Our Work

HIKI partners with schools, communities, and education systems to strengthen learning that is grounded in place, culture, and relationship. Our work helps educators and leaders bring coherence to improvement efforts, connecting curriculum, instruction, leadership, and community partnership so learning is relevant, rigorous, and built to endure.

ʻĀina-Based Learning

We support learning rooted in ʻāina as teacher. Through place-based design, field learning, and community partnership, students and educators deepen connection to land, culture, and responsibility while strengthening academic learning and relevance.

Literacy, Mathematics, and Science

HIKI strengthens core academic learning by grounding literacy, mathematics, and science in ʻāina, culture, and lived experience. Our work supports coherent, culturally grounded instruction that connects curriculum, teaching, and professional learning.

Literacy Through Place
We support literacy practices that connect reading, writing, language, and storytelling to local context—amplifying student voice, comprehension, and communication through meaningful, culturally rooted learning.

Math Through Place
HIKI helps educators design math learning that is applied and relevant, grounding concepts in real-world systems and local problem-solving to build understanding, confidence, and purpose.

Science Through Place
We strengthen science learning through inquiry and sensemaking rooted in place, supporting engaging, high-quality instruction aligned to local context and statewide priorities.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

Our SEL work centers belonging, wellbeing, and identity. Grounded in relationship and place, we support approaches that strengthen student and educator wellbeing while fostering connection, resilience, and care across learning environments.

School Transformation

HIKI works with schools and systems engaged in improvement and transformation. We support leaders and teams to clarify priorities, align supports, and design approaches that are coherent, culturally grounded, and built for long-term impact.

Leadership Development

We support school and system leaders in aligning vision, practice, and culture. Through leadership development, convenings, and coaching, HIKI helps leaders lead with care, clarity, and shared purpose—navigating change while staying grounded in relationship.

Early Childhood

HIKI supports early learning environments that honor culture, family, and place. We work alongside educators and communities to strengthen early childhood practices that nurture belonging, curiosity, and strong foundations for lifelong learning.

Let’s Co-Design What Your School and Community Need

Every partnership begins with listening. We work with you to align your vision, your people, and your place, creating programs and pathways that last.

  • Grounded in ʻĀina. Guided by Culture. Built for Community.

    Everything HIKI offers is rooted in the values that define education in Hawai‘i. These values guide how we design programs, how we partner with communities, and how we help systems create learning environments where youth can thrive.

    Our work honors:

    • Moʻokūʻauhau—our connection to ancestors and future generations

    • Makawalu—seeing from multiple perspectives

    • Hāloa—the kinship between people and ʻāina

    • HĀ outcomes—Belonging, Responsibility, Excellence, Aloha, Total Well-Being, and Hawai‘i

  • Supporting Hawai‘i and Pacific Communities

    Our teams work across geographies and contexts—always honoring local culture and community priorities.

    PAF HIKI partners with:

    • HIDOE complex areas and schools

    • Charter schools and community-based education models

    • Pacific Island ministries of education

    • Universities and teacher preparation programs

    • Nonprofits and cultural organizations

    • Philanthropic and grant-funded initiatives

  • 30+ Years of Trust, Innovation, and Impact

    HIKI builds on the Pacific American Foundation’s three decades of leadership in ʻāina-based education, community partnership, and systems innovation. Our programs are grounded, relational, and measurable, designed to improve student outcomes, strengthen educator practice, and uplift community well-being.

    When you partner with HIKI, you join an ecosystem guided by culture, shaped by research, and committed to long-term impact.

Contact us

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