Our story & past projects
A connection,
carried forward.
Habele grew from relationships with island students and families. The ways we help have changed over time; those relationships remain at the center.
Where the story stands today
Steady commitments.
Scholarships and Young Island Readers are our core work, alongside continuing support for MicSem and canoe carvers. We also help with suitable school and library book donations from time to time.
Robotics, weaving, adze-blade projects, and sports are part of our history. Habele continues to make and donate T-shirts for Micronesia’s national robotics team each year.
2002
The beginnings
American teachers in Micronesia began discussing how to keep supporting island students, informed by conversations with families and local leaders.
2006
Habele established
The Habele Outer Island Education Fund was incorporated, began tuition scholarships, and donated books to island schools.
2007–2010
Books and learning
Scholarships and school-library support reached more communities. A Ulithian–English dictionary supported students learning English, while sports and traditional-skills projects also became part of the work.
2012
Hands-on learning
A two-school robotics pilot began on Yap. It later grew into a league serving schools across all four FSM states.
2020
Books of their own
Young Island Readers began through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, sending a new book each month for enrolled children in Yap State until their fifth birthday.
2020–2022
Skills and traditions
Projects supported canoe-carving tools and documented loom weaving, drawing on island practitioners’ knowledge.
2023
A changing robotics role
Habele announced it was winding down its stewardship of the Robo League and working toward local funding and operations.
2024–2025
Helping reopen MicSem
A donor-supported campaign helped prepare the MicSem library for its public reopening on Yap in May 2025.
The record of the work
Stories worth keeping.
Browse dated reports from Habele’s projects, or read the annual reports for a fuller account of each year.
Curious about the subjects?
For research beyond Habele’s own projects, explore weaving, canoe-carving tools, and other island topics at our sister nonprofit, Habele Institute.