To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Happening at HYC

We welcome you to stay in touch by signing up for our monthly newsletter!

NEW IN 2025! Our longstanding college scholarship program is partnering with the University of Hawaiʻi to provide expanded scholarship opportunities for Hāmākua and Waimea based high school graduates!

Also NEW IN 2025, HYC has expanded its programming to include the Puʻuwai Volleyball Club! Age ranges are 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18. Sign-ups will begin in July at Honokaʻa Sports Complex!

'Ohana Day is our annual fundraiser. Join us at the Honokaʻa Peopleʻs Theatre on Saturday December 13, 2025 for this amazing event! We have a silent auction, live music, buffet dinner included with ticket purchase, and much more!

Congratulations are in order!

We are happy to announce our annual 2025
Scholarship Recipients!
Each year the Hāmākua Youth Foundation awards three or more scholarships to the youth in our community.

We want to mahalo the Honokaʻa Business Association for their partnership in discovering worthy applicants. And thank you to Sarah Anderson for providing these lovely photos!

Congratulations to Danica Valera
$1000 from the Jaquelyn McCandless Award

Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in nursing at the University of Hawaii at Hilo is the path Danica Valera has chosen. She had health challenges as a child and was cared for by a nurse, “…who left an impact on who I am today. I hope to help and care for as many people as I can and leave an impact on them just like my nurse did for me.” Danica is a member of the National Honor Society, served as her school’s Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Chapter president, and has already taken college classes.

Congratulations to Chase Simmerman
$1000 from the Big Dave Award

Chase Simmerman is finishing up his first year in auto mechanics at Hawaii Community College and he acknowledges he’s a hands-on person. “I learn better when I am doing something with my hands like in the auto shop or in a lab in science class. I plan to have my own shop and be able to work on my cars and help people in my community.”

Congratulations to Kaijah Hunt
$500 from the Stacy Disney Award

Kaijah Hunt will attend Chapman College in Southern California and is planning on studying political science. “Balancing a 4.0 GPA, part-time work in Waikoloa, and ongoing volunteer efforts has taught me time management, perseverance, and responsibility. No matter how busy I am, I’ve always made time to serve, because leadership starts with showing up and making a difference.”

About the Hāmākua Youth Foundation

Hāmākua Youth Center is dedicated to the children and young adults of the Hāmākua Coast. We began serving youth in 1996 when a grassroots group of community members saw the need for youth to have a safe place during non-school hours. For 13 years, the YWCA supported and sponsored the youth center. In 2009, the Hāmākua Youth Foundation, Inc. was established as a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization to support the the Hāmākua Youth Center in a new phase of growth in the grassroots mission to create nurturing and dynamic youth-centered activities for youth from six to eighteen years of age.

About the Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Established by the state Constitutional Convention in 1978, OHA is a semi-autonomous state agency mandated to better the conditions of Native Hawaiians. Guided by a board of nine publicly elected trustees, OHA fulfills its mandate through advocacy, research, community engagement, land management and the funding of community programs. Learn more at www.oha.org.

About OHA’s Grants Program

OHA’s Grants Program supports non-profit organizations whose projects and programs serve the Native Hawaiian community and align with OHA’s Strategic Plan. For more information about the Grants Program, please visit https://www.oha.org/grants.

And as always, please CONTACT US by email or call (808) 775-0976 if you are interested in enrolling your keiki in our 2024-2025 programs.

Join Our Email List