Kamehameha Schools

Kamehameha Schools (KS) is a private, educational, charitable trust founded and endowed by the legacy of Hawaiian princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. KS operates a statewide educational system enrolling more than 6,500 students of Hawaiian ancestry at three K-12 campuses and at 31 preschool sites statewide.

The organization is committed to serving the needs of the larger Hawaiian community, not just the students on their campuses. In addition to KS enrolled students, another 38,000 learners are served through a range of other outreach programs, community collaborations and scholarships. For a complete listing and descriptions.

KS is Hawaii’s largest private supporter of public schools. That support included helping the State Department of Education secure a $75 million education reform grant in 2010 as part of President Barack Obama’s Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative.

Specific partnerships include:

Joint Environmental Mission

KS students in grades 5-8 at Kapalama Elementary School have teamed up with more than five schools around the world to study and learn about the environment.  With the goals of creating lifelong friendships, promoting collaboration across cultures, and deepening local and global awareness, the program focuses primarily on collaborative, interactive projects amongst the students of all of the schools. Mission member schools also participate in school exchanges (both hosting and visiting), attend an Earth Summit every four years and conduct a teacher conference every three to four years.

Intermediate Athletics Program

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education and a handful of community organizations, including KS’s Ka Pua Initiative, has teamed up to launch this new initiative aimed at increasing learning opportunities for seventh and eighth graders in two Zones of School Innovation: the N?n?kuli-Wai‘anae and K?‘?-Kea‘au-Pahoa districts. Students will be competing against other schools in football, basketball, soccer and volleyball. Athletes must maintain a 2.0 GPA to participate. To support students, the After-School All-Stars program provides a study hour after classes and before practices.