Scholarships for Lahainaluna students lead $3.5M Bezos investment in Maui’s recovery

In response to the devastating 2023 wildfires, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos have donated $1.5 million to support Lahainaluna High School students, along with an additional $2 million to fund research aimed at mitigating future wildfire risk through vegetation management. The gift builds on an earlier generous donation from the Bezos Earth Fund to the East Maui Watershed Partnership.

Together, these philanthropic investments fund critical environmental recovery work and strengthen Maui communities for the long term.

$1.5 million for Lahainaluna students

In the days following the wildfires – the worst natural disaster in state history – the University of Hawai‘i offered full scholarships to Lahainaluna’s 2024 graduating class and supported their education at any of the 10 UH campuses.

This new $1.5 million donation is amplifying that effort, and directly benefiting Lahainaluna High School graduates who are currently enrolled at UH and still facing economic hardship related to displacement and loss.

The funding will provide students with tangible support, enabling them to stay focused on their studies as their community rebuilds. Leaders say the commitment affirms a shared responsibility to stand with Lahaina students and families as recovery gives way to renewed opportunity.

“We are deeply grateful to the generous donors whose support makes this possible,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “This funding ensures that students who lost so much are not forced to put their futures on hold. Education is a cornerstone of recovery, and our responsibility is to stand with Lahainaluna students and families as they rebuild and move forward.”

UH Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Farrah-Marie Gomes agrees.

“For students navigating uncertainty, this kind of support is transformative,” added Gomes. “It reinforces that they are not alone, and that their community is invested in their education, their future and their sense of belonging.”

Restoring Maui’s Fire-Prone Grasslands

Much of the former sugar plantation lands on Maui are now unmanaged and dominated by invasive species that increase fuel loads and have intensified the island’s wildfire risk. Several units at UH, including the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO) that is housed in UH Mānoa’s College of Social Sciences, the Institute for Sustainability and Resilience, and the Ecosystems and Land Care Lab, will collaborate with a range of partners interested in fire risk reduction to turn vulnerability into stability. The $2 million donation supports the collective effort that will build better understanding of the long-term benefits and costs of transitioning these lands, for the purposes of shaping land-use policy that supports multiple environmental and social objectives. It builds on existing support from the Bezos Maui Fund to restore the island’s watersheds and reduce wildfire risk.  

“Insufficient investment in land care across former plantation lands has left large areas of Maui vulnerable to wildfire,” said Kimberly Burnett, a specialist with UHERO. “This work builds on evidence that actively managed lands, including forests, well-managed rangelands and agriculture, can significantly reduce fuel loads and support outcomes like erosion reduction, food production, biodiversity and community resilience.”

That land-based work is complemented by expanded educational access and reflects a holistic strategy for rebuilding – one that recognizes the interconnectedness of land, learning and long-term community well-being.

“We are profoundly grateful to our donors for their continued commitment to Maui,” said UH Foundation CEO and Vice President of Advancement Tim Dolan. “Their support is making a lasting difference for the people and places that define this community.”