Kahi Kai is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 by biological researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi. The original mission of Kahi Kai was to facilitate the exchange of data/images and foster international collaborations between scientific researchers through a web-based community on the Kahi Kai website. The initial success of Kahi Kai, its user-friendly interface, and the beautiful images shared on the website led us to revisit our original mission, expanding it to include outreach projects aimed at educating Hawaiʻi’s and french students about the importance of the marine environment.
Kahi Kai strives to raise awareness of our shared responsibility to conserve our oceans by introducing students to the fascinating and diverse organisms found therein. Educating our youngest generation will have the greatest impact as children have a dual role as current consumers and future policy makers. By providing them with a basic understanding and respect for the ocean, and fostering a passion and interest in marine science, we ensure that our future leaders will be capable of making informed decisions regarding ocean conservation.
Kahi Kai is comprised of four founding board members, all of whom hold doctorate degrees in Biology and have outreach experience at the K-12 level. Initially developed and self-funded by a few enthusiastic scientists leading a few outreach workshops, Kahi Kai has since grown to include 13 executive board members, 11 volunteers, conducted over 35 workshops and community events reaching over 2000 students throughout Hawaiʻi and France, formed collaborations with other non-profit groups, and secured funding from independent sources.