Grants Report Summary
Mālama Mānoa Grants Made in 2024:
Hālau Hula o Mānoa
The Hālau used their grant to continue their visits to senior care facilities in the Valley, encouraging residents to move to the music. They even introduced them to kala’au (wooden sticks used in place of hand motions) which they took to immediately. The Hālau will work with students at UH lab school in Spring 2026 in a project that combines hula and visual art, student art work will then be displayed at Mānoa Public Library.
Manoa Elementary
With funding of $1,000 for supplies, Mānoa Elementary School 2nd graders held a very successful Green Market Day. The purpose of the Market was to teach entrepreneurship by having students develop business plans for “green” or sustainable products, and then creating and selling their products on Green Market Day.
Hālau Kū Mana
Their grant supported their lo’i (traditional taro fields) based program. Students worked weekly at ‘Aihualama to restore and maintain ancient lo’i. The work involved intensive clearing of vegetation, repairing rock walls, reopening the ‘auwai (irrigation channel) and cleaning the stream to restore flow. Once the lo’i are planted students then care for the taro until it’s ready to harvest. This process required the students to practice teamwork, adaptive thinking and problem-solving, and was an opportunity to integrate cultural traditions, environmental monitoring and life lessons.
Harold L. Lyon Arboretum
Grant funding was used to purchase an aquaponic system for the Children’s Learning Center as a way to teach students about water flow and the nutrient cycle. The system supports tilapia and various plants including strawberries, lettuce and kale. In the future, the Arboretum hopes to offer classes on aquaponics and how to build a home system.
Living Life Source Foundation
The Foundation used their grant to purchase tools and potting materials to support their restoration work. LLSF has been working for more than a decade to clear invasive species from the Manoa Watershed and to restore native plants, such as koa and ‘ōhi’a, and canoe plants, such as breadfruit, taro and banana. Work is preformed by volunteers at regular work days and through various educational programs. LLSF has also established its own seed bank of native plants for future restoration efforts.
Mālama Mānoa Grants Made in 2023:
Hālau Hula o Mānoa
A grant of $1,000 supported HHoM’s educational and outreach efforts that included visits to Mānoa schools and senior care facilities. One of the school visits resulted in impressive art work that was featured in an art show, “Keiki Impressions of Hula,” hosted for 2 months by the Mānoa Public Library.
Mānoa Valley Theatre
MM provided MVT with $1,000 to support its production of the Broadway play, “Dear Evan Hansen” which portrays issues of teen bullying, loneliness, suicide and the power of social media. The show promotes a positive message and all marketing about the show included referrals to several mental health resources. The show proved so popular that its run was extended a full week.
Mānoa Heritage Center
MHC received a grant of $1,400 to renovate their propagation shed and work area. Plants propagated by MHC are used at the Center and are given away to community members. MHC worked with nearly sixty 4th and 5th graders from Hanahau’oli School to design and implement many of the upgrades, which included new cupboards to keep supplies dry and organized, a new water catchment system and gutters to catch and recycle water used to water plants.
Trees for Honolulu’s Future
MM partnered with TfHF to provide arborist visits to residents considering planting a tree in their yard. Arborists completed 24 visits and consulted on topics including tree species and site location. As a result of this pilot program, TFHF created a helpful guide on appropriate tree species for our area: