Teens, Finance A Good Mix At KEY
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Del.icio.usA recent infusion of $50,000 will strengthen KEY Project’s Kipaipai Asset Building Program, which is designed to guide primarily Native Hawaiian youths age 14 to 20 toward an economically successful future.
Courses began in April, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs grant will enable KEY’s three cohort groups of teens to follow through on their program goals through next March. Vital to their success and self-confidence is job experience, said Emma Frias, program director for the Kahaluu-based multiservice community center.
“We are looking for businesses willing to hire our youth participants as apprentices,” Frias said. “People with business acumen and personal experiences also are on our list.” To offer help, call her at 239-5777. The program also has room for more teen participants.
Kipaipai (to encourage, inspire) stresses financial education and career planning throughout. The youths establish Individual Development Accounts, identify an asset, start a job, save their wages and then purchase that asset. Along the way, they fine-tune their strengths and skills, focus on improving, and clarify career goals.
Finally, KEY staff introduce a micro-enterprise component and challenge them to develop a community service project as well.
“Our first cohort group of 10 youths chose community food security at their project,” explained Frias. “They built five raised-bed gardens for five families in our community.”
The OHA grant is especially timely in mid-course, added KEY executive director John Reppun, and as “a vital grass-roots civic resource,” KEY is the ideal place to conduct such an empowerment project.
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