Namahana School, a new public charter middle and high school coming up in Kilauea, hosted about 200 people from the community on Sunday at the Porter Pavilion in Anaina Hou Community Park.

The excitement was palpable at Anaina Hou’s Porter Pavilion in Kīlauea, where approximately 200 North Shore residents gathered on April 28 to learn about Namahana School’s rapidly approaching opening in fall 2025. This was the latest in a series of public gatherings dating back to the 2019 community-wide engagement process that solidified the public charter school’s mission, vision and values. For many of the families in attendance, the project has been years in the making, and the event’s atmosphere was one of joyful anticipation and readiness to support.

Team Namahana will share some exciting updates on the school model, how you can support, recruitment, intent to enroll and our Phase I Facilities plan. This is an event you won’t want to miss! Register for the event ahead of time to skip the line. First 100 people to register will receive a free meal ticket. Food and beverage will also be available for purchase.

‘Āina-Based Learning Takes Root in Kīlauea: Along Kaua‘i’s north shore, a sense of community runs deep. However, for Dr. Kapua Chandler, upholding a connection to the people, places and history of her ancestral home holds an even more profound significance. For the past eight years, she’s tirelessly worked to bring the first public charter middle and high school, Namahana, to her community. Through an ‘āina-based curriculum, students will receive a dynamic education that strengthens their relationships with land and community when the school opens its doors in 2025.

Namahana Education Foundation (NEF), the nonprofit organization that oversees fundraising for Namahana School, today surpassed a creative fundraising challenge designed to raise $1 million for Namahana School’s pre-opening needs, when $500,000 in community donations were doubled by a generous matching gift from Mike Kaplan and Rose Contreras. This generous funding, as well as the momentum of donors and community members mobilizing across Kaua‘i’s North Shore, supports Namahana School's rapidly approaching opening in 2025. NEF continues to seek capital and community support to accelerate the next phase of the initial campus buildout.  

Namahana Education Foundation is seeking a Kauaʻi-based administrative professional to join its small, start-up team.