Vibrant Hawaii Launches Kuhikuhi

An Innovative Work Based Learning Program for Hawaiʻi Students

Hawaiʻi Island, [Date] — Vibrant Hawaiʻi, a local organization committed to cultivating resilience and innovation across Hawaiʻi Island communities, proudly announces the launch of Kuhikuhi, a new work-based learning (WBL) program designed to prepare students for successful careers in key industries.

With expertise and funding support from Hawaiʻi P-20 Partnerships for Education and The Kirk-Landry Charitable Fund, Kuhikuhi bridges gaps between education and employment by connecting students with hands-on experiences, employability skills, and opportunities to build meaningful connections within their chosen career pathways. The program prioritizes equitable access for students in rural and under-resourced districts, ensuring opportunities are available to all.

“In 2022, I pitched Kuhikuhi as an idea to empower Hawaiʻi Island youth entering the workforce. Today, it is a movement. Empowering our youth remains central to Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s mission—and mine. I am happy to see it rise.” commented Kuʻuhiapo Jeong, Council District 4 Legislative Assistant. “Kuhikuhi is the result of committed volunteers who formed our Workforce and Professional Development Core Team,” said Janice Ikeda, Chief Executive Officer of Vibrant Hawaiʻi.  “In partnership with the Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative, students, educators, and employers islandwide collaborated with our research team and contributed their experience, insight, and vision to the Bridging Gaps, Building Futures study. It’s an honor to now partner with Hawaiʻi P-20 and a consortium of incredible non-profit organizations across the island to advance work based learning opportunities for Hawaiʻi island students”. 

Key Features of Kuhikuhi:

• Place-Based Intermediaries: Kuhikuhi brings together a multi-disciplinary team of local organizations to serve as intermediaries that support and maintain WBL networks. These organizations include ʻEwalu Industries, Mālaʻai, and the Hawaiʻi Science and Technology Museum, and together with Vibrant Hawaiʻi, will serve every public middle school and high school on Hawaiʻi Island. For students interested in Digital Design/Film and Media Production, Kuhikuhi partners with Nā Leo TV to offer industry-specific learning online and island wide.
• Expansive WBL Activities: From guest speakers to job shadowing and from workplace tours to internships, Kuhikuhi provides a diverse menu of options for students to engage in real-world learning experiences.
• Adulting 101 Workshops: Young professionals offer in-classroom training to prepare students for internship placements and workforce readiness, while also developing essential life skills.

“Kuhikuhi benefits everyone involved: students gain invaluable experience and social capital, schools benefit from strengthened industry connections, and businesses enjoy streamlined engagement in workforce development,” stated Dana DeSoto, Kuhikuhi's Program Coordinator. “We are actively reaching out to public schools islandwide to offer our support. In addition, we are reaching out to our business community. During our research, employers highlighted barriers to their engagement for work based learning, and we are addressing those challenges by offering a series of workshops so local businesses can attract, onboard, and retain local talent. We are also offering workshops to support workplace safety and tools to manage remote employees. To ensure our program meets the emerging needs of students, educators, and employers, we are coordinating monthly forums to share resources, increase collaboration among partners, and collectively problem solve to address barriers as they arise.”

More information about Kuhikuhi can be found on the Vibrant Hawaiʻi website at vibranthawaii.org/education. To schedule a workshop, or to participate in the monthly Roundtable, please reach out to the Kuhikuhi team member covering your district:
 

About Vibrant Hawaiʻi
Vibrant Hawai’i is focused on bringing people on Hawaiʻi Island together to make positive changes in our community. We believe the people who live here are the best ones to figure out what needs to happen to make our community strong. Our goal is to turn good ideas into action, so that our community is resilient, thriving, and vibrant.