Aloha,
August was an eventful month. In partnership with the Hawaiʻi State Public Charter Commission and the Hawaiʻi School Facilities Authority (SFA), we announced the expansion of preschool seats at Waiʻalae Elementary Public Charter School for the 2025-26 school year.
As part of the Connect Kākou initiative, I proclaimed September 2025 as Digital Aloha Month to promote safe and respectful online spaces. I also had the privilege of joining ʻohana across the state at several Hawaiian homestead blessings and lot selections.
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Sylvia Luke
Lieutenant Governor
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Expanding Pre-K Access at Waiʻalae Elementary
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Earlier this month, I joined the Hawaiʻi State Public Charter Commission and the Hawaiʻi School Facilities Authority (SFA) to announce the opening of a new preschool classroom at Waiʻalae Elementary Public Charter School for the 2025-26 school year.
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This milestone marks the first pre-K classroom renovation at an existing charter school under the Ready Keiki initiative, as well as the first pre-K project completed in partnership between SFA and the Charter School Commission. Because of this expansion, the school’s pre-K seats have doubled from 20 to 40, allowing the school to serve more keiki and support more families.
By expanding and providing more pre-K seats, the school has decreased its waitlist number from 90 families to 38. This progress highlights the power of listening to our communities and responding to their needs with action and collaboration. It’s not only a step forward in our commitment to provide universal access to pre-K, but also a powerful example of what we can achieve when we work together to invest in the future of Hawaiʻi’s keiki.
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September 2025 Marked as Digital Aloha Month
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Through the Connect Kākou initiative, we’re working to expand high-speed internet access to communities across Hawaiʻi. But as more people come online and learn to use high-speed internet, it’s just as important to ensure we’re using technology responsibly—not as a means to harm or harass others, but as a tool for connection, learning, and positive impact.
With the support of Governor Green, I had the honor of proclaiming September 2025 as Digital Aloha Month while serving as Acting Governor. This initiative is for everyone, but it holds particular significance for our students, who often face unique challenges and pressures in online spaces.
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Mahalo to the Hawaiʻi State Student Council and the Hawaiʻi Youth Commission, who are stepping up as Digital Aloha Ambassadors for their schools and communities. Their leadership—alongside the support of Hawaiʻi State Department of Education and the Hawaiʻi Department of Health—underscores how important this issue is across our community, especially for our youth.
I invite students, families, educators, businesses, and community groups to join us in practicing Digital Aloha, for the month and beyond. Together, we can build online communities that reflect our shared values—spaces that are safe, inclusive, and uplifting for all.
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Hale Haukani Opens at UH Mānoa, Expanding Student Housing & Childcare
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This month, I had the honor of attending the blessing ceremony for Hale Haukani, a new student housing complex at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. What makes this development especially meaningful is that it will also house the UH Mānoa Children’s Center, providing on-site childcare for residents.
Hale Haukani expands access to pre-K—aligned with the goals of the Ready Keiki initiative—as well as creates a unique opportunity for early childhood educators to train and earn the credentials needed to support our youngest learners, right where they live, work, and study.
This isn’t just about adding more classrooms or increasing childcare capacity. It’s about reimagining how we build communities by integrating childcare into housing, supporting families, and creating real-world training environments for future educators.
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Celebrating National Coffee Month
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August is National Coffee Month! Did you know Hawaiʻi is the only U.S. state that grows coffee commercially? I recently had the pleasure of visiting Kona Farm Direct, a family-owned coffee farm that’s been perfecting its world-renowned Kona coffee for over 30 years.
Mahalo to our farmers, producers, and roasters across our islands who make our coffee so special. Check out this reel to learn more about Kona Farm Direct and what makes Hawaiʻi the perfect place to grow exceptional coffee.
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Supporting Hawaiian Homesteads:
Milestones for DHHL
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Puʻuhona Blessing Ceremony
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This month, I had the honor of attending several Hawaiian homestead celebrations—part of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ (DHHL) ongoing efforts to provide Native Hawaiian ʻohana with the homes they have long deserved.
In 2022, while serving as Chair of the House Finance Committee, I worked alongside my legislative colleagues to secure a historic $600 million for DHHL—the largest single-year investment our state has ever made to build Hawaiian homesteads. This funding was about more than just houses and lots—it was a promise to address generations of delay and a backlog that has kept thousands of ʻohana waiting for a home in Hawaiʻi.
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At the Waimea Homestead blessing, families who have waited for years finally stood on the land where their future homes will be built. I also attended the Puʻuhona Homestead blessing—the first homestead project funded through Act 279 and DHHL’s first residential offering on Maui in 17 years. At the Kaʻuluokahaʻi II-C Lot Selection, I joined over 100 beneficiaries as they chose the parcels where they will one day build their homes.
Mahalo to DHHL for turning commitment into action and for working tirelessly to get homes into the hands of those who have waited with patience, hope, and perseverance. These investments are not just building homes—they're strengthening families, restoring connection to land, and shaping the future of our communities for generations to come.
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Ka'uluokaha'i II-C Lot Selection
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Waimea Homestead Blessing
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Capitol Visitors Spotlight
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Meeting with the Seoul City Council.
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Welcoming Representative Oda and the Pacific Islands Leadership Program with Taiwan to our office.
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Welcoming the Taiwan Student Delegation to the Capitol during their trip to Hawaiʻi.
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Meeting with Representative Kitagawa and International Shipyard Management Course members.
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Celebrating Waimea Public Library’s 75th anniversary.
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Enjoying the festivities at the 21st Annual Korean Festival.
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Supporting Hawaiʻi Foodbank during their annual Food Drive Day.
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Walking Fern Elementary students to school with the Walking School Bus.
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Celebrating YWCA Oʻahu’s 125th anniversary at their Dine with Us event.
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Commemorating the two-year memorial of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina.
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Celebrating Kenny Endo’s taiko career at his 50th Anniversary Concert.
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Supporting Aloha United Way in strengthening our communities through health, education, financial stability, and more.
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Presenting a proclamation at the Hawaiʻi Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet.
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Attending the University of Hawaiʻi football program’s inaugural Braddahhood Ball.
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Speaking at the Hawaiʻi Congress of Planning Officials Annual Conference.
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Speaking at the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors Hawaii Convention.
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Cheering on UH Mānoa football as they kicked off their season with a win against Stanford!
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Recognizing Bishop Museum’s new President and CEO, Kristofer Helgen.
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Attending the General Contractors Association: The Inside Track event.
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Attending the Hawaii Coalition for Civil Rights.
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Hours
Monday to Friday
7:45 AM - 4:30 PM
(Except state holidays)
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Location
Hawaiʻi State Capitol,
415 South Beretania Street, 5th Floor
Honolulu, HI 96813
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