May 11, 2026

Parents and staff, including the group’s founder Jenny Coon (bottom row, second from right) gather at Kamehameha Schools Maui.

Every Friday morning at Kamehameha Schools Maui, a group of moms gathers in a classroom to lift up the school, its students and its staff in prayer.

Jenny Coon, whose daughters have attended Kamehameha since kindergarten, started the prayer group four years ago. With a simple flyer shared with parents and personnel, mākua began meeting weekly on campus for a structured hour of praise, silent confession, thanksgiving and intercession.

“If my keiki aren’t with me at home, the second place they spend the most time is at school,” Coon said. “So, I am encouraged and greatly invested to pray for them and for the school.”

What began with a handful of mothers has grown into a steady circle of parents, grandparents and staff who gather regularly. Some weeks six people attend. Other weeks closer to 15, but the purpose remains the same: praying for their keiki and the campus community.

For Coon, the gathering is more than a weekly meeting. It’s an intentional hour to pause, pray and support one another, grounding parents in their faith while uplifting the spiritual well-being of the ʻAʻapueo campus.

“I’ve seen so many mamas come to the table heavy laden but through prayer they bring their anxiety and fear to God and in exchange, receive hope and peace and they walk away different,” Coon said.

The relationships formed around that table are just as meaningful as the prayers themselves. Mothers from across grade levels sit side by side, from those raising kindergarteners to those preparing seniors for graduation, with kūpuna also joining the circle to pray for the next generation. The shared space lives out the values of Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha, where we support one another through faith, culture and community.

“You are not alone on your faith and your parenting journey,” Coon said. “There is a seat for you at our table.”

For Hawaiian language kumu Kulia Foster, who has previously hosted the group in her classroom, the weekly gathering reflects the intersection of her roles as a kumu, parent and person of faith. In that space, she sees those roles lived out in the everyday rhythm of campus life.

“I see the value in being part of a parent prayer group as it builds pilina — relationships as a parent, kumu and graduate of Kamehameha Schools,” Foster said. “I have built relationships with other moms, strengthened relationships with colleagues and see the daily blessing and responsibility of carrying forward the legacy of Ke Aliʻi Pauahi.”

That spirit of prayer and responsibility, she believes, echoes the legacy of Ke Aliʻi Bernice Pauahi Bishop and the kuleana she carried to empower the people of Hawaiʻi. From visiting the sick and teaching Sunday School at Kawaiahaʻo Church to the provisions of her will, Pauahi lived her faith through service and care.

“Pauahi was the original ‘mom in prayer’ before Kamehameha Schools ever began,” Foster said. “She prayed to the Lord for all her future keiki and then started the school. God blessed it as His will and today, those prayers continue.”