​hōʻama: to begin to ripen. Fig., adolescents beginning to mature.

The term “hōʻama” means “to begin to mature or ripen,” like adolescents reaching maturity. Drawing upon this term, our HoAMa After School Mentorship Program seeks to nurture the growth of young people in our Hāmākua community (ages 5-17), as they mature and ripen, by guiding their education and helping to cultivate abundance in their lives and in the lives of their ʻohana & community. 

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Video feat. HoAMa After School Program, by Kamehameha Schools Community Engagement. May 2018.

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Program Goals

• To mentor and cultivate our next generation of youth in Hāmākua, rooted in the values of aloha (love), mālama (care), ʻohana (family), kuleana (responsibility), haʻahaʻa (humility), and aloha ʻāina (love for land);

• To cultivate a strong sense of kuleana to mālama (care for) ʻāina (land), ʻohana, community, and lāhui (nation);

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• Restore abundance on our ʻāina and in our ʻohana, community, and lāhui;

• Prepare our youth for success in high school and beyond.

With our HoAMa After School Mentorship Program, we seek to create a safe after school learning environment for our keiki to cultivate strong relationships and support networks with peers, mentors, and ʻohana, to support their success in school, at home, and in our communities. We believe that healthy keiki grow and ripen when they are rooted in strong, healthy ʻohana, communities, and ʻāina (land). As such, our HoAMa After School Mentorship Program will engage our keiki and their ʻohana in hands-on learning through Hawaiian culture- and ʻāina-based education, including gardening, arts and crafts, storytelling through mele (song) and hula, lessons with local kūpuna (elders), excursions, and much more. Additionally, HoAMa staff and mentors will provide our keiki with academic support and guidance, helping students to reach their academic and life goals as thriving members of our local and global communities.

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Program Description

The HoAMa After School Mentorship Program runs on school days from 2:30pm-5:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and 1:30pm-5:30pm on Wednesdays. The Program does not run on Holidays or other days that DOE schools are not in session. The primary site for the After School Program is at the Paʻauilo Hongwanji. After school, participants at Paʻauilo School are met by a HoAMa Staff member at the front of the school, and walked to the Paʻauilo Hongwanji. Participants coming from other schools must be dropped off and/or have another authorized means of transportation to the Program site by 2:45pm. Pick-Up / Release from the program each day will be at 5:30pm, in accordance with the instructions indicated on Participant’s Registration Form (see Registration Info below).

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To Register for the 2020-21 School Year

Due to precautions related to the spread of COVID-19, our HoAMa After School Program has been modified. Participant numbers will be limited, and social-distancing protocols will strictly be enforced. 

As the situation with COVID-19 and Hawaiʻi DOE Schools is constantly changing, please contact our HoAMa Program Coordinator, Loke Alpiche at hoale.a.maninini@gmail.com, for the latest updates, and to inquire about the program.

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Our HoAMa After School Program Staff

Aunty Loke Alpiche, Program Coordinator

Aunty Melissa Frazier, Program Assistant

Kodie Solis-Kalani, Hoʻoulu ʻAi Specialist

Read their full bios on our Staff Page.

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A Slideshow of Images of HoAMa 2016-17. Enjoy!