Working in relationship with people, place, and culture
Our work is rooted in ʻike Hawaiʻi, community connection, and service. We collaborate with organizations that share a commitment to honoring Native Hawaiian culture through respectful engagement, learning, and relationship building.
Types of Partnerships
Each partnership is approached with care, open communication, and a shared commitment to relationship and kuleana.
We work with organizations in a variety of ways, including:
Partners & Programming
The Southern California Asian & Pacific Islander Festival’s (“SoCal API Fest") mission is to increase education about Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) culture. We endeavor to create better global citizens by engaging and educating members of the local community, fostering meaningful conversations about cultural similarities, differences, and a mutual desire for respect and understanding. Our goals include engaging the local community through partnerships with diverse cultural organizations, nonprofits, and businesses, and spreading awareness through the cultural arts and sparking meaningful conversations.
The Asian & Pacific Islander & Desi American (APIDA) Success Initiative strives to inspire and prepare all students for success at CSUSM with care and support. For our low-income, first-generation, and returning students - we are here.
Founded in 1988, Papa Ola Lokahi is a 501(c)(3) that embodies the holistic approach that brings together mind, body and spirit in the pursuit of optimum health and well-being for Native Hawaiians.
As a leading advocate for the folk and traditional arts, ACTA is weaving a more integrated, more understanding, and more empathetic social fabric across California. Founded in 1997, ACTA is a 501(c)3 non-profit and for 24 years served as the California Arts Council’s official partner in serving the state’s folk and traditional arts field.
Voices of Impact
Reconnecting Through 'Olelo Hawai'i: Jeri's Story
Staying connected to Hawaiian identity in the diaspora can be challenging. This year, through ‘Umeke’s ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Workshop, Jeri Nicolas found a meaningful way to reconnect with her heritage. Jeri shared how emotional the experience was:
“To be able to reconnect with something that’s still inside you, but you know nothing about, is humbling...It's always something that I've wondered about. I’m from a generation where my parents disconnected me, not on purpose, from our culture because they wanted me to have a better life. That’s why it's so important to have these resources accessible locally...to have them in person.”
Through shared learning and laughter, Jeri rediscovered the cultural knowledge that lives within her. The workshop became more than a class on language—it became belonging, identity, and healing.
