YWCA of Hawaiʻi Island eyes next century starting with expansion of preschool

When the YWCA of Hawaiʻi Island reached its 100th anniversary in 2019, a vision began for a new campus to take the empowering organization into its next century.

Over the next few years, the Board of Directors put together an ambitious capital plan with the building of a new preschool, a reimagined multipurpose building and a 10-unit housing complex for the community’s most vulnerable women and families in Hilo.

Last month, the YWCA announced its campaign, “Building a Bright Future for our Keiki, Families and Community.” It will enhance its three core programs — the preschool, Healthy Families and its 24/7 Sexual Assault Hotline and Support Services — and bring them together onto one campus at 145 Ululani Street.

Phase 1 of the campaign is already underway with the YWCA preparing for the expansion of the preschool, which has been educating the Big Island’s keiki for more than 80 years and is one of the only fully licensed, nationally accredited developmental preschools open to any child.

“We are at capacity with 90 children attending preschool and a consistently full waitlist, so the need is definitely there and the demand for this is high,” said YWCA CEO Kathleen McGilvray. “The importance of quality early childhood education is becoming more recognized, especially with research showing that it can set a child up for success in elementary school, high school and even adulthood.”

Most of the classes in the preschool are currently located in the 2,500-square-foot wooden cottage, which was designed as a private home and built in 1926. It no longer is big enough to meet the needs of the growing number of working families living in Hilo. 

YWCA will replace the current cottage building and repurpose an unused swimming complex to construct a modern facility with four dedicated classrooms for children 2 to 5 years old, shaded outdoor play areas, covered walkways, and a commercial kitchen for an expanded meal service.

The new preschool is estimated to cost $6 million, which includes site preparation, utilities, architectural services, engineering, demolition, contingency funds and construction. The project architect, Fleming & Associates, anticipates a completion date of summer 2026.

Last month, the Building a Bright Future Campaign Leadership Committee hosted a reception for the launch of the official capital campaign, with Committee Chair Sen. Tim Richards announcing that $2.8 million already had been raised for Phase I.

“When I was born in this county, there were less than a third of the population we have today,” Richards said. “We need to build for a brighter future, which means taking care of the next generation, the keiki of our community. So we need some form of education, early childhood education or childcare.”

This campaign is an opportunity to “get on the ground floor of building up our young people,” he added.

Once completed, the YWCA expects to expand enrollment by 45% to 130 children.

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

Phase I has been divided into a three-part timeline of design development from Oct. 30 to Dec. 31, demolition from March 2025 through Aug. 2025 and construction from Sept. 2025 through May 2026.

Components for the remaining two phases will be built as the funding becomes available through support from government grants, private foundations, businesses and individuals.

To learn more about Building a Bright Future and how to donate, visit hawaiiislandywca.org/brightfuture/. For more information on ways to give, including naming opportunities, contact McGilvray at kmcgilvray@ywcahawaiiisland.org.