Compassionate Koʻolau

At Compassionate Koʻolau, we strive to grow an island of support.

We support Windward District schools, families, and the community in becoming more resilient and connected through trauma-informed and restorative practices grounded in ʻike Hawaiʻi and ʻike kupuna.

What's New at Compassionate Koʻolau

Future Ancestors of ʻĀhuimanu

In the 2024-25 school year, we worked with the 4th grade teachers and students on a journey through their ahupuaʻa. We also partnered with the Windward Academy for CTE/Academic Integration Team and Purple Maiʻa Foundation to engage our students in bringing their learning about their community to life with computer science and emerging technologies. Thanks to Hawaiʻi Association of Independent Schools, Hawaiʻi Educational Networking Consortium, filmmaker Clinton Uyehara, and our own Kelsey Matsu, we were able to tell the story of our future ancestors of ʻĀhuimanu in a 30-minute documentary. We held a film screening on Friday, December 12, 2025 at ʻĀhuimanu Elementary cafeteria for the current 4th grade students and 5th grade students (who were in the film), as well as their ʻohana and our community partners from Kaiāulu ʻo Kahaluʻu, Purple Maiʻa Foundation, and Judy Valencia from Windward CTE. Mahalo to Principal Kimi Ikeda and teachers Kammi Abe & Lorene Baker for your trust and willingness to learn and grow with us!

4th Grade's visit to Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi in March 2025

Future Ancestors of ʻĀhuimanu Film Screening at ʻĀhuimanu Elementary School on Dec. 12, 2025

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We are continuing our partnership with ʻĀhuimanu Elementary this year and continuing to work with community partners to make the learning more engaging for our 4th grade students. As part of the 2nd quarter unit on Polynesian migration and navigation, students got to create their own star compass with Apprentice Navigator with Polynesian Voyaging Society, Hye Jung Kim Tano.

In November, students and teachers got to do a live Zoom call with Captain Kaleo Wong aboard Hikianalia as he was sailing with the crew from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, to Aotearoa (New Zealand). Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia sailed to Aotearoa as part of the Moananuiākea Voyage and are currently docked by the Auckland Maritime Museum until weather permits the next leg of the voyage in spring 2026.

2025-2026 Projects & Partnerships

Yearlong Partnership Schools 2025-2026

In addition to ʻĀhuimanu Elementary, we have several other yearlong partner schools. We are working with Sharyl Lynn Fujii to support Heʻeia Elementary School staff in ʻāina-based Project-Based Learning. We are partnering with Education Incubator to support Kahaluʻu Elementary’s staff in their Rooted in Aloha journey. We were recently connected with King Intermediate School’s Innovations Program and their students joined their former Heʻeia teachers on a huakaʻi to Paepae o Heʻeia. The Innovations students are experts on ʻāina and have developed strong pilina with the ʻāina and Paepae staff.

We are excited to launch our spring Waimānalo Elementary PreK-Grade 1 huakaʻi through the ahupuaʻa project with community leader and cultural practitioner Kimeona Kane as our community partner and guest kumu. We also joined Halau Hekili’s 11th graders on their huakaʻi and planning day at Nation of Hawaiʻi in Waimānalo. The students are planning an ʻāina day in January and their strong pilina as a class is exemplary.

Heʻeia Elementary Staff Pilina Day

Lauhala Bracelet Weaving with Kumu Kaimana Chee at Kealoha Point Banquet Hall, Heʻeia State Park

Kahaluʻu Elementary Foundations of Aloha

Kahaluʻu Elementary Staff sharing their ʻOhana Kalo as part of our yearlong Foundations of Aloha series in partnership with Education Incubator

A Journey through Our Waimānalo Ahupuaʻa with Guest Kumu Kimeona Kane

Waimānalo Elementary School PreK, Kindergarten and First Grade

Kumu Kimeona Kane & Aunty Tammy Smith at our ʻOhana Orientation. Aunty Tammy cooked ʻono Hawaiian food for all of our staff, students, and ʻohana who attended the orientation.

Students picking ʻohelo kai "berries" in the Native plant garden next to Muliwaiʻōlena. We planted these the next day at school and will return in April to hopefully plant the seedlings that sprout at school!

Kumu Kimeona leading our students, staff and mākua in protocol at Waimānalo Beach Park. Students have learned E Hō Mai at school and are able to practice this oli with Kumu Kimeona on ʻāina.

Our students were excited to plant naupaka kahakai clippings from outside the Waimānalo library with Kumu Kimeona. Students will mālama the clippings at school and will plant them on the shoreline at Waimānalo Beach Park in April.

Pōʻai Kealoha: Restorative Peace Talking Circles

Dozens of Windward District educators have been trained in keeping Restorative Peace Talking Circles by the Restorative Justice Partnership since 2017. Pō ʻai Kealoha is rooted in indigenous practice and also the values of restorative justice, that honor our shared humanity and connection, and allow for equity of voice and power. These circles help to build relationships and a sense of community. We continue to hold Circle for Circle Keepers & Friends experiences twice a quarter, open to Windward District staff. These experiences allow our trained Circle Keepers to maintain the practice of keeping Pōʻai as well as giving those new to the practice the opportunity to experience a Pōʻai as a participant. If you are interested in joining our February or April 2026 Pōʻai, please email Kelsey at kelsey.matsu@k12.hi.us.

Our December 2025 "makana" themed Pōʻai led by Kumu Kalena Hansen Del Rey & Poʻokumu Ikaika Plunkett was held at Kahuku Elementary School.

Ulu Aʻe Transitions Project

We are happy to share that we are continuing our partnership this year with Ulu Aʻe Transitions Project. Tammy Tom, Niki Gosiaco, Sheanae Tam, and Beau Uehara provide many of our Windward schools with direct support with implementing culture-based and ʻāina-based learning, HĀ, and SEL to strengthen pilina amongst students and staff, as well as with tech integration in the classroom. Ulu Aʻe also assists us with funding schoolwide and class projects, field trips, and resources aligned with our work at Compassionate Koʻolau. Mahalo to Tammy & the team for your ongoing support!

Mohala Na Pua

In August 2024, the Baker Center for Children and Families (a Harvard Medical School affiliate) was awarded a 5-year research grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to implement a culturally grounded substance prevention curriculum in our middle schools, starting with Kailua Intermediate. This partnership began several years ago with our Compassionate Koʻolaupoko team, Dr. Kelsie Okamura and Dr. Scott Okamoto (UH Cancer Center), and is based on the work of Dr. Okamoto on Hawaiʻi Island with the Hoʻouna Pono curriculum. Dr. Okamura is an implementation researcher and is our grant lead, Paloma Almanza is our Community Curator, and Kaylyn Mejasich is the lead teacher for the Kailua Inter. team.

Jan. 2026 Update: We completed our Design Sprint at Kailua Intermediate, facilitated by the Education Incubator, Compassionate Koʻolau, and MNP team. We are moving into the feedback phase with the Kailua Intermediate students and staff. As of Jan. 2026, Mohala Na Pua is no longer with the Baker Center and the project has moved to the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine.

Link to Mohala Na Pua Website

SEL Support for Schools

Need support with SEL? Contact us! We can work with you to find a social-emotional learning curriculum and/or resources to fit the needs of your students.

RiseHI Collective was founded by local filmmaker Gabe Amey. Make IT Happen focuses on SEL, GLO, and life skills and ʻOihana Career Explorations focuses on career readiness. Both are secondary level video-based curricula featuring stories of kamaʻāina with student workbooks. We were able to purchase Make IT Happen subscriptions and workbooks from RiseHI Collective for Olomana School.
We attended Kimochis Training in September and have a Kimochis supply kit if elementary counselors or teachers want to try the program with your students.
Education Incubator also can offer support with Wayfinder for middle school students or Foundations of Aloha (appropriate for K-12).

Mahalo to Dee Takeno for her support with Title IV funding to provide SEL curriculum and professional development for our teachers. Title IV funds allowed us to host two Uhau Humu Pilina PDs to kick off this year, Foundations of Aloha PD last year, and the upcoming Mauliola Mini-Conference. We were also able to purchase supplies for school HĀ PDs this year and last year with support from Title IV, Ulu Aʻe, and CAS Izumi and CAS Hibbs.

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