HVERI Newsletter – December 2024: A Season of Gratitude and Resilience

Aloha HVERI ʻOhana,

2024 Comes to a Close

As we bid farewell to 2024, we reflect on a year filled with challenges and triumphs. This season reminds us to cherish the bonds that unite us and the strength that our community embodies. Whether facing the trials of nature or the complexities of the digital age, we remain resilient because we face them together. In this issue, we’ll share updates on recent activities and ways to contribute to HVERI’s mission in the coming year.

Year in Review: Milestones of 2024

This year, HVERI achieved significant milestones in disaster preparedness, community resilience, and educational outreach:

First Official Year as a Registered Nonprofit: 2024 marked our first full year as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit—a project in the making since the Kīlauea eruption of 2018. This milestone reflects years of dedication to building an organization rooted in resilience and community empowerment.
Expansion of Digital Resilience Hubs: We advanced our Digital Resilience Program by launching social media moderator training to support online information hubs during emergencies. These hubs play a vital role in ensuring accurate and timely communication during crises.
Launch of the Youth Development Program: This new initiative empowers individuals aged 13 to 25 with critical thinking, leadership, technology, and communication skills. Through hands-on experiences focused on disaster preparedness, response, and volcano education, youth are developing innovative solutions to enhance resilience, community safety, and understanding of Hawaiʻi’s unique volcanic environment.
Community Outreach and Education: HVERI engaged with the community through school science nights, multiple Civil Defense preparedness fairs, and participation in events like the La ʻOhana o Pohoiki Festival and Revitalize Puna. These efforts brought disaster awareness and education directly to residents across Hawaiʻi Island, fostering a stronger and more informed community.
Funding and Grants: We secured vital funding from county and state-level grants, including our first grant from the State of Hawaiʻi, as well as support from the Atherton Family Foundation, County of Hawaiʻi, Puna Strong, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, and the Kīlauea Recovery Grant. Additional support from Puna Strong and the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation allowed us to participate in educational and cultural events, further expanding our programs, amplifying our reach, and strengthening our ability to serve the community effectively.

These accomplishments are a testament to our shared mission of building a safer, more connected, and resilient Hawaiʻi. As we look ahead to 2025, we remain committed to enhancing our programs and continuing to serve our communities with dedication and purpose.

Youth Development Program

Waiākeawaena Elementary School Science Night

HVERI had the privilege of participating in Waiākeawaena Elementary School’s Science Night, an event that drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 300 students. The evening was alive with curiosity and learning as we unveiled new additions to our Volcano Education Tool Kit.

Highlights included:

Rift Zone Inflation-Deflation Demonstration: Students explored how changes in a rift zone's pressure can influence volcanic activity.
Kīlauea Slope Model: Using a detailed replica of Kīlauea’s slopes, students poured vibrant red corn syrup to simulate lava flows emerging from a perched pond and cinder cone. The hands-on activity helped illustrate how lava behaves as it moves across different terrains.
Lava Bomb Stomp Launcher: This interactive tool allowed students to experiment with projection angles and pressure, showing how these factors influence the trajectory and distance of lava bombs.

The excitement and engagement of the students were a testament to the power of hands-on learning. It was an unforgettable evening that fostered curiosity and a deeper understanding of the dynamic volcanic processes that shape our island home.

If you are interested in volunteering and assisting the HVERI team, please contact us at contact@hveri.org.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Pacific Tsunami Museum Collaboration

HVERI is proud to collaborate with the Pacific Tsunami Museum to document the history of tsunamis in Hawaiʻi. This initiative features video interviews with the museum’s founder, Dr. Walter Dudley, who shares invaluable insights on the science and stories behind these natural disasters. Together, we aim to preserve and share this vital knowledge, emphasizing the importance of preparedness and historical awareness for communities in tsunami-prone areas.

Hawaiʻi Kuleana Animal Alliance (HAKA)

Our partnership with HAKA focuses on strengthening Hawaiʻi Island’s disaster preparedness through community-focused initiatives. Together, we will conduct interviews with emergency management personnel to identify actionable strategies that enhance resilience across the island. These interviews will serve as the foundation for community discussions and resources, helping Hawaiʻi Island prepare for and respond to future disasters more effectively.

Pōhaku Pelemaka Partnership: Youth Development Workshops

HVERI and Pōhaku Pelemaka are teaming up to pilot an innovative series of youth development workshops that blend volcano education, cultural storytelling, and artificial intelligence (AI). These workshops will explore the moʻolelo (stories) and mele (chants) of Pele, connecting youth to Puna’s cultural and geological heritage.

Each session includes:

A cultural and scientific introduction to moʻolelo or mele texts.
Hands-on activities where youth use an AI assistant to create visual interpretations of the stories, refining their images through an iterative process.
Opportunities for youth to develop leadership, creativity, and collaborative skills while gaining AI experience.

The project will culminate in a video showcasing a fully illustrated moʻolelo or mele text, accompanied by the original chant. Both HVERI and Pōhaku Pelemaka will retain tools, training, and resources from this initiative, ensuring the workshops can be expanded to new themes and locations, creating lasting connections between science, culture, and community.

Midland Radio Corporation, Inc. Partnership

HVERI is excited to announce a new partnership with Midland Radio Corporation, a leader in intuitive communication solutions since 1959. With their reliable and user-friendly two-way radios, we aim to enhance our ability to communicate effectively during events and on-location livestreams. This partnership strengthens our mission to provide timely updates and maintain connectivity in challenging environments, ensuring our community receives the most accurate and up-to-date information possible.

Midland’s hand-held radios will also play a vital role in educating the community about the importance of secondary communication options. When power is lost, cell service is disrupted, or we find ourselves outside cell coverage, having reliable tools like Midland’s radios ensures we remain connected and prepared.

As the first CB manufacturer in the United States, Midland has consistently prioritized safety and preparedness, offering a wide range of weather, business, and emergency radios. Their intuitive features, durability, and commitment to meaningful communication make them an ideal partner for HVERI’s resilience-building initiatives.

Together, we will not only improve communication during emergencies but also empower Hawaiʻi Island residents with knowledge about maintaining reliable connections during disasters. This collaboration underscores our shared goal of ensuring safety, preparedness, and resilience for all.

Volcano Education

Kīlauea Iki: Layers of Lava

In November, we launched a special mini-series exploring the iconic 1959 eruption of Kīlauea Iki, bringing this historic event to life through a blend of archived footage and detailed write-ups. The series was featured during our Thursday livestream broadcasts, where viewers were taken back in time to witness the eruption’s most dramatic moments.

From the initial fissure eruptions and lava fountains towering over 1,000 feet to the formation of a 225-foot-deep lava lake, each installment captured the raw power and beauty of Kīlauea Iki. Our write-ups offered deeper insights into the eruption’s progression, highlighting key geological observations, such as the rapid rise of the lava lake, the formation of pressure ridges, and the intense fountaining that shaped the crater’s landscape.

View the series here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qivE0Kr6eGY

End-of-Year Fundraiser: Mahalo for Your Support

As we wrap up 2024, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who supported HVERI throughout the year. Your contributions have been instrumental in driving our mission forward, empowering our community with vital tools and knowledge to stay safe, prepared, and resilient.

Your generosity has directly fueled programs like:

Volcano Education: With your support, we provide communities with in-depth exploration of Hawaiʻi’s volcanic activity through our weekly livestream broadcasts and detailed written articles. This allows us to deliver real-time coverage of eruptions, earthquakes, and other natural hazards on Hawaiʻi Island, offering timely updates and valuable insights to keep residents informed and prepared.
Digital Resilience: Strengthening community networks and providing essential training to enhance communication and combat misinformation during emergencies. Our initiatives include establishing Digital Resilience Hubs across Hawaiʻi Island, which serve as reliable sources of real-time information during crises. Through partnerships with local organizations, we train residents in effective communication strategies, ensuring they can stay connected even when traditional systems fail. By addressing the challenges of misinformation and fostering digital literacy, we empower communities to make informed decisions and respond effectively in times of need.
Youth Development: Empowering Hawaiʻi’s next generation with leadership opportunities through innovative projects that combine our Volcano Education Tool Kit and AI technology. By attending school science nights, we foster curiosity and provide hands-on learning experiences that inspire students across Hawaiʻi.

These programs are possible because of you. Every donation has helped us reach more people, expand our educational resources, and strengthen the resilience of Hawaiʻi’s communities.

Ways to Support Before the Year Ends

Corporate Matching Gifts

Double your impact! Many companies offer corporate matching programs, where they match their employees’ charitable contributions. Take a moment to check with your employer to see if they offer this benefit—it’s a simple way to maximize the effect of your donation and help HVERI reach even more people with our programs.

Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

Become a corporate sponsor and partner with HVERI to strengthen resilience across Hawai’i. As a sponsor, your company will directly support our initiatives in disaster preparedness, volcano education, and digital resilience. Corporate sponsors gain recognition through event branding, social media features, and newsletters, demonstrating a shared commitment to empowering communities. Sponsorship levels are customizable, allowing your business to align its support with our mission in a meaningful way.

Help us close 2024 on a high note and enter 2025 with strength and purpose. Together, we can continue to build a safer, stronger, and more connected Hawai’i. If you would like to support HVERI with a tax-deductible donation: https://hveri.org/donate

From all of us at HVERI, mahalo nui loa for standing with us and supporting our vision. To donate or set up a fundraiser, visit our website today!