MOKU PROGRAM RECAP | SEPTEMBER 2026
Coding the Comeback:
Hawaiʻi ʻOpio Support the Return of ʻAlalā
Twelve high school and university students from East Hawaiʻi came together for a free, two-day workshop to design a monitoring app for one of Hawaiʻi's most ambitious conservation efforts: the reintroduction of the ʻalalā, the Hawaiian crow, to the forests of Moku o Keawe.
September 5 to 6, 2026
Kaiāulu Hub, Prince Kūhiō Plaza
In partnership with
Keauhou Bird Conservation Center & ʻĀwili
REAL-LIFE CONSERVATION PROBLEM
Saving our Manu ʻŌiwi
The ʻalalā, the Hawaiian crow, was declared extinct in the wild in 2002. Captive-bred birds have been released back into Hawaiʻi Island forests since 2016, and Maui since 2024. The ʻalalā is a key seed disperser for at least 14 native plant species. Next year, more captive-bred ʻalalā will return to Hawaiʻi Island forests, supported by remote feeding stations equipped with cameras, scales, RFID readers, and environmental sensors. What KBCC did not yet have was a front end: a way for field staff to see and act on insights and data those stations collect.
Working alongside KBCC's own conservationists and ʻĀwili, our cohort took on the job of designing an app that real field staff could use to watch over the birds and the stations keeping them fed and thriving.
Building Working Prototypes in Two Days
DAY ONE
Understanding the User
Students interviewed KBCC staff, mapped out how conservationists move through their day, and sketched user journeys and paper mockups by hand. Each team then wrote a full product requirements document grounded in real feedback from the people who will use the app.
DAY TWO
Building With AI
Teams used AI coding tools to turn their designs into working prototypes, tested them with KBCC staff twice over the course of the day, and revised based on real feedback. Students concluded by shipping software that KBCC and team of students will continue to build on prior to the release in April 2027.
THROUGHOUT
Guided by Field Experts
Bryce Masuda from the team at Keauhou Bird Conservation Center, alongside Carlo Liquido (ex-Shopify), Auston Stewart (ex-Apple + Twitch), and Sara La Torre (ex-Cisco) guided student work and encouraged teams to design for how conservation work happens in the field.
The Cohort
12 students from 6 schools across East Hawaiʻi, plus graduate researchers from UH Hilo's Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science program. Schools represented include: Waiākea High Schook, Keaʻau High School, Hilo High School, Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts & Science, Ku Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, and University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.
Nākila Kua
"This program was such a fun experience. It helped me learn more about our native wildlife and build a strong pilina with others striving for the same goal. I can't wait for more opportunities to help my ʻāina and my community."
Ke Kula O Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu
Jaxon Shimazu
"Over these two days, I learned about the ʻalalā, the last and most endangered Hawaiian crow, and helped build an app to feed, monitor, and protect it. I also became close with people I'll now call friends, all while contributing to a species that really needs our help."
Waiākea High School AI with Intention
Prior to beginning implementation, students participated in an open discussion of environmental, ethical and social challenges posed by AI and were given guidance on how to make effective and intentional use of the technology given their concerns. By selecting the latest economical, open-weights models suited to the complexity level of their prototypes, teams maximized the productivity while minimizing unwanted impacts to produce three applications exploring unique design directions:
Manu ʻōiwi Awareness
To expedite their learning of Agentic AI development, students also designed and implemented ʻAlalā-themed web games intended to entertain conservationists and spread awareness of the plight of our manu ʻōiwi.
From Our Partners
“Our vision is to create a space where ʻike, innovation, and dreams are interwoven to build a Hawaiʻi for Hawaiʻi. Hosting Nalukai's ʻAlalā App Development Workshop at the Kaiāulu Hub brought that vision to life, connecting our ʻōpio with technology, conservation, and community in service of bringing the ʻAlalā home. We are building a Kaiāulu Collective: a place where partners come together, our youth discover their potential, and learning becomes meaningful action for our ʻāina and future generations.”
Kāwika Urakami
Founder, ʻĀwili
“It was incredibly fulfilling to see the youth gain confidence over the course of these two days. We truly impacted their lives in a positive way in such a short amount of time, and that speaks to how much heart the whole team put into this program.”
Bryce Masuda
Keauhou Bird Conservation Center
Nalukai Moku Programs
The ʻAlalā App Development Workshop is one of several Moku Programs Nalukai is running for Hawaiʻi Island youth this year, with more planned for 2027. Each program pairs students with expert and cutlural practitioners and a real problem worth solving, so young people can see themselves doing meaningful work without needing to leave home for college or a career.
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 Hawaiʻi's 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.