Kamehameha Schools Kapālama haumāna return to the UN to share ʻike Hawaiʻi with the world

KS Kapālama ninth and 10th graders are headed to the U.N. Summit of the Future. Pictured from left to right are: Kinohi Souki, Olivia Kealoha, Kea Kiary, Camyrn Alomar, Laukahi Hieber and Mason Fong.

Sept. 16, 2024

Six Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Kula Kiʻekiʻe haumāna are headed to the United Nations headquarters in New York this week where they will build upon the groundbreaking achievements made during KS’ inaugural trip to the U.N. last year.

They will be participating in the U.N.’s Summit of the Future, an event bringing world leaders together to hammer out a plan to “deliver a better present and safeguard the future.”

The KS haumāna and kumu in attendance will — for the first time ever — have full accreditation, meaning they won’t just be observing, they’ll be active participants in the Summit of the Future’s Action Days and the Summit itself, where policies are cemented. They have the same standing at the summit as nation-states and high-visibility nongovernmental organizations like Blue Planet Alliance and the One Foundation (founded by U2 singer Bono).

This is believed to be the first time in U.N. history that ‘ōpio ‘Ōiwi Hawaiʻi have earned this level of standing and it’s all due to the world-class experience Kamehameha Schools offers.

Ninth grader Laukahi Hieber.

“It’s a big accomplishment, for all of us. It's only the start. We're freshmen, sophomores in high school that are putting ourselves out there at the U.N. going to these opportunities. The sky's the limit.” said ninth grader Andrew Kekoalaukahi “Laukahi” Hieber who is part of the U.N. Kamehameha Schools contingent.

This placement of Kamehameha Schools on the international stage dates back to the 2022-2023 school year. That was the inaugural year of the innovative Kaʻāmauloa Pathway middle school program, spearheaded by British diplomat-turned-educator Paul Parish. The concept was to take the E Ola! learning model and apply it to international civics. The course catalog describes it as “taking haumāna on a journey from the loʻi kalo to the United Nations.”

While the program had lofty expectations, no one could have predicted the monumental achievements that would come next. In the program’s first year, Kaʻāmauloa Pathway haumāna worked on local sustainability efforts including the Aloha+ Challenge, which is designed to push Hawaiʻi toward achieving 17 SDGs — Sustainability Development Goals. These are goals laid out by the U.N. to create an equitable, sustainable and survivable future for our planet.

A report on how Hawaiʻi was doing in reaching these SDGs was submitted to the U.N. The kula kiʻekiʻe haumāna created a video introduction to the report, imploring our honua to listen to kānaka, Indigenous wisdom to address world crises, including climate change. The haumāna also compiled the written introduction.

For the first time ever, the report, which included their intro, was formally submitted to the U.N. in ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi.

The level of engagement and understanding of international issues landed the haumāna an invite to the U.N. in the fall of 2023 when the Local 2030 Islands Network and Governor Josh Green presented the report’s findings. The gist of the report was that Hawaiʻi is doing better than most places in achieving these SDGs thanks in large part to ʻike Hawaiʻi.

Tenth grader Camryn Alomar.

Tenth grader Camryn Alomar was part of last year’s contingent and is headed back to the U.N. this year.

“On a global stage, we have a greater opportunity to share the knowledge of our ancestors and share what it is to be Hawaiian and share the frameworks that have helped us accomplish sustainability and how we've localized Sustainable Development Goals.”

The haumāna had to overcome security and logistics hurdles just to get into the U.N. last year, as the world body had little to no experience dealing with youth attendees. But once access was granted and when given the opportunity to raise their leo at various events, people listened.

“There’s a power to Hawaiʻi,” said kumu Parish. “And I literally believe these students have the power to help save the planet. They cause people to stop and think. There’s a purity to what they have to say. These students can see things and be heard in a way that adults sometimes cannot.”

Their time in New York also included an invite to the home of the United States U.N. Ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was so impressed she made it a priority to visit the Kapālama campus during a brief Hawaiʻi stopover two months later.

Left: KS Kapālama haumāna and kumu at the penthouse home of U.S. U.N Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield in September 2023. Right: Ambassador Thomas-Green visits Kaʻiwakīloumoku Hawaiian Cultural Center at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama in November 2023.