HCAP WEEKLY March 30, 2026

STEM Students Explore Kualoa Ranch and Present Capstone Projects at Family Night

An exciting event that involved the entire Hā Initiative program was the opportunity to travel to Kualoa Ranch and participate in a tour of the Mōliʻi Fishpond. In addition to being extremely scenic, Kualoa has been a place of refuge and sanctuary since ancient times. Hawaiian royalty were once instructed in the arts of war, history, and society among the mountains.

After gathering in the hale (a traditional form of Hawaiian architecture), the guides took students on a garden tour of canoe crops and plants that, while not native, were brought to Hawaiʻi by explorers long ago. Students were able to see and identify kalo, ‘ulu, and hala trees. These trees had specific uses by the Ancient Hawaiian people.

After the tour, students took a canoe tour to observe a loko i’a (fishpond). Loko i’a allowed Native Hawaiians to raise fish and other aquaculture products. Last, students learned about the ahupua’a system, trading goods with another watershed division in time for Konohiki and the rainy season. The students had a great time not only enjoying the amazing scenic views of Kualoa Ranch, but also gaining firsthand experience exploring the flora and fauna while discovering the history of Native Hawaiian lands and agriculture.

As a capstone project for this month’s unit about the human body, Hā Initiative STEM students created carnival games out of cardboard for Family Night. Each carnival game had to show something about the human body and its systems: digestion, respiration, circulatory, and nervous.

Students spent two weeks drawing up plans, writing rules, and creating prototypes for their carnival games. After putting in requests for materials, they worked together with their table groups to bring their games to life with paint, tape, and lots of cardboard.

The students then invited their families to enjoy pizza and cotton candy while playing their games. Many students created tickets and prizes to reward parents and siblings for participating. They worked hard to ensure that a classmate was always ready to teach the rules and concepts of the games to guests. Many students and their parents stepped in to assist with planning, passing out food, and cleaning up making for a great, successful family night.

Click here to learn more about Hā Initiative.

Central Client Receives Wraparound Services in H-HEAP, ECS, and VITA Services

Roxann was initially referred to HCAP’s Central District Service Center by Hawaiian Electric Company in March 2026. Roxann is a single mother to her son, and had recently lost her job of over five years, which caused her household to fall behind on their electric payments. Hawaiian Electric referred Roxann’s family to HCAP for the Hawai’i Home Energy Assistance Program’s (H-HEAP) Emergency Crisis Intervention, as she was at risk of her household’s energy services being disconnected. After successfully completing intake and the H-HEAP application, Roxann’s household was approved for $700.00 to be paid towards their overdue electric bill, bringing their overdue balance down to a much more manageable amount.     

During her intake appointment into the H-HEAP program, Roxann opened up to the Central District staff about losing her job, and she was informed about HCAP’s Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services (ECS) Program. When asked if she was looking for work, or interested in possibly going to a vocational school, Roxann stated that she was already looking into taking the Phlebotomy program at Professional Healthcare Educators, but she was unable to pay for the program due to her current financial situation. To provide Roxann and her family with wraparound services, Roxann was referred to the ECS program for tuition assistance so that she can work towards obtaining her phlebotomy training certification. 

Roxann was able to complete all intake forms and Job Readiness Training in the Nā Lima Hana program on the same day that she completed her H-HEAP application. With HCAP’s assistance, Roxann will be starting her Phlebotomy program at Professional Healthcare Educators in April, and will be one step closer to obtaining her Phlebotomy Certificate and securing a job in the healthcare field so she can financially support herself and her family again. Completing her Phlebotomy certification is just the first step for Roxann towards financial stability, and she is excited to learn a new skill that will allow her to help others.

HCAP was also providing a free income tax filing service for eligible individuals and families during Roxann’s initial intake appointment. After following up with Roxann to let her know that she was officially approved for the H-HEAP program, the Central District Service staff informed her that she also qualified for the free tax service and she was able to file her 2025 taxes with HCAP for free, the following week.

Roxann is extremely grateful for HCAP’s Central District Service Center for assisting her and her family, and she is so excited for what her future now holds. Central District staff will work closely with Roxann as she completes her vocational program, and will continue to provide her and her family with additional supportive services as needed. We are excited to be a part of Roxann’s journey towards self sufficiency, and hope that HCAP will have a long lasting positive impact on her and her family. 

Click here to learn more about Nā Lima Hana.

Understanding Street Signs: Environmental Awareness with Head Start

This week, Head Start children learned about the importance of environmental awareness through understanding various signs and signals. They created their own signs using red, yellow and green paper. During outdoor play, the handmade signs were used to play “Red Light, Green Light” and to signal when it was safe for friends to take their turn down the slide. As an extension to their study on signs, children engaged in walking field trips around their school campus. While doing so, they identified familiar signs, practiced using new vocabulary and language while engaging in conversation about their observations. The concepts of traffic signals, stop signs and use of colors to indicate actions of stop, go and slow down, builds upon their pre-existing knowledge of pedestrian safety and promotes literacy. It also fosters confidence in recognizing and navigating around hazards.

Click here to learn more about Head Start.