Building a Better Future for Hawai‘i’s Youth

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Join Kupu's Giving Campaign

Kupu Aʻe Ke Aloha
Aloha Sprouts Forth

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Young adult Kupu participant planting kupukupu ferns.

Empowering Youth, Restoring Land.

Kupu, meaning to grow, sprout, or increase, connects youth and young adults with opportunities to discover their potential and create a better future for their community, their environment, and themselves. We also support a network of partners who serve youth and ʻāina, helping them achieve their goals.

Our mission is to empower youth to serve their communities through character-building, service-learning, and environmental stewardship opportunities that encourage pono (integrity) with ke Akua (God), self, and others.

Award badge for 2021 winner of Best Places to Work by Hawaii Business Magazine

Award badge for 2020 winner of Best Places to Work by Hawaii Business Magazine

Participate

Kupu operates a dozen programs, ranging from environmental education to paid experiences and on-the-job training in sustainability-focused professions. Participate in a program with Kupu.

Join a Program

Host

Are you leading a sustainability or conservation organization today? Learn how we can support you while creating opportunities for the next generation. Build your organization’s capacity.

Become a Host Site

Give

Our programs change lives, and our alumni are changing the world, thanks in part to our donors. Learn more about giving to Kupu.

Give to Kupu

Where We Serve

Kupu's expansion in the U.S. Pacific is dedicated to nurturing the growth of knowledge, environmental stewardship, and opportunity among local youth. This growth is geared towards creating a sustainable future not only for the Hawaiian islands but also for the broader U.S. Pacific region.

Participant data is from 2007-present.

Support Our Social Enterprises

From our oceanfront venue to our food truck, Kupu’s social enterprises provide world-class service while supporting our youth and creating sustainable programming.

Learn how your next meal, meeting or special event can change lives by choosing one of Kupu’s social enterprises. Located in Kewalo Basin Park, the award-winning Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Hoʻokupu Center is revitalizing communities by providing a sustainable and collaborative event space.

Check out the Ho'okupu Center