Vibrant Hawaiʻi
Resilience Conference
Friday, June 12 – Saturday, June 13 | University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
The 2026 Resilience Conference brought nearly 300 people from all four counties to Hilo. Read the recap.
The Vibrant Hawaiʻi Resilience Conference is a two-day, in-person training designed to strengthen local capacity for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
Building Readiness, Together
The conference brings together community leaders, volunteers, health professionals, nonprofit staff, faith-based organizations, and business partners to build shared skills, coordination, and readiness before the next emergency.
Conference Structure
Each day opens with a plenary session to establish shared context and align participants across disciplines, highlighting key lessons from recent disaster responses. Each day closes with a keynote address featuring experienced practitioners reflecting on leadership, coordination, and community resilience in action.
Practice-Focused
Sessions emphasize coordination across roles, clear communication, and locally adaptable approaches that support communities in the critical hours, days, and months following a disaster. Between plenaries and keynotes, participants attend breakout sessions organized by track — six sessions over two days — building skills progressively.
Training Tracks
Learn from subject matter experts and expand your knowledge as we build a collective network across Hawaiʻi.
Medical Response
Community first aid, triage, patient support, and coordination with medical systems.
Mental Health & Psychosocial Support
Psychological first aid, stress response, and community-based emotional support.
Volunteer & Donations Management
Volunteer coordination, spontaneous volunteer management, and donations flow.
Shelter Support
Shelter operations, accessibility, client support, and coordination with relief partners.
Long-Term Recovery Support
Case management concepts, resource navigation, and sustained community recovery.
Food Security
Community food systems, distribution logistics, and food access during emergencies.
Certification: Earn Your Credential
Requirements
- Attend all six sessions within your selected track
- Successfully pass the post-conference exam
What's Included
Registration includes access to all plenaries, keynotes, breakout sessions within one track, conference materials, and the certification exam. Participants who meet all requirements will receive a certificate of completion recognizing their training and readiness in that functional area.
Conference Sponsorship
We invite you to join us as a sponsoring partner and contribute in a way that reflects your highest capacity to give. Contributions of any amount directly support participation, training delivery, and statewide coordination. Our sponsorship form is available online at: bit.ly/vh-conference.
All sponsors will be acknowledged equally as Kūkaukaʻi Sponsors across print and non-print event materials, reflecting our belief that each of us holds a vital piece of a larger whole.
Vibrant Hawaiʻi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
SponsorshipKūkaukaʻi Sponsors
Ready to build resilience?
Join community leaders across Hawaiʻi Island for hands-on training, shared learning, and lasting readiness. To hear about the next conference, subscribe to our newsletter or email contact@vibranthawaii.org.