Donate to Schools via Hoʻopili ʻAi

Make a donation to Hoʻopili ʻAi — Uniting Keiki & Hawaiʻi Food Crops, Hawaiʻi’s Harvest of the Month farm to school initiative that brings recipe-ready tasting boxes to teachers, students, and families across Hawaiʻi! Your donation makes this program possible, ensuring Hawaiʻi’s next generation learns about our islands' culturally sustaining staple food crops, nutrition, and the critical link between local agriculture and resilient communities.

In the 2025-2026 school year, Hoʻopili ʻAi reached approximately 66,025 students at 134 PreK-12 public, charter, and independent schools on Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu, Maui, and Kauaʻi, which is more than three times as many students as the year before. 

Hoʻopili ʻAi sampler boxes feature four Hawaiʻi-grown staple crops: ʻulu (breadfruit), kalo (taro), ʻuala (sweet potato), and palaʻai (pumpkin), all sourced from the co-op’s network of more than 230 member farms. This year we added value-added products to the lineup, including ʻulu animal crackers, ʻulu flour, ʻulu pancake mix, ʻulu mousse, macadamia nuts, honey, hummus, and poi. Schools can choose Classroom Boxes, which hold 25 individually wrapped samples for students to enjoy at home with their ʻohana, or Culinary Boxes, which have enough product for 200 two-ounce portions prepared at school. Through hands-on culinary experiences that connect students with Hawaiian heritage, teachers and staff can explore nutrition, the environment, and culture all in one lesson.

Hoʻopili ʻAi is a partnership with Hawaiʻi Farm to School (a program of Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute), Chef Hui, and University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH CTAHR) GET Local Farm to School Program. It provides students, teachers, school staff, and parents with standards-aligned curricula and other resources needed to build lifelong relationships between youth and Hawaiʻi-grown staple foods, guided by the belief that dietary education is key to improving student health through increased fruit and vegetable consumption. For more information about this program, please see the links below. Thank you for your interest in and support of this vital community initiative!

Learn more about the initiative or access additional resources.

Teacher and Cafeteria Staff Testimonials

“Every single student tried the ʻuala, even ones who are especially picky/have food aversions! Everything went well and the parents were very happy with the program!” — Public elementary school on Oʻahu

“It was awesome to have something so healthy to offer students.” — Public Elementary School on Hawaiʻi Island

“The program helped me to introduce the Hawaiian food staple to my class and provided a foundation to incorporate an outdoor classroom, journaling, hands on gardening experience, cultivating a sense of belonging, and helping with absenteeism.” — Public Elementary School on Oʻahu

“At lunch time we made an area where we could serve ʻuala to students. We were able to feed over 1000 students in a matter of two days. Many students came back for more and were surprised how much they liked the ʻuala.” — Public intermediate School on Maui

“Students were enthusiastic and engaged. There were more than enough samples to send home with extras to prepare a tasting in class. Plenty of resources that can be modified for different grade levels. I built positive relationships with the kitchen staff through this experience, which was an unexpected positive.” — Public Charter Elementary School on Oʻahu

“This has given our students and their ʻOhana a tangible way to try Kalo and a Gift to feed their ʻohana with nourishing mea ʻai during times of tragedy on our Island. It has given families a glimpse of hope into the future of growing kalo and being able to malama the aina and live off the land. Mahalo nui.” — Homeschool group on Maui

“Mahalo for putting on such a great program. Its hard to make food purchases with DOE money and other grants so its nice to have this available to kumu, especially when we are trying to teach keiki about nutrition.” — Public Elementary School on Oʻahu