Kamehameha Schools and Island School have teamed up to improve access to quality private school education for more Native Hawaiian students on Kaua‘i.
The memorandum of agreement was signed Friday, Nov. 16, by KS Chief Executive Officer Jack Wong and Island School’s Head of School Shannon Graves at a ceremony held at the PK-12 campus in Līhu‘e.
The educational partnership between the schools will include shared funding for tuition, wraparound support services, innovative initiatives and shared data and research. These efforts are all part of KS’ plan to uplift students through educational systems change.
“We are excited to partner with Kamehameha Schools to inspire Kaua‘i’s children to be confident, passionate learners who embrace their unique interests and learning styles,” Graves said. “This collaboration aligns with our mission of educating the mind, inspiring the heart, and preparing Kaua‘i youth to lead lives of significance.”
This is KS’ fifth partnership with an independent private school in Hawai‘i – creating another opportunity to serve more haumāna beyond its campuses and community programs. Other partner schools include St. Andrew’s School, Assets School, St. Louis School, and Aka‘ula School on Moloka‘i.
“Our mission is to restore our people and we accomplish that by putting our keiki at the center of all we do,” Wong said at today’s event. “It’s a mission we can’t do alone and working with partners like you [Island School] in communities like this is how we’ll lift our lāhui.”
Effective for the 2018-19 school year, the agreement will be for three years with the intent to continue beyond the initial term.
Kamehameha Schools’ policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
