Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 10, 1 October 2016 — Tiny school earns big recognition [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Tiny school earns big recognition

By Ka Wai Ola Staff Hakipu'u Learning Center in Kāne'ohe received nahonal recognition through the XQ Super School Project in September. The Hawaiian-focused charter school, whieh serves 66 students from grades 4-12, was one of 50 finalists from across the nation in a contest that challenged educators to "rethink high school." Hakipu'u, occupying a small corner of Windward Community College, has a student-centered, project-based program that takes advantage of the campus's proximity to the Ko'olau mountain range and Kāne'ohe Bay. Following the motto, "Ma ka hana ka 'ike" (The learning is in the doing), learning often happens while tending the campus garden, practicing traditional fishing methods, playing sports and making scientific observations. "With the guidance of their teachers and elders from the community, students at Hakipu'u learn to pursue their curiosity through rigorous independent projects rooted in the native Hawaiian culture and environment," the school stated in a press release announcing the honor. The "XQ" in the super school contest builds on the importance of IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient) and is defined as "a nimhle flexible intelligence needed for today." The XQ Super School Project was founded in 2015 by Laurene Powell Jobs who, like her late husband Steve Jobs, saw a need to update existing education models with a combination of innovation and imagination. The project received 700 applications and after three evaluation rounds, Hakipu'u's education model, teaching style, facilities and future plans earned it a spot in the final round. ■

Courtesy photo: Hakipu'u Learning Center