream that one day she could become a dentist. 

The first step she took towards her dream was getting her certification in dental assisting. During her registration into the Dental Assisting program at Hawaii Dental Assisting Academy, she was referred to HCAP for tuition assistance. She believed this would be a great opportunity to gain valuable experience in the dental field, and get her foot in the door to one day pursue her dream of becoming a dentist. This would also give her and her family more financial stability with a better paying job and relieve some of the financial stress that she has been experiencing. 

After her intake into the ECS program and completing the Job Readiness Training, she received two $25.00 Ross gift cards to use towards buying her required school uniform items such as shoes, socks, and a watch. HCAP’s Central District Service Center staff continued to follow up with Kaena and provide support to her throughout the duration of her classes.

Shortly after beginning her program, Kaena made the difficult decision to stop working as a landscaper so that she could focus solely on school. Although she knew that stepping away from her job would hinder her financially, Kaena knew that by pushing through and focusing on the program, she could eventually earn her diploma, and obtain employment in the dental field that would better her family’s future financially. With the assistance of HCAP’s Nā Lima Hana program and all her hard work, Kaena completed the Dental Assisting program at Hawaii Dental Assisting Academy in four months and obtained her diploma with a 4.5 GPA.

While she was still a student at Hawaii Dental Assisting Academy, Kaena showcased excelling work and was given the opportunity to work as a Dental Aide at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. After completing the dental assisting program, she was offered a full-time position at her job, working 40 hours a week and earning more than the minimum wage, as well as medical benefits. 

After HCAP maintained constant communication with Kaena, she was able to report that she reached over 180 days of employment in January 2026. Kaena is very grateful and happy that she was able to pursue her dream and obtain employment in the field that she enjoys. The HCAP staff and Employment Core Services program wishes Kaena and her family continued success in all of their future endeavors.

Click here to learn more about Nā Lima Hana.

Honolulu STEM Students Simulate The Human Digestive System

Throughout the month of February, Hā Initiative: Creative STEM After-School Program lessons focused on the human body, its composition, and functions.The month’s curriculum began with the human skeleton, bones, and muscles. Week two progressed to the heart and lungs. By week three, things were ready to get…gross. 

After studying the systems and organs in the digestive system, it was time to see how they worked. Students made a digestive tract model, putting a combination of crackers and bananas into a clear bag representing a mouth, crushing and mashing them to model the teeth and tongue. Then the mixture was squeezed into a bigger plastic bag filled with “acid” (white vinegar) representing the stomach. A little bit of cooking oil was added to the mixture to show the importance of mucus and then the “chyme” (semi-digested food) was squeezed through a stocking, where the “small intestine” set to work absorbing the nutrients and water. After the food passed through the “large intestine,” it was ready to leave the body. 

Students handled the entire process with maturity and did a wonderful job minimizing mess (not an easy task) and cleaning up afterward. It was a very memorable lesson and extremely fun.

During the free time and homework period of the class, students worked on Computer-Aided Design and 3D printing. Using Autodesk’s excellent (and free) TinkerCAD software, students have been designing and printing their own custom toys and prototypes. Students have created ducks, custom nameplates, and other designs.

HCAP’s supporting staff have been very helpful in bringing student’s designs to life and teaching the STEM teachers how to use the FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printer. It has been wonderful to see students acquiring experience in a cutting-edge field like prototyping!

Click here to learn more about Hā Initiative.

Head Start Curious Minds in Action

HCAP Head Start keiki engage in a variety of hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity, exploration, and discovery every day. While outdoors, they go on scavenger hunts, explore plants and discover insects all while proudly describing their findings. While in the classroom, they experiment with object buoyancy and continue to investigate their classroom environment, as they make sense of the world around them. These hands-on experiences continuously support problem-solving, scientific thinking, language development, and cooperative learning.

Our young learners also explore plant life cycles by caring for school gardens and planting seeds. They continue to build a sense of responsibility and deeper understanding of patience. During show-and-tell, children make predictions, describe observations and compare and categorize items brought from home. Across all activities, Head Start continues to nurture confidence, encourage curiosity and build well-rounded learners.

Click here to learn more about Head Start.