Empowering Hawai‘i’s next generation.

With support from the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience is helping promising ideas take root. The Foundation’s support helped launch a competitive seed grant program that gives faculty the opportunity to explore new ways to strengthen food production, advance agricultural technology, and support the health of Hawaiʻi’s communities.

For KA‘I students, the journey to college begins long before an acceptance letter—and the support continues well beyond high school graduation. The KA‘I Postsecondary Program provides individualized advising, counseling, and tuition-gap scholarships to help first-generation students navigate college applications, financial aid, course planning, and the many challenges that can come with pursuing a degree.

Volunteer Ally is helping young people across Hawaiʻi discover that service can be an important part of learning, connection, and belonging. Through its Education and Junior Volunteer initiatives, the organization provides high school and college students with a safe, accessible way to connect with nonprofits seeking volunteer support.

For students preparing for careers in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation care, some of the most meaningful learning happens alongside experienced professionals and patients. REHAB’s Preceptorship Program gives students that opportunity, pairing classroom learning with hands-on clinical experience, mentorship, and exposure to the teamwork at the heart of restorative care.

At Adventist Health Castle, strengthening patient care begins with investing in the people who provide it. With support from the Takitani Foundation, the Building Capacity for Elevated Care initiative creates opportunities for nurses, nurse aides, mental health technicians, and other team members to deepen their skills through training, professional certification, and leadership development.

At the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders (CTL), young people are encouraged to see leadership not simply as achievement, but as a responsibility to their community. With support from the Takitani Foundation, five students received scholarships to participate in the CTL Fellows program, where they learned alongside Hawaiʻi leaders, carried out service projects, and developed leadership skills grounded in character, courage, humility, and community.

At Hui Mālama O Ke Kai Foundation, the Kūkulu Youth Program is cultivating something deeply meaningful in Waimānalo: a place where young people are encouraged to grow with confidence, purpose, and a strong sense of identity.

At the Children’s Discovery Center, learning happens in many directions. Through its School Discovery Visit Program, thousands of children have the opportunity to explore the Center through hands-on educational experiences, with additional assistance helping make visits more accessible for Title I schools.

For students preparing for careers in healthcare, the path from college to a professional program can be demanding—and sometimes difficult to imagine, especially when the next step may mean leaving Hawaiʻi for the first time. Chaminade University’s Pre-Health Program helps students navigate that journey through individualized advising, clinical and career exposure, test preparation, and opportunities to explore health professions programs both in Hawaiʻi and on the continent.