Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 4, 1 April 2017 — OHA is Good for Everyone [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA is Good for Everyone

Fvery day after school, thousands of school-aged children face a time when they are most vulnerable to

outside intluences. But for children who participate in After-School All-Stars Hawai'i, an OHA grant recipient and an organization that provides onsite after school activities, there is an alternative. According to the organization's website, the program "gives its students a safe-haven during the 'danger zone' hours of 3pm-6pm - the time of day when youth violence, drug use, and other delinquent behaviors are most likely to

occur." This valuable service is available to all children at Nānākuli & Wai'anae Intermediate schools on O'ahu and Ka'ū, as well as Kea'au and Pahoa Intermediate schools on Hawai'i Island. This is just one way OHA provides support that is good for and benefits the entire community. Another example of OHA's work in the community was its support of Stevenson Middle School, after a recent burglary resulted in the loss of several musical instruments. OHA quickly replaced the instruments and delivered them to school officials, reinforcing the important Hawaiian values of family and community. Similarly, OHA's support forprograms such as the Boys and Girls Club of Maui, and the Hui Malama Learning Center, brings vital resources for the education and caretaking of not only Hawaiians but all youths. These efforts create a ripple effect that extends to all of our society in Hawai'i, and is something to be extremely proud of.

Another way OHA contributes to the improvement of society in general is in its promotion of legislation in areas such as education. For example,

OHA's 2017 legislative package contained a proposal that the Legislative Reference Bureau conduct a study into the methods used by the Department of Education to determine the allocation of funding to charter schools. One motivation behind proposing such a study is to determine whether state funds spent on charter schools are on par with funds spent on public schools. While such a study would help determine

whether Hawaiian students in charter schools receive the same linaneial treatment from the DOE that other public school students enjoy, it will also help all charter school students throughout the state to receive the educational benefits they deserve. This study is one of many legislative and other efforts OHA supports in the field of education that have beneficial effects on everyone. Overall efforts by OHA to help its beneficiaries to obtain housing, jobs, education and health care end up benefiting society at large by reducing the burden upon taxpayers for vital services. Additionally, OHA's strong leadership in the preservation of the Hawaiian language and culture preserves and enhances the aloha spirit for all residents and visitors to the islands. While OHA's primary mission is to advance the betterment of Native Hawaiians, the resources of OHA improve life in Hawai'i for all people. That's why OHA is good for everyone. ■

Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. TrustEE, At-largE