Service projects benefit keiki, community, ʻāina
Posted: January 23, 2026
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association educators across the state participated in a day of service last weekend, volunteering their time to benefit their communities.
Six HSTA chapters, Central, Hilo, Kona, Kauaʻi, Koʻolau, and Molokaʻi, organized events for members or attended existing volunteer opportunities to give back and honor Dr. King’s legacy of justice, peace, and action.
Many of the events were coordinated by HSTA’s Human and Civil Rights Committee.
Central, Koʻolau Chapter members help at beach clean-up event
More than 250 volunteers, including members from HSTA’s Central and Koʻolau chapters, partnered with Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation and Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through a day of service at Keoneʻōʻio (Kahuku Golf Course Beach) on Oʻahu.
Volunteers removed over 1,200 pounds of marine debris from the two-acre shoreline, filling five large supersacks. More than 950 pounds of the collected materials, including eight pounds of recyclables, will directly benefit an Oʻahu public school through Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation’s 3Rs School Recycling Drives.
Keoneʻōʻio has no public facilities, yet pollution in the area impacts both the surrounding community and the island as a whole. Located across from an elementary school, the north-facing beach collects significant marine debris due to ocean currents.
The cleanup helped protect Hawaiʻi’s coastal ecosystem while raising awareness about environmental stewardship in a rural Oʻahu community that is often overlooked. By removing plastic and other debris from the shoreline, volunteers contributed to healthier oceans and fisheries, reminding us that the ocean, like our responsibility to care for it, knows no borders.
Kauaʻi Chapter completes day of service at Alakoko Loko Iʻa fishpond
HSTA’s Kauaʻi Chapter honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by joining Mālama Hulēʻia’s monthly community workday at Alakoko loko iʻa, a brackish-water fishpond.
Seventeen current and prospective members volunteered alongside several keiki, contributing to a range of mālama ʻāina projects, including building a chicken coop, removing debris, thinning mulch, cleaning up tī plants, and installing fencing. Throughout the morning, participants also learned about the cultural and ecological significance of Alakoko and the importance of restoring the area through traditional Hawaiian practices.
The chapter intentionally selected Alakoko loko iʻa for its service project on the 133rd anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, grounding the day in Hawaiian history and place-based learning. Mālama Hulēʻia’s work to restore ecosystems while educating the community aligned closely with the chapter’s values.
Kathy Shibuya, a teacher at King Kaumualiʻi Elementary, said, “I thought today was about HSTA volunteering our time to help, but I left feeling that we were the ones on the receiving end […] We were blessed with the gift of knowledge, and as a teacher, I consider that to be one of the most precious gifts of all.”
Kona Chapter members volunteer at 45th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
HSTA Kona Chapter members spent their weekend putting “love into action” by volunteering at the 45th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at the Old Kona Airport’s Maka‘eo Pavilion. The event brought together more than 400 community members and families to honor the life and the legacy of King.
This year’s theme, “Love Over Hate: Building Bridges,” resonated with educators who helped set up the venue in advance and volunteered throughout the day to support the event.
HSTA Kona Chapter President Fredeelyn Freeman-Koepke said, “We wanted to show our students the importance of being active in our community by showing up ourselves. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces — from former students to current families — and remind them that we share this community together.”
Following a community lunch, the celebration highlighted island diversity through live music, African and hula dance, and student speakers. The afternoon also included the presentation of the Virginia Halliday Memorial Scholarship to a local high school senior, honoring Halliday’s more than 35 years of service as an educator, most of them in Kona.
Kindergarten teacher Emily Killgore of Kona Pacific said, “I am reminded of the historical role of teachers’ unions around the world in fighting for civil liberties, not just for their students, but for their communities. Our work extends beyond our schools.”
She added that serving alongside dedicated volunteers and learning about local advocacy efforts brought hope during challenging times.
Molokaʻi Chapter puts on fourth annual Youth Summit
Students, families, community members, and HSTA members turned out for Molokaʻi Chapter’s fourth annual Molokaʻi Youth Summit at Kaunakakai Elementary in honor of MLK Jr. day.
This year’s summit theme was “What Do I Want From My School?” based on an island-wide student voice survey.
The event, held in Kaunakakai Elementary’s cafeteria, featured interactive activity and game stations, informational booths, and student responses from the survey, which was synthesized through the Hawai’i State Department of Education’s cultural program filters Nā Hopena A’o (HĀ). The survey of over 100 students revealed that they desired a strengthened sense of belonging, responsibility, excellence, aloha, total well-being, and Hawaiʻi — the first letter of each value combined spells out “BREATH,” or HĀ.
Students helped emcee the event, and special guest speakers included HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr., Kapolei High Instructional Coach Joan Lewis, and Sen. Lynn DeCoite (D, Hāna, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe and Molokini). The event also welcomed community partners such as Maui Coalition for Drug-Free Youth, Molokaʻi Child Abuse Prevention Pathways and various Molokaʻi High student clubs.
Hilo Chapter hosts Kākoʻo Kauhale event with entertainment, food
Nearly 200 community members turned out for Hilo Chapter’s Kākoʻo Kauhale event in honor of MLK Jr. Day. The event aimed to help the keiki of Puna who live in one of the chapter’s underserved communities.
While a number of MLK Jr. events were held in the Hilo area, many ʻohana were unable to attend because of the distance and the gas required to get there from Puna. Hilo Chapter’s goal was to provide a day of free food, entertainment, and activities for families in the Puna community, at least 12 miles from Hilo.
