Our Program Approach
Check our program approach to immerse people into Hawaii’s unique culture and community:
Learn
Cohort members learn about the historical and current context of Hawaii, allowing them to build stronger personal relationships and connect more deeply with Hawaii.
A Look Into Learning
Weon Weian takes a closer look at Bishop Museum.
Testimonials
“I really enjoyed the Leadership Island Style sessions. I felt like the speaker hit everything in regards to Hawaii being in a unique position of instilling Eastern, Western, and Polynesian cultures, and the comparison between circular and linear people.”
— Weon Weian
“The session with Dr. Okamura sparked good conversation and helped me verbalize and find allies in some of the things I’ve been feeling since moving back to Hawaii.”
— Amanda Ishikawa
“Bishop Museum was amazing and very educational. The (Re)Generation exhibit was my favorite because I have never seen a museum or institution hold themselves accountable for past actions before. I also loved how intertwined the museum is to Hawaii’s modern day culture which makes it feel more relevant and essential.”
— Lennifer Wu
Contribute
Cohort members contribute their time, energy and experiences to local nonprofits during community service workdays, while learning about Hawaii from local leaders.
A Look Into Contributing
Learning about Hawaiian aquaculture at Huilua Fishpond with 808 Cleanups.
Testimonials
“The Huilua Fishpond experience was the most spiritual and moving experience I’ve been part of. It really brought our group together in an amazing and unique way.”
— Bruce Hoffman
“Awesome seeing different parts of the island and learning from experts in their field.”
— Charlie Salas
“Really enjoyed learning about the history and the future of the Huilua Fishpond. Coupling the HMAR with the fishpond learning felt pono. The thoughtfulness that went into the planning resonated through our kumu.”
— Laura Tesseneer
“The happy hour was awesome. I’m all for shopping and would love to do more shopping events! I’d even be game to help organize shopping events with local stores/brands, I did that all the time with my startup!”
— Nicki Chiu-Wang
“Huilua Fishpond was the BEST EVENT SO FAR!!!!! Great team building, team/individual engagement, history, past/present/future, and loved learning. Loved it!”
— Sherrie Takaki
“I appreciated learning about the local plants (history, name, function) at Kaʻena Point and enjoyed the work itself with CTAHR and Hawaii Botanical Society.”
— Paige Rogers
Connect
Participants from different industries build meaningful relationships within the cohort and with other locals; with the aim of finding a sense of belonging and home in Hawaii.
A Look Into Connecting
A chance to get together and discuss big challenges for Hawaii
