(WASHINGTON, DC) – May 28, 2020 – APIA Scholars has announced the launch of a new partnership with the Nakupuna Foundation, the foundation arm of the Nakupuna Companies, a Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO)–owned family of companies. Under this new partnership, the Nakupuna Foundation has committed to a one-year $175,000 contribution that will help APIA Scholars provide college and career support to Native Hawaiian students. This includes the APIA/Nakupuna Foundation Scholarship program, set to begin in Spring 2020, which will provide two-year scholarships for eighteen Native Hawaiian students studying in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)–related fields, as well as virtual Scholar programming in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Nakupuna Foundation, named in honor of the Nakupuna Companies’ founder, the late Warren Nakupuna Ah Loo, is dedicated to the economic advancement of Native Hawaiians, and is especially enthusiastic about supporting educational programs and opportunities focusing on STEM subjects.
“We are grateful to the Nakupuna Foundation for their support and partnership in our mission to make a difference in the lives of APIA students,” said Noël S. Harmon, President and Executive Director of APIA Scholars. “There are tremendous disparities within the APIA community, both economically and educationally, that are often overlooked especially for underrepresented communities. We are grateful to the Nakupuna Foundation for addressing the needs of Native Hawaiian students in communities across the country and working with us to make a difference.”
“We are extremely excited to begin building a long-term partnership with APIA Scholars,” remarked Cariann Ah Loo, Warren Nakupuna Ah Loo’s daughter and Chair of the Nakupuna Foundation. “Their integrated approach to support the entire student—from college entry into the workforce—is exactly the type of partnership the Nakupuna Foundation wants to build. We are grateful and appreciative for their tremendous efforts to get funding to college-bound Native Hawaiians.”
Applications to the APIA Scholarship Program for 2020-21 academic year were available from September 2019 to January 2020. More information about our scholarship criteria can be found on the APIA Scholars’ website.
For more information about the Nakupuna Foundation, please visit https://nakupunafoundation.org.
About the Nakupuna Foundation
The Nakupuna Foundation is a non-profit Native Hawaiian Organization with a mission to support the economic advancement of the Native Hawaiian Community. A cornerstone of our support includes a vision to prepare Native Hawaiians for 21st century job opportunities through a portfolio of targeted investments in students studying STEM subjects. Named in honor of the late Warren Nakupuna Ah Loo, the Nakupuna Foundation owns a family of Native Hawaiian–owned companies, the Nakupuna Companies, that act as the main vessel of support for the Foundation.
About APIA Scholars
Based in Washington, D.C., APIA Scholars is the nation’s leading non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs). APIA Scholars works to create opportunities for students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary education; thereby developing future leaders who will excel in their career, serve as role models in their communities, and ultimately contribute to a vibrant America. Since 2003, APIA Scholars has awarded more than $150 million in scholarships to deserving APIA students. APIA Scholars manages three scholarship programs: APIA Scholarship, the AANAPISI Scholarship, and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Americans, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
