Inspire the Keiki Foundation

Inspire the Keiki Foundation is a public nonprofit organization based in Honolulu, Hawaii, dedicated to empowering and enriching the youth of Hawaii through academic success and leadership development. The foundation’s overarching mission is to provide learning opportunities for Hawaii’s children aimed at cultivating future leaders who can contribute meaningfully both within the state and globally by strengthening youth with skills in empowerment, enrichment, and academics.

Mission and Activities

The foundation’s mission focuses on strengthening youth through empowerment, enrichment, and academic success. To achieve this, Inspire the Keiki Foundation sponsors various programs designed to teach leadership, life, and social skills. These programs combine classroom sessions covering important topics such as social media, money management, college preparation, career opportunities, self-defense, and personal awareness with experiential learning opportunities.

In addition to classroom instruction, the foundation organizes field trips to expose keiki (children) to Hawaii’s diverse business, government, and community organizations. These trips aim to broaden youths’ understanding of both local and global communities, helping them envision possibilities beyond their immediate experience.

Ohiʻa Fellowship Class

The foundation’s inaugural program is called the Ohiʻa Fellowship Class. This selective fellowship consists of 10 female applicants born in 2004 or 2005 who meet specific qualifications. Applicants must have goals of pursuing higher education such as college or trade school, be residents of Hawaii for at least one year with the intention to remain until graduation or age 18, and commit to participating fully in the fellowship until they reach 18 years old. While the fellowship is free for participants, they are encouraged to assist with fundraising and community service initiatives.

The name "Ohiʻa" was chosen symbolically after the ʻōhiʻa tree, which is a keystone species in Hawaiian rainforests that is the first to revive areas impacted by lava flow, reflecting the foundation’s vision of nurturing resilient leaders who will hold communities together.

Educational Support and Community Involvement

Beyond leadership and life skills, Inspire the Keiki Foundation supports literacy and learning initiatives through partnerships that provide educational resources. For example, the foundation supports programs such as the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and Little Passports subscription services, which deliver books and educational kits to children to inspire a lifelong love of reading and exploration.

The foundation’s approach also emphasizes environmental stewardship and cultural preservation, encouraging keiki to engage in volunteerism and conservation activities that nurture responsibility toward Hawaii’s land and sea.

Organizational Details

Registered as a public charity under EIN 475160011, Inspire the Keiki Foundation operates primarily in Honolulu, Hawaii. It focuses its efforts locally but with the intention to inspire keiki to become leaders who impact the world beyond Hawaii.

Inspire the Keiki Foundation’s comprehensive approach integrates academic enrichment, leadership training, cultural education, and community service to empower Hawaii’s youth to thrive as future leaders and guardians of their heritage and environment.[1][2][3][4][5]