Hawaiʻi Island YWCA holds groundbreaking for $7 million preschool expansion

The YWCA of Hawaiʻi Island has served the Hilo community since 1919, transforming lives through its preschool education program, women’s and family support services, and community and mental health engagement for the most vulnerable neighbors.

But after its 100-year anniversary, CEO Kathleen McGilvray said: “We started to think about how we can continue to support our community for the next 100 years.

“Right now, there is a terrible lack of child care in our community, and it is time for us to invest in the future of our keiki by expanding our preschool program and making our campus more productive.”

On Thursday, a groundbreaking was held for an approximately $7 million project to expand the preschool that is located on the YWCA of Hawaiʻi Island’s 1.41-acre campus at Haili and Ululani streets in downtown Hilo.

A 2,500-square foot wooden cottage and an unused swimming complex, which was closed 13 years ago, will be replaced with modern facilities, including four classrooms for children ages 2 to 5, two bathrooms, shaded outdoor play areas, covered walkways, and a commercial kitchen for an expanded meal service.

The pricetag includes demolition, paving, furnishings, civil construction, permits and architectural services.

“This project will expand YWCA and will increase the number of preschool slots available for children,” McGilvray said. “More students will have the opportunity to develop a foundation of lifelong learning through our comprehensive, research-based curriculum that features inquiry, exploration, and discovery as the main pillars of preschool education.”

The YWCA of Hawaiʻi Island Preschool has been an essential provider for Hilo, serving thousands of children and families for more than 80 years. Now, it is the largest accredited developmental preschool program open to anyone regardless of income or ethnicity.

The YWCA preschool is currently at capacity with 90 children, with a waitlist that is consistently full, McGilvray said.

Most of the preschool classes are currently housed in the wooden cottage, designed as a private home and built in 1926.

As a developmental preschool, YWCA focuses on the whole child by helping them develop socially, cognitively, emotionally and physically.

“The importance of quality early childhood education is increasingly recognized, especially with research showing it can set a child up for success in elementary school, high school and even adulthood,” McGilvray said. “Everyone with YWCA leadership recognizes that now is the time to harness the potential of this downtown campus and revitalize it for the next century of service.”

The new campus is expected to increase in space, thereby increasing enrollment by 30%, from 90 to 125 children, and expanding access to high-quality early education for the children of working families.

Since the YWCA began discussing this project during the COVID-19 pandemic, equipment and construction prices have risen across the island. To combat this, the YWCA has partnered with HPM to build modular structures similar to those used by the Department of Education.

“The modular structures will take less time and funding to build and allow us to start construction this fall,” McGilvray said.

The preschool project is being funded by grants and private donations through the YWCA’s capital campaign: “Building a Bright Future for Our Keiki Families and Community.”

As of Aug. 1, the campaign had raised $5.49 million — nearly 80 percent — leaving approximately $1.57 million to be funded.

“It is appropriate to do the groundbreaking now. I’m confident the donations will begin to roll in,” state Sen. Tim Richards III said on Thursday. “This is something in the right direction, at the right time, and the right initiative for our community, county and state.”

Richards serves as the chair of the Building a Bright Future Leadership Committee and is dedicated to continuing to modernize the YWCA, which he says is essential to the overall needs of the community.

“We need to build for a brighter future, which means taking care of the next generation, the keiki of our community,” Richards said. “So we need some form of education, early childhood education, or child care.”

YWCA also is integral to workforce development.

“If more parents have access to child care, they can pursue their careers to improve their circumstances and provide for their families,” Richards said.

The demolition of the current facilities will begin this month, with expected completion by Jan. 31. Civil construction and site preparation are estimated to take place from February to the end of May, with preschool construction expected to last from June to September of next year.

“We are incredibly excited to be thinking about what the next century holds for the community, and how we can be positioned to serve for the next 100 years,” McGilvray said. “This newly imagined preschool will benefit the future for our 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds, and they deserve all the opportunities available to them.”

To learn more about “Building a Bright Future” and how to donate, visit the YWCA of Hawaiʻi Island website. For more information on ways to give, including naming opportunities, contact McGilvray at kmcgilvray@ywcahawaiiisland.org.