• Failure notice from provider:
    Connection Error:http_request_failed

  • Submission Deadlines

    Advertising

    Thursday 4pm

    July 16, 2026

    Content

    Friday 4pm

    July 17, 2026

    To print on:

    Wednesday

    July 22, 2026

  • Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Google Plus Subscribe via RSS

Education

Molokai Student Awarded Nursing Scholarship

Wednesday, July 8th, 2026

Molokai Student Awarded Nursing Scholarship

AlohaCare News Release

The AlohaCare Foundation awarded $54,000 in scholarships to 12 students across six islands pursuing careers in health or social services. The funds may be used for tuition, books, supplies, and fees including certification, testing and course costs. 

“What you see in this year’s recipients is a genuine commitment to uplifting the health of Hawaii,” said Francoise Culley-Trotman, President of the AlohaCare Foundation Board of Directors. “They are training to become the nurses, therapists and advocates for their communities. Their dedication to serve the islands they call home is what drives our Foundation’s work and we’re proud to support them.” …

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Skills, Drills and Giving Back 

Wednesday, July 8th, 2026

Skills, Drills and Giving Back 

By Dayanti Karunaratne | Editor

We can’t all be Uso Seumalo, the Molokai native who showed up to a football camp having never played football before and is now playing for the NFL. But according to Ry Akana, that’s not the point of his annual development camps.
“If we change one kid’s life for the better, we consider it a success,” Akana told The Dispatch. His group, Foundation of Island Impact Athletics, aims to support athletes in Hawaii through camps and other mentorship opportunities.

Now based in Seattle, Akana was born and raised on Molokai. He’s had a successful career as a football coach, working with USA Football and coaching at Nike football camps — despite the fact that football wasn’t played much on Molokai when he was growing up. …

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

CTOM Mixes It Up

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026

CTOM Mixes It Up

By Dayanti Karunaratne | Editor

From shooting a music video to creating storyboards and learning hula, this summer the Hōkūlani Childrenʻs Theater of Molokai set out to explore new terrain with their programs. 

“Our goal this summer was to offer diverse, hands-on experiences to connect youth and families through art, music, culture and collaboration,” said CTOM President Vicki Boswell. “We want to celebrate the creativity and traditions of Molokai.”

Hōkūlani CTOM is a nonprofit organization for youth. Itʻs mission is to “enrich the lives of Molokai youth through performing arts, creative media, cultural enrichment and educational opportunities.” 

In early June, CTOM worked with Akaku Media and local band Da Jukes to produce a music video.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Poi Poundahs Win Big

Thursday, June 25th, 2026

Poi Poundahs Win Big

By Dayanti Karunaratne | Editor

 

As sports fans all over tuned into the World Cup, one group of Molokai athletes took their own soccer trip. In early June, the Molokai Poi Poundahs traveled to Huntington Beach, California to compete in the annual Sun and Surf tournament — and they took home first place in their age bracket.

“The girls really worked together, and played as a unit, and it made a huge difference,” Coach Kathy Puhi said. She noted their first loss was to the team they beat in the championship game. She chalked it up to the girlsʻ determination and ability to come together as a team. …

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Molokai’s Aloha Makes It to Berkeley

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

Molokai’s Aloha Makes It to Berkeley

By Léo Azambuja

Molokai’s resiliency and aloha keep inspiring other communities across the Pacific. Back in April, a group of four students and two faculty from the Environmental Law Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, spent a few days on the island to find out about solar energy projects led by community initiatives, and potentially apply their findings to communities on the mainland.

The university’s Environmental Law Clinic has a series of projects trying to get residential solar systems installed in a quicker, cheaper and more reliable manner to give homeowners and renters energy independence.  

“Molokai was a very logical place to come to look at the work of the energy co-op here,” professor and Law Clinic director Claudia Polsky said of the Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai, whose mission is to produce community-owned, affordable, renewable energy for the benefit of their members, community and the environment.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Head, Heart, Hands, Health 4H Livestock Expo Nurtures the Next Generation of Farmers

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

Head, Heart, Hands, Health 4H Livestock Expo Nurtures the Next Generation of Farmers

By Dayanti Karunaratne| Editor

 

The four Hs of 4H — head, heart, hands, health — were on full display at the Molokai 4H Livestock Expo on June 6, as youth showed off their animals in the field at Lanikeha in front of family, friends, community members and visiting officials. 

Molokai has a long history of 4H Club activity. Following a pause during the pandemic, the club has hosted the event for two consecutive years. After months of working with their chosen animal, caring for it and learning many things along the way, club members have the opportunity to share what they have accomplished.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

No One on Molokai Succeeds Alone

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

No One on Molokai Succeeds Alone

By Keomailani Hanapi-Hirata

Molokai nui a Hina, our home where our Tutu still hangs her muʻumuʻu outside on clothes lines to dry and where our uncles can read the ocean like a map.

For our ocean loving ‘opio who wants to be a marine biologist because they learned to read the ocean from the uncles fishing down the wharf. Our charismatic ‘opio dreaming of becoming a teacher because they carry the voice of Aunty Mikiala Pescaia, who never lets a single oli and moʻolelo fade from memory. That young entrepreneur, that learned resilience watching their ‘ohana mālama the same taro patch for many generations.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

2 Molokai High Seniors Receive Coach H Scholarship

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

TLC News Release

The Lo‘i Collective Foundation proudly announces the recipients of the 2026 Coach H Scholarship: Chaystin Joao and Ka‘ehuikimanoo Meyers-Moss, both seniors from Molokai High School’s Class of 2026.

Created in honor of Coach H, the scholarship recognizes student-athletes who exemplify leadership, perseverance, strong character, and commitment to community. Since the founding of the Lo‘i Collective Foundation in 2022, TLC has remained dedicated to supporting youth development and creating opportunities for future generations throughout Hawai‘i.

In 2023, TLC established the Coach H Scholarship to continue Coach H’s legacy of mentorship, encouragement, and service to student-athletes. Now in the organization’s fourth year, this marks the second consecutive year the scholarship has been awarded to students from Molokai High School — fulfilling one of Coach H’s wishes to support the youth of Molokai.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Class of 2026 Ready for the World

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

Class of 2026 Ready for the World

By Dayanti Karunaratne, Editor

Molokai High School’s Class of 2026 is ready for the world. With The Barn under renovations, the seniors — and hundreds of family and friends — gathered on the school’s athletic field for the graduation ceremony. The scenery felt fitting; many student speeches reflected on how their environment shaped their high-school experience.

“With the sun on our back, we pushed through steep slopes. When we reached the summit, everything below looked smaller, and for a moment, it felt worth it,” valedictorian Aristotle Oamil said, recalling a hike taken with classmates. 

Once the 91 graduates assembled in their bright white caps and gowns, principal Katina Soares said this graduating class was the first to have spent all four years in the Academies program, a model that organizes students into groups based on their career and academic goals. …

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Molokai High School Showcases Students’ Successes 

Thursday, May 21st, 2026

By Ric Ornellas

Molokai High School’s School Community Council celebrated 2025-2026 students’ successes in a 60-minute review at their recent May 13 meeting. In a wide-ranging Powerpoint of bulleted data, anecdotes, photos, and embedded video from three academies, six departments, and three schoolwide programs, accompanied by teacher and principal comments, the first-time SCC review reconfirmed the overarching vision and mission of the high school. 

The vision is, “Molokai High School graduates honor the past, embrace future innovation, and take personal responsibility for delivering excellence.” The mission is, “The mission of Molokai High School is to expand our horizons while utilizing Molokai’s unique resources and community.”…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment