Aʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia. No task is too big when done together.

Congratulations on finishing our first school year—we did it!  I don’t say that lightly.  This year was full.  Full of firsts, full of growth, and full of moments that reminded us why we chose to be part of something like Namahana.  I will never forget it.  Not because it was perfect, it wasn't.  Rather, because we grew through every moment of it.  In all of that, something extraordinary took root.

Congrats to our 8th graders!

This month Kapua Chandler, School Leader, and Gordon Karau, Director of Planning and Capital Projects, travelled to San Francisco to attend and present at the NewSchools Venture Fund Summit in San Francisco. The annual summit gathered nearly 900 education leaders, social entrepreneurs, and philanthropists to reimagine K-12 learning. This year's energetic event focused on scaling innovative school models and expanding funding equity for minority-led education ventures. A major highlight was the ethical integration of artificial intelligence, exploring how AI can personalize learning for underserved students. Leaders also emphasized the critical need for student-centered designs that prioritize mental health alongside academic growth. Mahalo to NewSchools Venture Fund for all the ways they support Namahana—from funding to ongoing mentorship!

Here is a monthly check in on Namahana academics:

Here is a monthly check in on Namahana’s permanent campus construction progress:

Join us in welcoming Allison, Derek, and Kyle to our Governing Board. Click through to read their bios!

 As Namahana School continues to grow, we are pleased to announce we are currently hiring for a variety of new positions.

We are currently accepting applications for:

• Kumu (Teacher)

• Educational Assistant

• Diverse Learner Kumu

• Substitute Kumu

• Health Steward

• Student Support Coordinator

Congratulations to the Girls Volleyball team for winning their first match of the year. The team traveled to Alakai ʻo Kauaʻi to play their middle school team and won three sets to zero. Well done!

Mahalo nui to Paula Fuga and Anaina Hou for welcoming Namahana’s band to open for Paula’s show. Mahalo also to Uncle Taylor for helping the students prepare! Their performance of Paula Fuga’s song “Just a Little Bit” was a meaningful experience for the kids and their families. What a show, we are so grateful!

For the second straight year, Namahana School has received national funding from NewSchools Venture Fund (NSVF). Founded by Kim Smith, Brook Byers, and John Doerr (Kleiner Perkins, early venture capitalist for Amazon and Google), NSVF is a venture philanthropy that invests in the ideas and energy of education leaders and entrepreneurs who are advancing innovative solutions that expand the definition of what works.  

Dr. Kapua Chandler, Namahana School Leader, has been included In Hawaii Business Magazine’s prestigious 2026 HB20 cohort. Check out their site for a nice profile on Kapua, as she follows through on her mission of founding the North Shore’s first tuition-free public middle and high school. 

Each year, Hawaii Business Magazine celebrates 20 people whose talents, accomplishments and potential set them apart as emerging leaders of Hawaiʻi. These “people to watch” can come from any field, including business, law, education, government, health care, the nonprofit sector or elsewhere.

Congratulations, Kapua!

Here is a monthly check in on Namahana academics:

Here is a monthly check in on Namahana’s Permanent Campus Construction Progress:

Namahana music students will have the opportunity to perform a song to open

up for Paula Fuga's concert at Anaina Hou Community Park on May 9th. Students have been working hard for weeks on her song "Just A Little Bit," and this is an awesome chance for them to show what they've learned.  

This opportunity is the part of our partnership with Anaina Hou, who are providing a kumu for our music creative activation. Students now have access to drums, electric guitars, and many more instruments.

Sarah Wright, NEF’s Interim Co-Executive Director, visited Washington D.C. last month to represent Namahana at the annual Federal Charter School Program funding conference. Namahana was awarded $1.02 millon in 2023 (dispersed over time). While in the nation’s capital, she also met with Senator Hirono’s, Senator Schatz’s, and U.S. House Representative Jill Tokuda’s teams to share a Namahana update and learn about recent government initiatives. The enthusiasm from D.C. was wonderful to experience!

Namahana student work is being featured in the new Bricks Installation at Bishop Museum in Honolulu. Aloha Bricks ‘26: Stories of Hawaiʻi transforms Bishop Museum’s Castle Memorial Building into a vibrant, brick-built celebration of the islands. Namahana students had so much fun creating our school logo out of LEGO, and it’s an honor to be included in this statewide recognition.

Blossom Novoa has joined Namahana as our Operations and Development Coordinator. Blossom has deep roots on Kauaʻi and a diverse professional background. Having personally lived through the long daily commute that North Shore students and families face to attend school, she deeply understands the urgent need for Namahana.

We are so fortunate to have her on the team. Welcome, Blossom!

With our first 9th grade class beginning in fall, we’re pleased to announce Namahana students will be able to participate in high school sports, with students able to participate in KIF (Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation) through Kapa'a High School. As we start to have enough high school students for full teams, Namahana will have its own teams. 

Namahana School announced today that the Kīlauea-based architecture firm Noho Workshop will oversee the buildout of its campus, in partnership with locally and internationally respected planner Gordon Karau as facilities project manager. Led by Kīlauea born-and-raised Kanoa Chung and Nathan Teixeira, Noho represents a pivot to a locally driven campus design and construction process, a move applauded by key stakeholders for its alignment with the school’s commitment to be from and for Kaua‘i’s North Shore community.

"Namahana is a community-driven initiative decades in the making, and reconnecting the campus buildout to Kīlauea brings us back to our roots in such a meaningful way,” said Namahana School Leader Dr. Kapua Chandler. “The Noho team truly understands the nuances and needs of our community, and partnering with Gordon's expertise gives us so much confidence in the spaces we'll be creating together for our youth. Everything is truly coming together—from the construction budget and timeline to the vision we've held for so long."