Waiakea High School

Waiākea High School, established in 1977, is a wall-to-wall academy high school serving approximately 1250 students in grades 9-12. Reflecting the diversity of the Hilo community, the student body encompasses individuals from various ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.  Built on 43 acres of land adjacent to Waiākea Elementary and Waiākea Intermediate schools, it is located directly across from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo campus and about two blocks from Hawai‘i Community College.

 

The school has steadfastly maintained its purpose as an academy school for numerous years, guided by the leadership of a single principal for over 15 years. This prolonged period of stability has afforded the school the opportunity to embrace the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC)’s National Standards of Practice (NSOPs) as the foundational framework for continuous improvement. Adopting the NSOPs as a guide facilitates an ongoing process of reflection and enhancement, subjecting each academy to a rigorous national review by the NCAC. Remarkably, since 2019, all five academies within Waiākea High have successfully completed the NCAC review and certification process.

 

From freshman to senior year, students at Waiākea High are actively encouraged to embark on a journey of self-discovery, identifying their passions and laying the groundwork for potential career choices. After a year of exploration in the Freshman Academy, students choose from one of 12 career pathways and join the career academy that contains that pathway. In addition to meeting graduation requirements and preparing for post-high school education, students are offered practical, real-life experiences through work-based learning opportunities. It is an expectation that all diploma-track seniors, with few exceptions, will undertake a senior project culminating in a presentation to both the school community and the wider public.