The Throughline: Partnership and Collaboration
Change is the only constant in life, and as 2025 comes to a close, this saying has special meaning for me. After six years at KPAA, I am stepping down as President and CEO. Our Board has begun the search for a new leader. I am excited about the future for KPAA with a fresh perspective and renewed energy.
While we will soon pause our work in Early Childhood Education, our work in Maternal and Child Health and the Kaua'i Resilience Project will continue. We hope to continue our solid partnership with the Department of Health Family Health Services through next year for Maternal and Child Health to continue our critical work with resource kiosks, child safety training, resource navigation, and child abuse and neglect prevention.
The Kauaʻi Resilience Project will pivot to focus more deeply on the social determinants of health and helping youth to thrive into adulthood on Kaua'i by connecting them with viable pathways to support financial, physical, and mental health and success. Living on Kauaʻi, particularly now, comes with unique challenges. We must support our youth and young adults if we wish to keep them from leaving for greener pastures elsewhere or experience a lifetime of financial and psychological stress on this island.
Founded in 2002, KPAA has always adapted and evolved to reflect the needs of the community, interests of our leadership, and opportunities that come our way. The throughline has always been partnership and collaboration. That is what sets us apart from other approaches to social or other large-scale changemaking. If you want to go far, go together. With that I will pass the torch to a new leader. With your support, we will keep moving forward through change and challenge, as we have always done.
Read the full letter here.
While we will soon pause our work in Early Childhood Education, our work in Maternal and Child Health and the Kaua'i Resilience Project will continue. We hope to continue our solid partnership with the Department of Health Family Health Services through next year for Maternal and Child Health to continue our critical work with resource kiosks, child safety training, resource navigation, and child abuse and neglect prevention.
The Kauaʻi Resilience Project will pivot to focus more deeply on the social determinants of health and helping youth to thrive into adulthood on Kaua'i by connecting them with viable pathways to support financial, physical, and mental health and success. Living on Kauaʻi, particularly now, comes with unique challenges. We must support our youth and young adults if we wish to keep them from leaving for greener pastures elsewhere or experience a lifetime of financial and psychological stress on this island.
Founded in 2002, KPAA has always adapted and evolved to reflect the needs of the community, interests of our leadership, and opportunities that come our way. The throughline has always been partnership and collaboration. That is what sets us apart from other approaches to social or other large-scale changemaking. If you want to go far, go together. With that I will pass the torch to a new leader. With your support, we will keep moving forward through change and challenge, as we have always done.
Read the full letter here.
Alice Luck
Executive Director, KPAA
Our Guiding Values
We bring together diverse stakeholders for collaborative action to achieve critical community goals. We emphasize:
- Facilitating greater solutions than could be achieved by any of us on our own;
- Utilizing research as well as community feedback to inform our priorities;
- Seeking systemic shifts that prioritize the local community and the next generation; and
- Collecting and publishing data on trends, progress, and outcomes related to our priorities.
"As the saying goes, 'It takes a village to raise a child,' and the resource development facilitated by the Kaua'i Resilience Project ensures that our school, our families, and our community are all working together to give every student the support they need to thrive, both emotionally and academically."
Tara Punzal
Principal, Kapa'a Middle School
Key Program Areas and Highlights
Maternal and Child Health
Strengthening support, education, and safety nets for mothers and keiki across Kaua'i
Early Childhood Education
Raising awareness about the critical importance of education from 0-5 years
Kaua'i Resilience Project
Strengthening the social determinants of health impacting our youth and young adults
2025 in Numbers
Kaua'i Bus Passes Distributed
0
Meals Distributed to Houseless Keiki
0
Families Served by "Read With a Child" Program
0
Mini Kiosks Installed with Resources for Low-Income/High-Risk Families
0
Books Distributed
0
Parents & Keiki Participated in Early Childhood Education Workshops
0
"Over the past year, our partnerships with Keiki to Career, KPAA, and E Ola Nā
Keiki have played a significant role in shaping Little Babes Club into a true community hub for Kaua‘i families."
Tamara Lawrence, LMHC
Owner, Little Babes Club
2025 Kaua'i Youth Report
Since 2012, KPAA has published the Kaua‘i Youth Report, offering a data snapshot of how Kaua‘i’s young people are doing from birth to workforce entry. The 2022 edition added new indicators on the physical, mental, and emotional health of island youth. The 2025 report adds early childhood indicators and spotlights promising community practices. This report is shaped by cross-sector collaboration with a unifying call to action rooted in local solutions.
"The Kaua'i Resilience Project has been a bridge between our organization and other community resources, enabling our program to serve more youth and work collaboratively within our community."
Kim Acierto
Supervisor II at Child and Family Service of Kaua'i
2025 Financials
We are committed to stewarding our valuable donations and financial resources responsibly. We invite you to take a look at our expenses and revenue through October 31, 2025 (to be updated after the fiscal year’s end).
We are so grateful to each and every donor to KPAA for making our critical work with children and families possible. Our generous 2025 donors are listed here.
2025 in Numbers
Child Safety Trainings Held (Car, Bike, Sleep, Water, etc.)
0
Little Libraries Set Up at Kalaheo Neighborhood Center
0
Attendees at the 3rd Annual Early Childhood Education Conference
0
High school students reached by the "Lokahi" concert series
0
New partnerships established by KRP with organizations on Kauaʻi
0
Attendees at the 3rd Annual Ola Pono o Kaua'i Mental Health Conference
0
"I’m so grateful for KPAA’s continued partnership, compassion, and care for our students and families. Their support reminds our youth that their community believes in them and that they are not alone."
Tessa Belardo
Community Homeless Concerns Liaison, State of Hawaii Department of Education