The Maui News

A Hana-based nonprofit that provides vocational training for youth through hands-on community projects has received a $300,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

The Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike Building Program will use the grant over the next two years to “provide Native Hawaiian youth with a way to learn that makes sense to them, builds their self-esteem and shows them that they have the power to change their future,” through an initiative called “I Ku Na Loea,” the organization said in a news release Tuesday.

“Through I Ku Na Loea, we hope to provide comprehensive job-readiness training in vocational fields that will prepare our youth to increase their economic prospects,” said Lipoa Kahaleuahi, executive director of Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike. “We are grateful for our partnership with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to offer Native Hawaiian youth in East Maui culturally relevant vocational training activities that will prepare them to pursue higher-wage careers in our community.”

Viliami Tukaufu, the nonprofit’s Malama Haloa Program manager, will support financial literacy efforts associated with the project.

“To increase the employability of Native Hawaiian youth, this project will combine vocational training for our educators and students while incorporating Hawaiian Language instruction into the vocational training fields,” Tukaufu said. “By doing so, we will prepare for a bilingual workforce that will reflect our community and the haumana in the Kula Kaiapuni Hawaiian Immersion program at Hana School.”

Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike is an award-winning vocational training program for K-12 youth and graduates in Hana that aims “to teach academic subjects through real-life, hands-on application, where students can understand the concepts they’re learning through tangible examples,” according to the news release. The projects meet actual needs of both the school and community.

OHA’s Grants Program supports nonprofits whose projects and programs serve the Native Hawaiian community and align with OHA’s Strategic Plan, the news release said. For more information, visit oha.org/grants.