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."

We are pleased to announce that 7th grade enrollment for the 2026-27 school year is officially open!  

At Namahana School, haumāna (students) are mentored through their Personalized Learning Plans (PLP) both on-campus and off-campus in Ulu ʻĀina (field study) experiences in the community. They give maximum effort with a hiki nō (can do) attitude and are proactive in their interest-led academic and personal journey. Students will be with the same classmates and teacher for 2-3 years, which we call an ʻOhana (advisory).

On January 31, Melanie Parker will be celebrating 8 years of service and stepping-down from her role as Executive Director of Namahana Education Foundation to focus on her ʻohana at a critical time. The full school, foundation, boards, and staff are deeply grateful for her transformative impact…

We are starting 2026 with incredible gratitude. In just over two weeks, 34 generous donors stepped up and donated over $102,000 to Namahana School. By reaching this goal, we officially  secured the $50,000 December match gift from Jack Sutton, bringing our total impact to over $152,000.

This funding will support building essential classrooms on our permanent land in Kīlauea. We are deeply grateful to Jack Sutton for hosting this match challenge, and to our full community for continually supporting and sharing our story. Mahalo for making the dream of a middle and high school a reality for the North Shore!

At Namahana, learning is based on the interests and goals of each student in relation to their community, which includes people and place. Curriculum must have real-world applications, and abilities are authentically measured by the quality of work.

Here, some highlights from the last few weeks around campus:

 At the turn of the year, Namahana’s temporary campus came alive with the spirit of makahiki. The word “makahiki” can refer to a time of celebration, as this season is the start of the rainy season—a season of peace, celebration, and games. In the makahiki games, students competed in traditional Hawaiian games including kōnane, pā uma, pā ʻumeʻume, haka moa, ulumaika, and moa pāheʻe—bringing energy, laughter, and friendly competition to the day.

Some Namahana champions then went on to represent the school at the island-wide championship at Kauai Community College, joining hundreds of other middle schoolers from all over the Kaua’i (see the recap in “The Garden Island” here). What a memorable week of makahiki games!

We are looking for individuals interested in leading clubs or with coaching experience. Ideas are welcome, but students have recently expressed interest in sewing, dirt bike mechanics, Japanese language, strength training equipment, e-sports, and more.  Please contact Taeko directly at taeko@namahana.org!

On January 24, the Hawaiʻi Cup surf competition made its way to Hanalei Bay, Kauaʻi. Namahana students were honored to host the event’s opening ceremony.  They also had the opportunity to meet professional surfers from across Hawaiʻi, including Zeke Lau and Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore. Special thanks to Krisy and Sebastian Zietz for all they do for Namahana School and our community!  

This December, we have a great opportunity: a $50,000 match campaign! Mahalo to Jack Sutton, who is graciously funding this month’s effort to match community donations up to $50,000—that could be $100,000 towards the building of Namahana’s essential classrooms! 

Jack noted, “I’ve seen firsthand how the right learning environment can change a child’s future, and Namahana’s model captures what matters most—supporting each student’s unique passions, talents, and needs. I’m honored to support this work and invite others who share these values to stand with a community committed to giving every student a real chance to thrive.”

Give whatever you can, the amount doesn't matter!  And please tell your ʻohana, neighbors, friends, and social media followers to do the same.  We need your support to amplify the voice of Namahana School.  This campaign is live; share our story and donate any amount today.

This month, Namahana School celebrated our inaugural hōʻike, a meaningful milestone for our school community. Our seventh graders gathered at Waipā, while eighth graders came together at Kīlauea Agricultural Center, to demonstrate their learning and share gratitude with the people and places that have nurtured their learning over the past six weeks. 

The energy was electric as students showcased the depth and range of their experiences—each one finding their own unique way to express what they learned and what they're carrying forward. Mahalo nui to all the makua (parents) who joined us for this special occasion. Check out the short video we created from these special events. 

As we enter into the last part of the quarter, students will be preparing for their exhibitions: their "Who I Want to Be" projects. We look forward to seeing how each student brings this personal reflection to life.

Learn More About Academic Learning Goals at Namahana.org

Namahana’s unique and rigorous learning model is in action. Rooted in the nationally-recognized Big Picture Learning design, we’ve showcased academic Learning Goals in a new section at Namahana.org.

At Namahana, learning begins with pilina, the relationships we build with people, place, and culture. Rooted in these connections, our Learning Goals extend beyond traditional standards, combining academic excellence with personal growth, social responsibility, and ʻāina-based experience. Learning is personal because it begins with relationship; we first understand the learner, then shape learning around them.

This personalized approach meets and extends  beyond the Hawaiʻi Common Core Standards. It then extends learning into real world understanding, critical thinking, and meaningful connection. Through daily reflection and applied experience, students discover who they are, how they learn, and how their knowledge can serve their community and the world.

In an effort to give students as much real world educational experience as possible, this month the school hosted the first Career Connects event with a visit from the Hawaiʻi Small Business Development Center.

The Career Connects series brings experts from community directly into the school to talk with students. Bringing credible industry experts into the school provides real world career experience, plus the chance to network and gain insight into the wide breadth of career paths and opportunities available.    

If you have ideas for people or organizations who might come in to present, please let Taeko know via email.