Who is on the photo?

~ The Chan-Zuckerberg Kauai team recently visited the Namahana School site in Kīlauea. Pictured from left, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Vice President Cristina Huezo, Namahana School Governing Board Chairwoman Pam Murphy, Namahana Education Foundation Executive Director Melanie Parker, Namahana Education Foundation Chief Development Officer Bridget Thorpe, Jenny Fujita with Fujita & Miura Public Relations, Uri Martos with Hawai‘i Community Foundation and Namahana Education Foundation Board Chairwoman Kau‘i Fu and her son. (Courtesy photo)

~ Background ~

In 2015, North Shore Give—initially established as the Kauai North Shore Community Foundation in 2012—embarked on the ambitious journey to create a public middle and high school on Kauai’s North Shore. The path to establishing a public charter school in Hawaii involves working with the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission (SPCSC), the state’s sole charter school authorizer. Applicants must submit a detailed application outlining the school’s academic, financial, and operational plans, undergo a thorough evaluation, and complete a pre-contracting phase with specific pre-opening assurances. Once these steps are fulfilled, a charter contract is executed, granting the right to operate.

This rigorous process took nearly a decade, but late 2023, Namahana School received final permits and approvals to move forward.

This milestone was followed by the acquisition of an 11.3-acre site in Kīlauea, located across from the Kīlauea Post Office, which will serve as the future school campus.

Chan – Zuckerberg Kauai

In a significant show of support, Priscilla Chan and her husband Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, donated $1.5 million to Namahana Education Foundation to help bring the vision closer to reality. North Shore Give and the Kauai community extend their heartfelt mahalo to the Chan-Zuckerberg Kauai team for their generosity.