News Releases

Maui County Makahiki Grant Program Open Until July 10, 2026 

Wednesday, June 17th, 2026

Maui County News Release

In partnership with the County of Maui Department of ʻŌiwi Resources, the County Office of the Mayor through its Office of Economic Development (OED) announced that the Fiscal Year 2027 Makahiki Grant Program application period is open starting June 10, through 5 p.m. July 10, 2026. Applications, eligibility requirements, funding guidelines and program details are available at https://mauioed.submittable.com/submit. 

A total of $850,000 in grant funding is available to support organizations, community groups, educational institutions, cultural practitioners, businesses and other eligible applicants interested in developing programs, events, promotions and community activities that recognize the Makahiki season throughout Maui County. …

Kualapuʻu School Provides Free Summer Meals

Wednesday, June 17th, 2026

Kualpuʻu School News Release

Kualapuʻu School is pleased to provide free summer meals to keiki across Molokai through the USDA Seamless Summer Option (SSO) Food Service Program. This program helps ensure that children continue to have access to nutritious meals while school is out of session.
Meals will be served at the Kualapuʻu School Cafeteria from June 8th to July 17th (excluding holidays, June 11th and July 3rd).

Meals will be served during the following times:

Breakfast: 7 – 8:30 a.m.

Lunch: 10:30 – 12 p.m.

We are considered a congregate feeding site, which means all meals need to be consumed on site in the Kualapuʻu School cafeteria.…

Coach Edwin Mendija Inducted into STEM Hall of Fame

Wednesday, June 17th, 2026

Molokai Robotics News Release

Edwin Mendija, longtime coach and mentor of Molokai Robotics, has been

inducted into the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (RECF) STEM Hall of Fame as a 2026 Inspiration All-Star.

Mendija is one of only five individuals worldwide selected for this honor in the VEX V5RC category, recognizing his outstanding impact on STEM education, mentorship, and community development through robotics.

For over 15 years, he has led Molokai Robotics from a small local program into a nationally competitive team, consistently qualifying for events such as the VEX Robotics World

Championship. His work has expanded STEM opportunities for students in one of Hawaii’s

most rural communities.…

Maui County to Host Agriculture Grant Workshop

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

Maui County News Release

The County of Maui Department of Agriculture encourages nonprofits and for-profit businesses to attend free workshops that will help them prepare for the Fiscal Year 2027 grant application period. Grant applications will be received starting June 22 until 4:30 p.m. July 22, 2026.
County Department of Agriculture priority grant funding areas will focus on agricultural infrastructure, operations, education, recovery, livestock, non-food agriculture and feral animal control. Special emphasis will be placed on supporting operations on Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi.
Four public workshops across Maui County will cover eligibility, grant requirements and the application process. In-person and online sessions are as follows:

OHA Gift Card Program Supports Kona Low Recovery Efforts

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

OHA News Release

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) will launch its ʻĪnaʻi Kōkua Gift Card Program on Friday, June 12, to support Native Hawaiian households recovering from damage caused by the March 2026 Kona Low storm events.
The program will provide a one-time $2,000 Home Depot gift card to eligible Native Hawaiian homeowners, renters and lessees whose primary residences sustained minor storm-related damage. OHA has allocated $410,000 for the program, making approximately 200 cards available statewide.
Applications will be accepted from June 12 through June 30, 2026.
“The ʻĪnaʻi Kōkua Gift Card Program is another way OHA is supporting Native Hawaiian families recovering from the March storms and flooding,” OHA Board of Trustees Chairperson Kaialiʻi Kahele said.…

Exploring Molokai Nui a Hina with Aunty Opu’ulani

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

Molokai Bahá’í Community News Release

Cultural educator Aunty Louella Opu’ulani will speak on the tradition of Molokai Nui a Hina at the Molokai Public Library on June 17 at 5:30 p.m. as part of the Global Citizenship Speaker Series.
Moloka’i Nui a Hina is a foundational Hawaiian proverb and traditional chant. It translates to “Great Moloka’i, born of Hina,” and honors the moon goddess Hina and the sky god Wākea as the mythic parents of the island.
The phrase connects deeply to the island’s history, culture and identity. According to mo’olelo, Molokai is a cherished child of the gods. Because an island’s resources are finite, this metaphor teaches that the land must be deeply nurtured and cared for by its people.…

Call for Artists for Hawai‘i Craftsmen’s 59th Annual Statewide Exhibition

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

Hawai‘i Craftsmen News Release

Hawai‘i Craftsmen invites Hawaiʻi-based artists to submit work for the 2026 Annual Statewide Exhibition — the organization’s premier juried showcase of traditional and contemporary craft. This year’s exhibition will open on O‘ahu at the Downtown Art Center Main Gallery in September, and will then travel to the Schaefer International Gallery at Maui Arts & Cultural Center through December.

The 2026 exhibition will be juried by Jonathan Yukio Clark, Director of the Schaefer International Gallery at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Clark is a multidisciplinary artist and curator whose work and leadership span sculpture, textile, printmaking, and gallery programming both locally and nationally.…

Bissen Bringing Holomua Kakou back to Molokai

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

Maui County News Release

Mayor Richard Bissen is bringing Holomua Kākou back to Molokai on Monday, June 29, and Tuesday, June 30 as part of his ongoing effort to take county government directly to Maui County’s rural communities.

“Holomua Kākou is about ensuring every community — no matter how rural or remote — has meaningful access to county services, information and the people responsible for serving them,” Bissen said. “This effort reflects our commitment to meeting residents where they are and listening to what matters most to them.”

Bissen will host a community talk story from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 29, at Kaunakakai Elementary School Cafeteria, 30 Ailoa St.,…