Student and Youth Travel Grant

The County of Maui Office of Economic Development is offering grant funding opportunities to support student and youth travel programs serving the geographically isolated communities of Hana, Lanai, and Molokai. This funding opportunity is administered through the County of Maui Department of Economic Development and is intended to expand access to educational, cultural, leadership, workforce, athletic, and enrichment travel opportunities for youth and students from these Maui County communities. The program reflects the County's stated commitment to ensuring that students from remote island and rural communities have opportunities to participate in experiences not readily available within their home areas. Mayor Richard Bissen emphasized that the program is intended to help youth explore, learn, compete, and develop through exposure to broader educational and leadership opportunities that can later benefit their home communities. The funding opportunity is designed for organizations capable of providing meaningful travel experiences directly benefiting youth and students from Hana, Lanai, and Molokai. Eligible travel activities may include educational enrichment programs, leadership development opportunities, workforce readiness experiences, athletic competitions, cultural exchange activities, and similar youth-focused travel programs. The County specifically encourages applicants that demonstrate measurable community impact, accessible participation, and clear outcomes related to youth development, educational advancement, leadership training, or workforce preparation. While the announcement does not specify exact allowable cost categories or funding caps, the intent of the program clearly centers on travel-related programming that broadens educational and developmental opportunities for participants from isolated Maui County communities. Applications opened on May 11, 2026, and the current application deadline is June 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. The application process is managed through the Submittable online grants platform. Applicants are required to create a free Submittable account or use an existing Google or Facebook login to access and submit the application materials. The County notes that applicants may save draft submissions and return later to complete the application before final submission. If changes are needed after submission, applicants are instructed to request edits or withdraw and resubmit the application. The County also recommends the use of supported browsers including Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, noting that Internet Explorer is not supported by the Submittable system. Prospective applicants are instructed to review the FY27 County of Maui Office of Economic Development Grant Handbook prior to beginning the application process. The handbook is intended to provide detailed guidance regarding eligibility requirements, application instructions, program rules, and grant administration expectations. The funding announcement itself directs applicants to the County's Submittable portal for complete eligibility requirements, program guidelines, and application materials. The County also notes that future funding rounds may be announced pending the availability of additional funding and that subsequent opportunities will be posted on the Office of Economic Development grants page on the County of Maui website. The announcement does not provide specific information regarding award amounts, award ceilings, total program funding, matching fund requirements, anticipated number of awards, or grant performance periods. Similarly, the notice does not identify detailed scoring criteria, evaluation weighting, or formal review procedures. However, the language used throughout the announcement indicates that applications demonstrating strong community benefit, accessible participation opportunities, and measurable youth outcomes will likely be prioritized during the review process. The County's emphasis on educational, leadership, workforce, athletic, and cultural enrichment suggests that successful applications should clearly articulate participant benefits, program structure, and expected outcomes tied to youth development. Applicants seeking additional information may contact the County of Maui Office of Economic Development directly. The primary program contact email provided is grants.oed@mauicounty.gov, and the listed telephone number is (808) 270-7710. The office is physically located at 2200 Main Street, Suite 305, Wailuku, Hawaii 96793. The County states that communication regarding submissions will primarily occur through email and encourages applicants to regularly monitor the email account associated with their Submittable profile. Technical assistance regarding the online application platform is available through the Submittable Submitter Resource Center or through Submittable Customer Support. The program appears to be a recurring local funding initiative, with future rounds dependent on available County funding allocations.

Demonstrate clear community impact, accessible participation, and measurable youth development outcomes. Strong applications should clearly connect proposed travel activities to education, leadership, workforce readiness, athletic, cultural, or enrichment benefits for students from Hana, Lanai, and Molokai.