Programs

The BIWS Community Outreach Program includes 3 ongoing educational projects: “Hawaii Healthy Me” Nurtition Education Project, Hawaii Island Community Small Business Resource Project, and Vocational Training and Assistance Project.

“Hawaii Healthy Me”

“Hawaii Healthy Me” is a nutrition education funbook written by Hilo Tribune Herald food columnist Audrey Wilson, illustrated by Gary Hoff, and published by Big Island Wellness Solutions, in collaboration with the County of Hawaii and the Rotary Club of South Hilo.

“Hawaii Healthy Me” guides readers through a nutrition adventure, starting with “Eating Right at Tutu’s” as sister and brother; Malia and Kimo, and their dog Kini journey to their Grandmother, or Tutu’s house for lunch. Readers learn how Malia and Kimo find out about healthy eating choices through helping Tutu prepare food, eat lunch, clean up, and tend to her garden. Readers then get to apply their knowledge to informational activities such as “My Hawaii Plate”, “Eat a Rainbow”, and “Let’s Go Shopping!”

The Children’s Workbook Distribution Project delivers “Hawaii Healthy Me” to 37 elementary schools over Hawaii Island, to approximately 2000 students a year, and is available for anyone to download for free online at: hawaiihealthyme.org.

The 2015-2016 school year marks our 2nd year of distributing our publication, “Hawaii Healthy Me” to all 4th graders on Hawaii island - free of cost to students.

We offer nutrition and cooking classes for children during Spring, Summer, and Winter intersessions in our Hawaii Healthy Me - Youth Culinary Academy. Our students learn skills from kitchen basics to advanced recipe writing, and even smart shopping skills. Students become masters of their own wellness at any age!

Small Business Community Resource

The Hawaii Island Community Small Business Resource Project provides information access and hope to individuals who are looking into a new career, or a secondary career in a culinary business. “The Kitchen”, as our East Hawaii facility is known, operates as a community resource, open to all individuals and small businesses, and is currently the base of operations for many locally owned and operated businesses. We continue to expand our educational efforts, and plan to offer classes ranging from food preparation, to packaging, and sales and marketing - to give individuals an opportunity to learn more about culinary business practices, thus providing individuals the knowledge to succeed in business and creating a boost to local economy.

The Hawaii Island Community Small Business Resource Project also offers free informational workshops, such as the recent “The ABC’s of Promoting Your Food Business”, presented by industry professional Sandy Hu of Ketner International, and support for classes such as “Master Food Preserver” through the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

Vocational Training and Assistance

The Vocational Training and Assistance Project offers free training in culinary career building for individuals with no culinary or food and beverage business experience by providing resources free to users, including facility, equipment, and educational access.

Some educational resources include classes in our Adult Culinary Academy - covering basic and advanced cooking skills, and kitchen management. Additional training includes resume writing, interviewing skills, and skill building internship with a catering company - with the concept that individuals can build the careers they desire with hard work and education.

Long term goals are to expand our current culinary program, as well as add an agricultural component where individuals will be able to complete an education in a “farm to table” cycle.