Our mission is to help Chuukese children gain a strong academic, social, and physical foundation to allow each child to pursue his/her life ambitions and to lead healthy and productive lives, bettering themselves, their families, and their communities.
Our organization is dedicated to the health, education, and well-being of the children and youth of Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia. We do this through two non-profit programs – The Akoyikoyi School and The Keitani Graham Memorial Foundation.
The Akoyikoyi School. The Akoyikoyi School mission is to “help children achieve the necessary education to be accepted to a good high school and eventually a good college, gaining the knowledge and skills needed to live productive lives, bettering themselves and their communities.” We are a tuition free school believing that children and families that genuinely value education should be afforded the opportunity to have access to a quality school and program regardless of economic or social status. The Akoyikoyi School offers an early childhood and elementary program, focusing on good beings that will lead to a lifelong motivation to learn, gaining access to a good secondary school, and going on to postsecondary education.
In the Chuukese language, Akoyikoyi means “whistle, piping sound.” As in many languages, this word has multiple meanings – the sound of the bird at dawn, a bird’s piping signals the dawn, and in our case Akoyikoyi refers to knowledge or enlightenment. We feel this term symbolizes the academic program of SHIP-HOOPS and what our school strives to impart upon families and their children.
The Keitani Graham Memorial Foundation. The Keitani Graham Memorial Foundation is newly created in honor of the unexpected passing of our beloved son and Executive Director of SHIP-HOOPS and the two programs we offer to the Chuuk community. Keitani was and is a literal hero to the people of the Pacific, inspiring young and old to live healthy lives through education and physical well-being. As a community leader and Olympic athlete, Keitani demonstrated what is possible for children and youth that too often feel their options are limited and the possibilities are finite. The Keitani Graham Memorial Foundation operates healthy living, team, and individual sports programs. Overtime, we hope to expand this component of SHIP-HOOPS to include scholarships for deserving and aspiring Chuukese youth to positively exploit their motivation and commitment through additional academic education and athletic development.
We welcome inquires and support of our programs. To consider a continuing or one-time donation, please see the page? Once again, kinissow or thank you for visiting us. Please come back often as we update our website on new developments and opportunities.
Sincerely,
Clark
