On August 4, 2025, a historic milestone was reached on Kaua‘i’s North Shore with the opening of Namahana Public Charter School, the island’s first tuition-free North Shore high school and middle school. Located at a temporary campus in Waipake, the school welcomed its first class of seventh and eighth graders—marking the beginning of a new era for education in the rural communities of Halele‘a and Ko‘olau.
The school opening was celebrated with a community-wide ceremony that included students, parents, educators, nonprofit leaders, and county officials. The day began at the temporary Waipake campus and continued at the future home of Namahana School in Kīlauea. During the festivities, Polly Phillips, on behalf of Mayor Derek Kawakami, presented a formal county proclamation recognizing Namahana’s launch as a major investment in the educational future of Kaua‘i. County Councilmember Felicia Cowden also offered support on behalf of the Kaua‘i County Council.
More than a decade in the making, Namahana School began as a grassroots effort in 2013. Through years of engagement, planning, and fundraising, the community secured charter approval in 2022 and acquired an 11.3-acre permanent site in Kīlauea in 2023. Once complete, the campus will accommodate up to 360 students in grades 7 through 12 by 2030, becoming a lasting solution for families long underserved by the absence of a local middle or high school.
Namahana’s educational model is both innovative and culturally grounded. The school pairs the international Big Picture Learning framework with an ‘āina-based philosophy that emphasizes project-based, student-centered learning connected to land, culture, and community. This approach empowers students with real-world skills and a strong sense of identity and purpose rooted in Hawaiian values.
Until construction is completed on the permanent campus—located behind the Kīlauea Post Office and Gather Federal Credit Union—students will continue to attend classes at the Waipake site. The school’s location eliminates the need for long daily commutes to Kapa‘a or Līhu‘e, giving students more time for rest, study, and extracurricular involvement.
The launch of Namahana School—now recognized as the North Shore’s first public middle and high school—was made possible through the leadership of North Shore Give, a nonprofit that has nurtured the vision for over 11 years. From early concept to final approvals with the state, Department of Education, and County of Kaua‘i, North Shore Give led with persistence and purpose. Special thanks go to board members Lorri Mull and Mary Paterson for their tireless efforts in bringing this transformative project to completion.
Namahana School now stands as a model of community-led educational innovation and a beacon of opportunity for Kaua‘i’s North Shore.
