Posted on: Friday, November 28, 2003

$1.5 million grant aids drug-free efforts in Waimanalo

Advertiser Staff

The Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence at the University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to support drug prevention work among elementary school children in Waimanalo.

The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools and will be administered over five years.

The grant will support Hui Malama o ke Kai, a program that provides services for fifth- and sixth-graders in Waimanalo after school when children are most at risk for exposure to drugs, alcohol and violence. It will allow the program to expand from three to five days a week and increase the number of children served from 30 to 40.

Principal investigator for the grant is Shannon Hirose-Wong, research coordinator at the Native Hawaiian Center, and one of the leaders of Hui Malama o ke Kai. The program was founded five years ago by community members and serves students with no charge to their families.