Across the summer, Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s Youth Resilience Academies created meaningful opportunities for young people to build practical skills, deepen their connection to place, and strengthen their ability to respond during times of disruption. Hosted at sites across Hawaiʻi Island and led by Vibrant Hawaiʻi Ambassadors, these multi-day learning experiences engaged more than 60 youth ages 12–18, offering hands-on training rooted in real-world needs and community realities. The

This year, the ʻOAKA Youth Art Fellowship brought together 12 emerging artists from across Hawaiʻi Island, creating a space where young creatives could learn, experiment, and build confidence in their artistic identities. Led by Seb Choe, the fellowship was intentionally designed as an implementation of Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s Economic Development Strategy, which identified the creative and performing arts as a critical driver of community well-being, workforce opportunity, and a r

This fall, when a federal government shutdown and temporary pause of SNAP benefits created sudden strain for households across Hawaiʻi Island, communities responded with speed, coordination, and care. Through Aloha In Action , Vibrant Hawaiʻi worked alongside partners to coordinate an islandwide network of food distributions focused on residents most affected by the disruption. Beginning in late October, 12 community distribution sites launched across Kona, North Hawaiʻi, the

In 2025, Vibrant Hawaiʻi launched KōCreate: Designing Homegrown Futures , a new initiative advancing community-led leadership and decision-making across Hawaiʻi Island. Supported by the Trust for Civic Life , KōCreate is grounded in the belief that residents already carry the insight, relationships, and lived experience needed to shape solutions for their own places. As CEO Janice Ikeda  shared, “When community members are supported to organize and take action together, the s