Aloha Students, Educators and Families,

I am honored to welcome you to Career Foundations — a statewide effort designed to prepare Hawai‘i’s youth with the skills, confidence and real-world experience needed to thrive in today’s economy, while strengthening the well-being of our communities.

Across our islands, we are deeply committed to nourishing Hawai‘i’s keiki and building a more resilient local food system. My wife, First Lady Jaime Kanani Green, leads the Feeding Hawai‘i’s Keiki initiative, which focuses on ensuring every child has access to healthy meals, while supporting local farmers, producers and food systems. 

Career Foundations is the education engine behind this vision.

Through programs like Skills, Biz, Bank, Farm, and Career Connections, students gain practical life skills, financial literacy, entrepreneurial thinking and hands-on exposure to real careers across Hawai‘i’s growing industries. Together, these pathways prepare learners not only to succeed academically, but to participate meaningfully in our local workforce — especially in food systems, agriculture and community-based businesses that directly support food security and economic resilience.

This is about more than learning in the classroom. Career Foundations connects students to real opportunities — from farming and agribusiness to finance, entrepreneurship and career exploration — helping them understand how their education translates into impact in their communities. By building these skills early, we are empowering Hawai‘i’s youth to become future farmers, business owners, innovators and leaders who will help feed our islands and strengthen our economy for generations to come.

Mahalo for being part of this important journey. Your curiosity, hard work and dedication are helping shape a healthier, stronger Hawai‘i. We are proud of you and excited to see where your path leads!

Mahalo,