Before choosing your life’s road…give us ONE Year! Established with funding from the Oak Foundation, Kūkʻio Foundation, Takitani Foundation, the Dorrance Foundation of North Kohala, and other generous supporters. The Ēlama & Hilo One Program at Hawaiʻi Community College - Pālamanui is a very special initiative that makes college possible for Hawaiʻi residents who have compelling barriers. Scholars can try a year of college for free. With our guidance, scholars may decide to take a few classes at a time or enroll full-time while pursuing a certificate or associate degree through Hawai`i Community College. The program covers both the fall and spring semesters of a student's first year of college and continued support is provided to foster academic success all the way to graduation.

Our program name, Ēlama, comes from the Hawaiian word, lama, which is an endemic species of flowering tree within the ebony family. These rare and ancient trees inhabit the area around our Pālamanui campus, where the lama wood was once used for the framework of constructing temples and had healing properties to cure the sick. As the name suggests, the dark wood was placed on altars for enlightenment.

Our hope for our students is that participation in the Ēlama Program will help facilitate educational enlightenment, leading to better health and prosperity.

In Place Names of Hawai'i, Mary Kawena Pūkuʻi states that Hilo is traditionally divided into three sections: Hilo Palikū; Hilo Hanakahi; and Hilo One, which referred to the makai area bordered by the black sand beach that once ran the length of Hilo Bay.

There was once a central marketplace at Hilo One where people exchanged goods and services to support each other. Our goal is for students to consider Hawaiʻi Community College their own Hilo One, a nexus where ideas, knowledge, and support are exchanged, leading to enlightenment and prosperity.