Code the Comeback: Help Save Hawaiʻi's Most Endangered Crow

This Labor Day weekend 2026, Nalukai is offering a free app design and AI-assisted development workshop for East Hawaiʻi youth to support the successful reintroduction of ʻAlalā (Hawaiian crow) to Moku o Keawe forests.

ʻAlalā or Hawaiian Crow (Corvus hawaiiensis) is the only existing species of five endemic crow species in Hawaiʻi. It is the most endangered species of crow in the world, and had been classified as Extinct in the Wild in 2002 until a controlled release on the slopes of Haleakala in 2024.

Next year, ʻalalā bred in captivity will be returned to the forests of Hawaiʻi Island. Automated feeding stations developed by local high school students will be deployed to provide supplemental nutrition to the birds, as well as collect data important for assessing their health in the wild. To support their efforts, Nalukai Foundation and ʻĀwili are hosting a two-day workshop for Hilo-area youth and educators to prototype the app that will be used to monitor feeding station data. Nalukai facilitators will introduce participants to industry-standard product management, UI/UX design, and user testing practices and guide them in using the latest AI coding tools and techniques for rapid, iterative app development.

Space for this program is limited and those interested in attending must register by XXX


Register Now

ʻAlalā App Development Workshop

September 5-6, 2026
10am - 3pm
Kaiālu Hub, Prince Kūhiō Plaza Shopping Mall
(Between Claire’s and IHOP)

  • The program is offered free-of-charge to Hilo-area high school students and youth (ages 14-26). No prior technical experience is required but we’re especially interested in working with youth interested in computer science, design and conservation biology. Teachers are encouraged to attend with their students.

  • Lunch will be provided on both days, as well as all necessary materials and equipment.

  • We unfortunately cannot provide transportation to and from Prince Kūhiō Plaza. Please refer to the Hele-On bus schedule for public transit options.

Program Faciltators

  • Bryce Masuda

    Conservation Program Manager
    Keauhou Bird Conservation Center

  • Carlo Liquido

    Founder, Piʻiku; Former Senior Product Designer at Shopify

  • Auston Stewart

    Former Mobile Engineering Manager at Twitch; Engineering Project Manager at Apple

  • Sara La Torre

    Founder, Mālipolipo; Former Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems

About Nalukai

Nalukai prepares youth to navigate challenges as stewards of Hawaiʻi through entrepreneurial leadership programs grounded in Native Hawaiian perspectives.

Since 2016, Nalukai has empowered young leaders through an innovative, entrepreneurial, and culturally-grounded approach to problem-solving in and for Hawaiʻi. We believe problem solving in Hawaiʻi must be rooted in the unique landscape of our pae ʻāina and shaped by the lived experiences of our people.

Our business and leadership development equips young entrepreneurs with the tools they need to tackle Hawaiʻiʻs biggest challenges – like housing, energy, food security, and more – while growing as individuals and community contributors.

Hawaiʻi's "wicked" challenges will take generations to solve. We prepare the next generation of changemakers by engaging them in collaborative, real-world projects today, so they build the skills, mindsets, and relationships needed to create lasting solutions for tomorrow.