PLEASE NOTE: We are not currently accepting volunteers due to COVID-19. We appreciate your interest and look forward to connecting with you when our campus reopens.
Established in 1896, Palama Settlement is a non-profit, community-based social service agency serving the Kalihi and Palama neighborhoods. We offer a wide range of educational, recreational, athletic, cultural, social, health, and community building programs and services for children, youth, adults, and senior citizens.
Our mission is to partner with those who have the greatest needs in our community, empowering them to enhance their well-being through education, health and recreation.
The Palama Settlement Digital Arts Academy Receives Grant from The Creative City
Honolulu, HI—Palama Settlement’s Digital Arts Academy headed by POW! WOW! founder and lead director, Jasper Wong, received a generous and timely $8,000 grant from The Creative City, according to Anna Stone, program administrator for Palama Settlement. The inaugural class of the Digital Arts Academy included 15 high school students, some who do not own an iPad, and needed to borrow devices from the Palama Settlement learning center to complete their projects.
The generous grant was used to purchase new iPads for the Digital Arts students, which is integral to the students’ creative aspirations. “It is important that students have the freedom and confidence to express their creativity. Having their own iPad that they can take home, and use beyond the classroom, affords a complete experience with digital arts,” said Karen Chang Blangiardi, founder of The Creative City.
“Words can’t express our sincere gratitude to Karen Chang and The Creative City for this generous gift,” said Anna Stone. “Our Digital Arts students are so talented. This grant will ensure they now have the proper tools to share their creativity with the world.”
“When I was child my parents owned a shop near Farrington High School, so this neighborhood has always been near and dear to my heart. I know what an art and technology school at Palama Settlement could do for this community that is overflowing with talented youth that may not have the proper tools that could take their talent to the next level,” said Jasper Wong. “I am so grateful for The Creative City for jumping in to support the aspirations of my art students.”
The Creative City is dedicated to providing leadership and resources to grow O’ahu into a place where culture and arts play a major role in delivering quality of life for everyone. The Creative City strives to increase access to and opportunities in the arts, as well as create a sustainable creative ecosystem for our island community. The Creative City fund is managed by the Hawai’i Community Foundation, with distribution of funds stewarded by The Creative City fund advisors. For more information, visit www.thecreativecity.org.
Established in 1896, Palama Settlement is a nonprofit, community-based social service agency serving the Kalihi and Palama neighborhoods. Palama Settlement offers a wide range of educational, recreational, athletic, cultural, social, health, and community building programs and services for children, youth, adults, and senior citizens. Palama Settlement’s mission is to partner with those who have the greatest needs in the community, empowering them to enhance their well-being through health, education, and recreation. For more information, visit www.palamasettlement.org.
Jasper Wong, POW! WOW! founder and lead director, works with his students from the Digital Arts Academy class at Palama Settlement this past summer.
A Digital Arts Academy student works on a class project using an iPad this past summer.
Palama Settlement is pleased to welcome Antonet Barut, Tim Gillaspie, Lowell Gillia, Daniel Lam, Glenn Medeiros, Jackson Nakasone,
and Stevie-Lyn Takata to its Board of Trustees.
Antonet Barut
Antonet Barut has over 21 years of Hawaii real estate sales experience. Barut is an eight-year Air Force veteran and specializes in working with veterans, first time home buyers, and luxury clients. She has also been an eight-time Ruby Award Winner; Top Producer; TOP 100 REALTOR team member; and a multiple Aloha ‘Āina Award nominee, an award based on client nominations that honors realtors who have gone above and beyond in client service and maintain the highest ethical standards. Barut is also a former program participant of Palama Settlement and looks forward to serving on the Board of Trustees. She enjoys hiking, fishing, and traveling in her spare time. Barut is also a donor and volunteer of Farrington High School and actively supports the school’s band scholarship program.
Tim Gillaspie
Tim Gillaspie is a Senior Program Manager for Amazon Web Service (AWS) where he manages a team of cross functional experts to field strategically impactful programs for AWS training and certification. Tim is a recently retired Air Force Colonel whose last assignment was as Logistics Operations Division Chief for US Indo-Pacific Command. He had 11 other assignments from base level to the Headquarters Air Force in the Pentagon. He has served on the board of Habitat for Humanity in Montgomery, Alabama, President of four different local chapters of the Logistics Officer Association (LOA), and the Chair of the LOA National Board of Directors Nominating Committee. He currently serves as a class representative on the U.S. Air Force Academy Class Advisory Senate and as president of the Hawaii Triathlon Center Club.
Lowell Gillia
Lowell Gillia is President and Creative Director of Design Asylum, a locally-owned full-service, multidisciplinary design firm. The design firm focuses on developing integrated brand strategies for clients including brand and logo concepts, graphic design, and website development. Gillia also serves as a lecturer at Honolulu Community College for courses such Portfolio Presentation, Typography, and Beginning Graphic Design. Gillia is also a multiple Pele Award recipient. He has served the community for several organizations including Lanakila Pacific and Nuuanu Elementary School. Gillia has been married for over 18 years and has two sons. In his spare time, Gillia enjoys collecting comic books and doing home renovations.
Daniel Lam
Daniel Lam is a business attorney with Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel LLP where he assists public and private companies in various structural, governance, and transactional matters. He specializes in corporate (profit and nonprofit), LLC, partnership, contract, and securities laws, and handles compliance, negotiation, and drafting matters in various areas including mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, and commercial contracts. Lam has been recognized as a Hawaii State Bar Association Leadership Institute Fellow in 2018; a selection to Super Lawyers Rising Stars each year since 2018; and a selection to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for 2021 and 2022. He is fluent in conversational Japanese and is active in the community, volunteering for a number of nonprofit organizations including the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association (includes First Tee Hawaii) where he serves on the board of directors and as treasurer, Business Law Corps, Volunteer Legal Services Hawai‘i, and Hawaii State Bar Foundation. Lam is a graduate of Creighton University School of Law, Gonzaga University, and Punahou School. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf.
Dr. Glenn Medeiros
Dr. Glenn Medeiros is in his seventh year as President of Saint Louis School. Prior to joining Saint Louis School, Dr. Medeiros served as an Assistant Professor at Chaminade University. For 8 years, Dr. Medeiros served as Vice Principal and high school teacher at Maryknoll School. Medeiros is also a singer and songwriter who achieved national and international success. Medeiros is a graduate of University of Southern California’s Rosier School of Education and University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu. Medeiros was born in Lihue, Kauai. He and his wife Tammy have a son, Chord, and daughter, Lyric.
Jackson Nakasone
Jackson Nakasone is the Chief Executive Officer and Principal of CBI. Inc. where they specialize in commercial real estate advisory services in Hawaii properties. In 1982, Jackson founded the real estate firm whose title is the acronym for “Client’s Best Interest.” CBI is now affiliated with NAI and has generated transactions totaling over $350 million and manages a portfolio comprising over 40 commercial properties. He also has over 11 years working in the hospitality industry. Nakasone is a past board chairman of Palama Settlement and is also involved with McKinley High School Foundation and the University of Hawaii Foundation. He was also a recipient of the United Okinawa Association Legacy & Lifetime Award in 2013; NAIOP Outstanding Broker of the Year; and NAIOP Outstanding Services Award in 2019.
Stevie-Lyn Takata
Stevie-Lyn Takata is the co-founder of branding and marketing agency, Refinery Creative, where her expertise spans a wide range of tactics including brand strategy, traditional and digital marketing and advertising, content production, and more. With a passion to help build thriving communities, Takata specializes in marketing for real estate developments. In her former role as Vice President of Client Services at Honolulu marketing company Ocean Blue, she has contributed to the successful delivery of projects such as Park Lane Ala Moana, The Collection, Waihonua at Kewalo, and Pacifica Honolulu, as well as the residential and retail offerings at Ward Village. In addition to her work with Palama Settlement, Takata serves on the board of ULI Hawaii Young Leaders Group and is the current past president of the AIGA Honolulu board of directors. She is a proud graduate of Seattle University and Kamehameha Schools Kapālama.
Give Aloha to Palama Settlement at Foodland
During the Month of September
2021 Foodland’s Give Aloha
Palama Settlement is excited to participate in Give Aloha, Foodland’s Annual Community Matching Gifts program! This program runs through the month of September and it’s easy to participate! Simply make a donation to Palama Settlement at Foodland in September and Foodland will match a portion of your gift!
Here’s how it works:
Our organization will receive all donations made for Palama Settlement plus a matching gift. All funds Palama Settlement receives through the Give Aloha program will support our mission to serve those with the greatest needs in our community. Mahalo for your support to help Give Aloha to Palama Settlement and the communities we serve.
Digital Arts Academy
Introduction to Graphic Design
Program has been postponed until September 30.
If the class is unable to safely gather, the program will continue as a virtual class.
Fall 2021 Youth Technology Programs
Sign up today!
Animation – Storytelling:
Click here to fill out a registration form
Coding in Scratch:
Click here to fill out a registration form.
Coding in Unity:
Click here to fill out a registration form.
LEGO Robotics:
Click here to fill out a registration form.
