An envious element of the Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy (HPA) experience is the continuous renewal that comes with the cyclicality of the academic year. While graduation marks the departure of those we have nurtured and imparted with the tools that they will need to realize their ambitions, it is also the springboard for rest and rejuvenation before the school year begins anew. The energy created by the annual regenerative process inspires faculty and staff to again teach and mālama the next series of young students. HPA is fortunate that our annual renewal takes place on our cherished island home, offering all the blessings of an unparalleled living environment, a close-knit community, and the strength of island wisdom.
Unfortunately, Hawaiʻi Island and our state are not immune to the consequences of climate change, resource limitations, and the global plastic pollution crisis. Considering these developments and the school’s responsibility to prepare our students for a volatile and uncertain world, the HPA Board of Trustees and the school Administration team, led by Head of School Fred Wawner, devoted considerable time this year to renewing the school’s calling. The outcome of this reflection is a statement adopted by the Board of Trustees in April and formally enshrined as HPA Vision 2049. This statement sets out the aspiration for HPA to be an essential global hub for sustainability, imbuing our students intergenerationally with those practices that correspond to our leadership as a steward of Hawaiʻi and our global home. By our 100th anniversary in 2049, our aspiration is:
“The Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy will be the premier educational community committed to living and learning sustainably.”
This vision aligns with our values and mission, creating a landscape from which we will strive to teach generations of sustainability advocates.
The Board of Trustees articulated several simultaneous long-term activities the school must undertake to achieve this vision. These include designing an innovative and comprehensive sustainability curriculum and instilling in our haumāna (students) a strong sense of purpose and intellectual autonomy to advocate for our community and planet effectively. The school is also very mindful of the need to strengthen the physical and mental well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
We also realize that our two campuses should reflect HPA Vision 2049. Our campuses must align with the goals and essential practices outlined in our Mālama Kaiāulu framework from the 2019 Sustainability Plan and with our carbon net zero goal. To this end, the Board has issued a request for proposals to leading local and national campus master planning firms, asking for comprehensive responses that bring to life our HPA Vision 2049.
The Board and Administration team are excited by the possibilities that transforming our campuses will present, including the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the Waimea community. We hope you will want to lend a hand as we work to make HPA the premier educational community for living and learning sustainability.