Hālau Kū Māna

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Clear Identity

Hālau Kū Māna's identity is deeply rooted in Native Hawaiian culture, values, and traditions, which shape every aspect of the school experience. Their vision is "to facilitate individual and community healing and empowerment by fostering lifelong learners who think, feel and act in ways that are pono (justice-oriented) and to recognize strengths and address challenges as they seek positive, systemic change in their local, regional and global communities."

The school's mission is to "foster a sense of esteem, stewardship and kuleana to the 'āina (connection and responsibility for the environment), our communities and ourselves, through grounding in the ancestral knowledges and practices of Hawai'i and the academic skills necessary to excel in the 21st century."

From the moment you step on campus, this clear identity is evident. When visiting, you will be welcomed at the entrance by every student and teacher through a powerful ceremony passed down from Hawaiian ancestors. Organized in formation and in beautiful harmony, voices rise together in a chant to share their message of aloha (love and respect). This ritual honors their cultural heritage and reinforces the shared sense of belonging and purpose among all who enter.

The individual identities of each learner is on full display during Spirit Days, a celebration created to increase inclusivity and belonging. During these days, students are encouraged to show their island pride by "dressing in your Makahiki team colors", and "come to school dressed in whatever you think native or invasive is" are two such examples.

A strong sense of responsibility is instilled in students, reinforcing the idea that their learning is not just for themselves, but for the good of their community and culture. As Ka'iulani so powerfully states, "if we don't share these stories of our songs, who will?" (senior, class of 2025). This sentiment reflects the school's mission to cultivate learners who understand their kuleana (responsibility) to preserve, share, and carry forward the knowledge and traditions of their ancestors.

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Real-World Learning

There's no better representation of the school's integration of real-world learning than the campus itself. Nestled in the rainforest hillside, classroom buildings rest on top of the land so as not to disturb it, and there is visibly more outside learning space than inside. Each grade participates in place-based projects and curriculum organized by theme to understand the relationship between the land, ocean, and people and what their responsibility is in that relationship.

• 7th grade: O'ahu coastlines
• 8th grade: upland food sovereignty
• 9th grade: traditional sailing
• 10th–12th: internships & advocacy

Every Wednesday, learners engage in meaningful learning and regenerative projects, both on and off campus, tied to their grade-level theme. Sixth grade students build a foundational understanding of the relationship between the land, ocean, and people and what their responsibility is in this relationship, which carries through learning in all subsequent grades.

Seventh grade students spend time on the O'ahu coastlines learning about seasonal cycles and ocean resources; eighth grade students learn about protecting upland resources and building food sovereignty; ninth graders study traditional and modern sailing, including navigating the Hawaiian double-hull sailing canoe, Kānehūnāmoku.

10th–12th graders engage in projects related to sustainability, advocacy, and internships tied to their self-identity. Sophomores, for example, spend a semester learning and practicing Indigenous weaving techniques, progressing from simple to more complex artifacts — and learning to articulate the life skills that come with it: patience, learning at their own pace, coping with frustration, and taking pride in their work.

This real-world learning leads to real-world impact for learners. As seniors, learners are pushed to discover who they are, explore their passions, and investigate their community and world through internships. At Hālau Kū Māna, real-world learning grounds learners in the ancestral knowledge and practices of Hawai'i and the academic skills necessary to excel in the 21st century. You can see it every Wednesday in the school garden, in the rivers, on the ocean, and in the mountains.

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Performance Assessment

Success is measured through more than just tests and grade reporting; students demonstrate learning through authentic projects and practices. Since their learning is deeply connected to the land, community, and Hawaiian values, their assessments are designed to measure content knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and cultural responsibility. Students showcase their learning through presentations, portfolios, and hands-on experiences.

One powerful example is the Maritime Skills Log, a tool teachers use to track student mastery in the Voyaging History class — traditional and modern sailing practices, navigation, weather patterns, shipwork, knot tying, safety, and communication. Rather than relying on conventional grading, assessment is competency-based: as students progress, their achievements are marked with stamps in their Maritime Skills Log, a tangible record of their learning journey.

Another example is a year-long 8th grade multidisciplinary research project where learners choose a topic of interest that honors their cultural and native heritage and culminates in an Exhibition of Learning. Chosen topics are historical, cultural, and environmental, and the products include visual presentations and artifacts. The research includes visiting places of cultural significance and often at the immersive Bishop Museum, Hawai'i's premier natural and cultural history museum.

All learners develop a year-long partnership with a mentor expert in their chosen topic. Formative assessment tools are utilized frequently throughout, both through self-assessment and with peers and adults inside and outside of the ecosystem. Students are frequently reminded that they are caretakers of their cultural heritage and that by their very survival, they have the privilege of carrying that knowledge forward which explicitly and implicitly encourages students to seek excellence in their research.