In 1989 a small group of women in Wai'anae held yard and chili sales to build funds to help residents return to school. The group named itself the Women of Wai'anae (WOW).  ​The first award of $356 in 1990 went to a mother of two children who was in nursing school. That awardee is now an RN at a Makaha nursing home.

 

Since 2014, WOW has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships.  Yardsales, donations, and a few grants support the work of WOW.  In 2025, WOW awarded $46,500 to seventeen nontraditional Wai'anae students. Over time, these individuals will become the teachers, healthcare workers, and social workers so badly needed on the Wai'anae Coast.

​

Women of Wai'anae is an all-volunteer organization of about 25 women, mostly retired.