Background

 Background

The vision for the Hawaii Athletics and Arts Academy (HA’ALA) has its roots in the

leadership of a core group of teachers, coaches, mentors, parents and community members

(Design Team) that have dedicated their lives to ensuring the educational and life success

of Hawaii’s children and youth for more than 25 years.

Through classroom teaching, on field coaching, year-round mentoring, and continuous

communication and support of families, the Design Team has been inspired by the voices of

youth and families about their hopes and dreams for education and life success. Their

messages about current teaching and learning practices are consistent and compelling:

 Classroom lessons are disconnected from student interests and goals

 Education is not preparing students for success in an ever-changing and unknown

future

 Students learn best when teaching is driven by student interests and what students

care about

 Students learn reading, writing and math when taught in the context of real life

opportunities

 Families want to be involved in their children’s education and learning

Youth and families expressed their hopes and dreams for an ideal school and teaching and

learning experiences where:

 Students have an unending, unquenchable desire and curiosity to improve,

contribute and learn for the rest of their lives;

 Growing curiosity manifests as academic performance excellence, including in state

and national tests being among the best in Hawaii;

 Students, teachers, staff and families are united in helping, in solving problems, in

improving things. 

 The caring of school leaders, teachers and staff is of the teachers tangible–you can

feel it in the air and in your heart;

 What students need to know is connected to what they want to know, resulting in a

passion for learning in school and life;

 Parents are excited to encourage their scholars to enroll and be deeply engaged in

the learning opportunities before them.

And there was overwhelming consensus that students wanted educational opportunities

that are focused on two area of interest and passion:

 Athletics, including coaching, sports media and marketing, sports medicine and

athletic leadership and management; and

 Arts, including performing arts, animation and game/graphic design, culinary arts and

arts leadership and management