HONOLULU (HI Now) - Founded 30 years ago, INPEACE has built its mission around a simple but powerful idea: that education and culture, working together, can transform communities.
The grassroots nonprofit works across the state with rural and low-income communities, offering free programs and services designed to promote self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life for Native Hawaiian families. At the heart of its approach is a commitment to the entire ʻohana — not just the keiki.
INPEACE uses a multi-generational, culture-based model that places parents at the center of their children’s education and development. Programs like Keiki Steps, Hōʻala, Hiʻilei and the Early Literacy Institute are designed to bridge the gap between home and school, empowering parents and caregivers to become active participants in their keiki’s learning.
In East Hawaiʻi, INPEACE operates three Keiki Steps school sites — at Keaukaha Elementary, Liliuokalani Trust in Hilo and Makuʻu Homestead in Puna — open to the community on Mondays and Tuesdays. Families can also join weekly Kaʻahele on-ʻāina learning days in wahi pana throughout Hilo and Puna.
For families looking to get their keiki ready for kindergarten, INPEACE recommends starting with reading. The Hawaiʻi Alphabet Poster Set and Card Set, created by the INPEACE Early Literacy Institute in collaboration with Cardinal Education Group, are now available to borrow at local libraries.
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On April 16, INPEACE is offering a Family Literacy and Culture Education Workshop via Zoom with ʻAnakē Kū for families interested in exploring ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and literacy. Families can also visit the Kaulele exhibit at Imiloa Astronomy Center through April 26.
For a full list of free programs available year-round, visit www.inpeace.org or stop by the INPEACE offices on Kalanikoa St., above Hilo Lunch Shop. Follow INPEACE on Instagram at @inpeacehawaii.
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