Spirit of Place: Education, Culture and Community Across Hawaiʻi

Study Tour April 11-16, 2027

Aʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi
(All knowledge is not taught in just one school / One can learn from many sources)

Join Grantmakers for Education and the Stupski Foundation for an immersive six-day learning journey across Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi to explore how education is deeply connected to culture, community, and place. Guided by native leaders, educators, students, and community partners, participants will examine how learning is shaped by broader systems including health, housing, workforce development, cultural identity, and community well-being.

Through site visits and conversations with schools, community-based organizations, workforce initiatives, and health and healing programs, participants will gain firsthand insight into how communities are advancing educational success through self-determination, cultural stewardship, and holistic approaches to student and family well-being.

This study tour invites funders to explore a powerful question: What becomes possible when education is viewed not as a standalone system, but as part of a larger ecosystem that supports thriving communities? Participants will build meaningful relationships with local leaders and other funders while gaining new perspectives on community-driven change, cultural stewardship, systems-level collaboration, rural education, and philanthropy's role in strengthening learning ecosystems.

Agenda Overview

Day 1: History, Monarchy & Public Education — Opening Reception
The tour opens on Kauaʻi grounding participants in Hawaiʻi's pre-colonial history, the legacy of the monarchy, and the roots of the public education system, while giving the group space to build relationships with one another before the week's work begins.

Day 2: Decolonization Through an Aloha ʻĀina Lens
Dive into Hawaiʻi's past and present through hands-on experience, connecting directly with West Kauaʻi's ʻāina (land) as a way to understand the impact of colonization and what it means to actively decolonize. This cultural grounding activity, lets physical engagement with the land, not lecture, carry the lesson.

Day 3: Place-Based Learning and Cultural Revitalization
Engage with Native Hawaiian educators and cultural practitioners leading innovative approaches to learning rooted in community, language, identity, and belonging. Participants will explore how educational experiences can strengthen both academic success and cultural connection. Conversations will focus on youth voice, community leadership, mental health, and educational models designed to meet local
needs.

Day 4: Forging School Systems & Industry Connections Across the Islands
Meet school leaders, students, and community organizations advancing community-defined visions for learning and well-being. Visit schools and organizations creating strong pathways between education and economic opportunity. Participants will hear from students, educators, and workforce leaders about innovative partnerships supporting college and career success while meeting local workforce needs. The group will then make the physical journey between islands, ending the day on Hawaiʻi Island.

Day 5: Community Resiliency
The day is built around what resilient communities look like in practice through a visit in Kaʻū, the largest and southernmost district on the Island of Hawaiʻi. The group will tour a global learning lab and share lunch with students, then hear how island-wide networks of resource hubs let trusted local leaders share resources and coordinate support, from disaster response to daily wellbeing, using place-based, community-designed strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all model. The afternoon turns to how schools, families, and community organizations partner as a team so no student falls through the cracks, weaving cultural identity and connection to ʻāina into learning, and building economic pathways that let students build their futures without leaving the communities they call home.

Day 6: Community Healing
Explore efforts supporting community resilience, wellness, and healing through integrated educational, health, and community-based services. The tour concludes with facilitated reflection and discussion on key takeaways and philanthropic opportunities
emerging from the experience.

More information to be updated. Contact Kyle Malone for any questions.