Global Community

Take global citizenship to a whole new level.

At HPA, we welcome you not just to our campus but into the HPA family (‘ohana). In Hawaiian, ‘ohana expresses the idea of family united through many generations—by blood, marriage, and adoption. ‘Ohana involves inclusivity, shared responsibility, and care for one another. So when you arrive at HPA, you join a community that will accept, support, and strengthen you.

From the youngest grades, we work to foster a curiosity for the people and places of the world and a capacity for dialog and understanding. At the Upper School, students come from roughly 15 U.S. states and 25 nations each year, joining those from Hawai‘i Island and neighboring islands. This mixture of Hawai‘i residents, U.S. mainland, and international students—brought together to experience the interwoven cultures of Hawai‘i—sets HPA apart among U.S. independent schools.

Learn from Hawai‘i’s openness

Native Hawaiian culture reaches back thousands of years and remains the wellspring of Hawai‘i’s resilience and wisdom. At the same time, modern-day Hawai‘i reflects a multiplicity of cultures. Successive waves of traders, missionaries, immigrants, and others from around the globe have been incorporated into the warmth and openness of local culture. Our complex island society is continually striving to be greater than the sum of its parts. This is a place to experience authentic inclusivity and to become a respectful, resourceful member of our human family.

Explore a global crossroads

Hawai‘i exists at a confluence of world cultures linking Asia, Oceania, the Americas, and other regions. We embrace this abundance. Across all three school divisions, we strive to maximize our location and partner with the diverse communities and practitioners surrounding us. Students gain a sophisticated, global perspective that prepares them for college, professions, and citizenship on an interconnected planet.

Dorm Life

How do you say “hamburger” in Hawaiian, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Russian, and Swahili?