News Releases

Pescaia Receives Lifetime Education Achievement Award

Thursday, May 1st, 2025

Aka’ula School News Release
Miki’ala Pescaia is the recipient of Aka’ula School’s 2025 Lifetime Education Achievement Award. Below is an interview with Pescaia discussing her education, influences and beliefs. Check out next week’s issue of The Molokai Dispatch for part two of the interview.
Aka`ula School (AS): Tell us about your educational journey.
Miki`ala Pescaia (MP): Mahalo for the honor of being selected as your outstanding educator for 2025. My own educational journey has allowed me to experience many different learning formats, kumu, topics, and settings. I can remember every one of my teachers from Ho’olehua Headstart, Kualapu’u School, and Molokai High and Intermediate School.…

DOH Awards Local Hui Medial Air Transport Award

Thursday, April 24th, 2025

Hawaii State Dept. of Health News Release

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) has issued notices of award for the Essential Rural Medical Air Transport (ERMAT) Pilot Program to Pulama Ka Heke, a Molokai-based nonprofit healthcare hui, and to a partnership between Pulama Ka Heke and Lanai Kina‘ole, a home healthcare agency, for the island of Lanai.

The ERMAT program will support transportation to receive scheduled healthcare services not available on Molokai and Lanai. This program does not include air ambulance, in which an individual needs to receive medical care during transport.

Residents of both Molokai and Lanai often need to travel off their home island to receive essential healthcare services yet may frequently experience delays, cancellations and groundings — leaving residents stranded on other islands or missing critical medical appointments.…

Media-Focused Career Training for Molokai Youth

Thursday, April 24th, 2025

Hokulani Children’s Theater of Molokai News Release

After two successful years of offering free performing arts education and staging eight beloved community performances, Hokulani Children’s Theatre of Molokai (CTOM) is taking a bold and exciting next step. Our mission has always been to nurture creativity, confidence, and community in our keiki—and now, we’re expanding that vision by building real-world career pathways in media and the performing arts.
Thanks to growing support and grant funding, Hokulani CTOM is launching professional media production training right here on Molokai. This shift is more than just a program change—it’s a transformation in how we prepare our youth for thriving futures in the arts.…

Celebrate Mother’s Day with “Malama Your Mama” Fundraiser

Thursday, April 17th, 2025

Aka’ula School News Release
Join Aka’ula School ‘ohana in honoring mothers, community and education at “Malama Your Mama,” a heartfelt Mother’s Day fundraiser on Sunday, May 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Molokai Community Health Center.
This special event will feature a delicious brunch, an exciting silent auction with locally sourced treasures, and a live performance by the incomparable Amy Hanaiali’i Gilliom, whose voice and presence will make this a Mother’s Day to remember.
Set against the stunning backdrop of Molokai’s south shore, the “Malama Your Mama” celebration is more than an event, it’s a commitment to nurturing the next generation.…

Hawaiian Monk Seal Peak Pupping Season

Thursday, April 10th, 2025

Dept. of Land and Natural Resources News Release

The number of endangered Hawaiian monk seals born in the main Hawaiian Islands is growing. So too, are the chances of pups and their mothers interacting with people.

Thirty-four pups were born in the main Hawaiian Islands in 2024, and three pups have already been born this year.

After giving birth, monk seal mothers will nurse and take care of their pups for five to seven weeks. During this time, nursing moms can be very protective and may react aggressively to anyone who gets too close. When seals are born at highly visible and popular beaches the chances of someone getting hurt increase dramatically.…

New Full-Time Speech Therapy Services Now Available

Thursday, April 10th, 2025

Maui Speech and Swallow News Release

Maui Speech and Swallow and Neurological Rehabilitation is proud to announce the expansion of its services to Molokai, offering full-time, in-person speech-language therapy with a licensed speech-language pathologist now based on island.
Alana Ducroix-Miyamoto, MS CF-SLP, has joined the team as Molokai’s full-time speech therapist, bringing compassionate, evidence-based care to individuals across the lifespan—from infants to kupuna. With a mission to empower individuals of all abilities, Maui Speech and Swallow provides comprehensive therapy for a wide range of communication and swallowing disorders.
Services include early intervention for young children, support for articulation and language development, cognitive rehabilitation for individuals recovering from traumatic brain injury or stroke, therapy for voice and fluency disorders, and specialized treatment for feeding and swallowing (dysphagia).…

Hospice Maui Molokai 10th Annual Yard Sale

Thursday, April 10th, 2025

Hospice Maui Molokai News Release

Beginning April 15, donations will be accepted for Hospice Maui Molokai’s annual yard sale. Your gently used or new items are another person’s treasure. If you are donating clothing, please wash before donating. Hospice will not be accepting books, videos, or DVD’s, as well as computers, keyboards, or monitors unless they are new and still in the box. For information on when and where to donate items, please call Dan Reed, 808-658-1015 or Maile Silva, 808-658-6030. The sale will take place Saturday, July 5, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Dr. Dan’s Parking Lot, 130 Kamehameha V Hwy.,…

Addressing Education for Social Action

Thursday, April 10th, 2025

Molokai Bahá’í Community News Release

What is the purpose of education, really? That’s the question Dr. Mona Kiani, founder of Education With Purpose, will discuss in the next installment of the Global Citizenship Speaker Series at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16 at the Molokai Public Library.

“Teachers are under colossal pressure to prepare students for standardized tests,” said Kiani, “but this can lead to a narrowed overall vision for the purpose of education. This leaves educators in an uphill battle trying to engage students when the learning doesn’t always feel fully relevant and meaningful to students’ lives.”

“Acquiring knowledge and developing critical thinking skills are imperative,” said Kiani, “but I think the future of the K-12 schooling system is destined for a much greater purpose.…