Hawai'i Academies Home

About Us

Hawai‘i Academies (HA) is a partnership between twenty-seven Hawai`i State Department of Education (HIDOE) high schools seeking to improve educational outcomes by implementing smaller learning communities (SLCs). Member schools are in different stages of implementation, each school’s SLCs being structured to meet their unique educational setting.

HA schools are organized into a consortium that provides a venue to support these efforts through shared experiences and outcomes, hearing from topic area experts and holding group discussions to elicit solutions and where needed, provide recommendations to appropriate agencies.

HA meets quarterly in Kapolei, with occasional meetings at school sites. These school site visits are vital in providing contextual insight into SLC implementation and operations. It allows for broader exposure to school staff who are not regular participants in HA meetings. Member schools also meet as workgroups that are organized around specific interests.

HA maintains a dedicated website that provides public information and a secured area for shared results of member activities to support the development and distribution of functional and operational best practices. The website also provides links to web-based discussion and content areas for member schools to support HA activities. It is a resource and archive for member schools for HA-sponsored efforts.

Who We Are

Member schools share a common organizational and operating structure or are interested in implementing a structure based on smaller learning communities (SLC). They are organized into communities of practices centered around these SLC's. They include schools from all major Hawaiian islands and from all school districts in the Hawai`i State Department of Education (HIDOE), Most are traditional grade 9-12 high schools but others are combination schools consisting of middle and high schools or elementary and secondary schools..

As part of a statewide school system, the schools are situated in a range of community types - urban, suburban, towns and rural. They range from the largest high schools in the HIDOE to the smallest based on enrollment and have student bodies consisting of multiple ethnicities and cultures. They are situated in different communities with different levels of median incomes- from the highest to the lowest in the State. Some of these communities have populations with high levels of college education while others have predominantly high school levels of education.

There ae currently 27 member schools in the Consortium. They represent almost half of the regular high schools in the HIDOE and do not include public charter. These schools are, by island and school district:

	Oahu Island
Honolulu District	Leeward District	Central District
Governor Wallace Ryder Farrington High School Kaimuki High School President William McKinley High School	James Campbell High School Kapolei High School Nanakuli High and Intermediate School Pearl City High School Waianae High School Waipahu High School	`Aiea High School
Oahu Island	Hawai`Island	Hawai`i Island
Windward District	Hawai`i District (Hilo Area)	Hawai`i District
James B. Castle High School Kailua High School Kalaheo High School	Hilo High School Kea`au High School Pahoa High and Intermediate School Waiakea High School	Kohala High School Honoka`a High and Intermediate School Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School Kealakehe High School
Kaua`i Island	Maui Island	Molokai Island
Kaua`i School District	Maui School District	Maui School District
Kapa‘a High School Kaua‘i High School Waimea High School	Henry Perrine Baldwin High School Maui HIgh School	Molokai HIgh School

School Features

Tommy Cox wins the 2024 Masayuki Tokioka Award.

Kapa‘a High School Principal Tommy Cox won the award for his commitment to ensuring Kapa‘a High students have an articulated plan after graduation.

Rory Inouye Miliken Educator Award Winner

Rory Inouye Wins Miliken Educator Award

Rory Inouye, a Waiakea High School teacher is one of two Hawai`i Teachers awarded the Miliken Educator Award.

Waipahu High School Opens First School Based Health Center in the Country

Glenn Lagrimas honored with Family Choice Award from Special Parent Information Network

Pearl City High Holds Keiki Career and Health Fair

Pearl City High health care pathway students hosted an inaugural Keiki Career and Health Fair for neighboring elementary schools.

Our Vision

Hawaiʻi Academies are committed to engaging and preparing me for life beyond high school. Academies provide opportunities to explore real-life, hands-on experiences in and out of the classroom. My Academy is an ohana, where I am proud to own my education, follow my passions, build relevant skills, and develop deep connections in my community. Hawai`i Academies make my dreams a reality by empowering me, giving me a voice, choice, and confidence in my future!

Our Mission

Hawaiʻi Academies provide systematic support to meet the Hawai‘i Department of Education (HIDOE) vision and mission by expanding Smaller Learning Communites (SLCs) in Hawai‘i to prepare all students for college and careers