HAPAʻs Inaugural Kuleana Academy Alumni Gathering!
Nui mahalo…
to all of our Kuleana Academy alumni, trainers, partners, and friends who came out to celebrate the collective accomplishments of the program since its inception in 2016.
To date, we have hosted 6 cohorts with just under 100 graduates who continue to inspire us with the many ways they continue to be in service to their communities across Hawaiʻi.
For the first time ever, we brought together alumni from all six cohorts for a weekend of learning, reconnection and envisioning. To many of us, it felt like a family reunion. It is rare that we all get to gather in one place. Our alumni are spread out across the Hawaiian islands –– working to address some of our most pressing community challenges.
While this work can be exhausting, it is also immensely rewarding. By leaning into these moments of reconnection with our Kuleana Academy ‘ohana, we leave with our hearts full of joy, determination, inspiration, and hope as we face oncoming challenges.
We are grateful to Representative Kahele for his recognition of Kuleana Academy with a congressional commendation. It is especially meaningful coming from a leader who has modeled community accountability with his work to protect Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources.
Mahalo to our excellent trainers and speakers for providing such engaging workshops and discussions. Some highlights included how to conduct district analysis, community organizing 101, and a 2023 policy panel touching on an array of issues for the legislative session ahead.
Stay tuned for applications for the next cohort to open in early 2023!
Alumni spotlight
Mahalo to our KA alum, Nik Cristobal, for her critical work as the Principal Investigator for the first ever Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women and Girls Report (MMNHWG): Part I.
Created in collaboration with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women and Papa Ola Lokahi, the report showed that over ¼ of the missing girls in Hawaiʻi are Native Hawaiian. Nik holds the contract with the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) to complete part II of the report.
Follow Kamāwaelualani, Nik’s grassroots nonprofit that perpetuates culture through public art and place-based education.