Hawaiʻi Institute for Knowledge and Inspiration
HIKI helps education systems solve school improvement, instructional coherence, and student engagement by redesigning learning from place.
What is HIKI?
HIKI is the education work of the Pacific American Foundation, shaped by more than 30 years of cultural stewardship and partnership across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. We work with educators, schools, systems, and ministries to design learning rooted in ʻāina, culture, and community - learning built to last.
Many education systems are working hard to improve outcomes, but too often rely on fragmented initiatives or models that do not fully reflect local context. HIKI exists to close that gap. Grounded in Hawaiian ways of knowing and anchored at Waikalua Loko Iʻa, a living classroom and community piko, we approach learning as stewardship, connecting values, practice, and place into coherent systems.
We begin with a simple truth: people and place are inseparable. When learning is designed from ʻāina, educators gain clarity, leadership becomes more grounded, and systems move from compliance to coherence.
HIKI supports learning that:
Strengthens identity, belonging, and well-being
Honors culture while advancing academic rigor
Aligns daily practice with Hawaiʻi’s Nā Hopena Aʻo (HĀ)
Across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, HIKI brings people together through leadership development, immersive learning, and long-term partnership grounded in reciprocity. At its core, HIKI is an invitation to learn from ʻāina, to lead with care and purpose, and to build learning systems where people and place thrive together.
Where Education Begins with Place
What We Do
Across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, learning is strongest when it honors place, culture, and relationship. HIKI partners with schools, communities, and systems to design learning grounded in ʻāina and Hawaiian ways of knowing, strengthened by research and shaped for real-world practice. We help leaders navigate complexity with clarity and shared purpose.
Community Schools & Family Engagement
We support principals and community partners to strengthen whole-child approaches that uplift families, neighborhoods, and student well-being.Place-Based Curriculum & School Partnerships
We co-design place-based, culturally grounded curriculum that deepens connection to ʻāina and place while strengthening academic learning.Summits & Convenings
We bring educators, leaders, and cultural practitioners together—creating space to share practice, build relationships, and advance learning from place.
How We Support Leaders & Educators
Working alongside educators and leaders, HIKI supports learning that builds belonging, well-being, and student success. Our approach is relational, culturally grounded, and designed to last.
Professional Learning from Place
Leadership development, institutes, and coaching that help educators bring learning from place into everyday practice.Leadership & System Capacity
We work with schools, districts, and ministries to align vision, curriculum, and practice, strengthening coherence across classrooms and communities.