Why opt for an island-based boarding school?

There’s nothing quite like an island-based boarding school.

Exposed to vibrant marine life, magnificent panoramic coves and endless coastlines, it presents an educational experience most students can only dream of.

Contributing to the development of collaborative learning and independent research, stimulating personal growth, broadening horizons, and triggering new interests, boarding schools that break down the barriers between learners and the outdoors grant their leavers a winning advantage.

By demonstrating independent thinking skills from a young age, universities, colleges, and companies view island-based boarding school graduates as desirable, career-driven candidates who have leveraged their skills to new heights.

Combined with cultural appreciation, an agile mindset, top-notch communication capabilities, and respect for the planet, any parent that sends their child to a boarding school full of natural wonder gives them the chance to develop into a responsible global citizen and reap the rewards of a diverse education.

One island that’s a home-away-from-home for many international students and educators is Hawaiʻi. By offering a haven of academic and experiential learning benefits and supplying strong cultural ties to its history, it’s the perfect setting for stress-free skill sharing.

With the world’s ecosystem in its backyard, the Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy (HPA) is where learners progress both academically and holistically.

Honouring the traditions of Hawaiʻi, HPA is a boarding school that cares for and cultivates the island’s culture. From kindergarten through to high school, local, and international students also learn the value of Hawaiʻi’s heritage.

Encouraging young students to become captains of their destiny

When students join the HPA ‘ohana’ (family), they enjoy strong relationships with their teachers, coaches, and staff. They’ll discover lifelong friendships with fellow students that will transform their view of the world, helping them discover the person they’re destined to be.

Balancing science with the arts, HPA stands by the whole child approach. Ensuring that each learner is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. HPA students have a wide range of academic and creative disciplines to direct their passions towards while their overall development is nurtured.

Signature programs at HPA include Capstone Projects. Heightening inquiry-based learning skills, these projects allow learners to venture into new intellectual territory, fueled by their own interests and imaginations, while the signature HPA Outdoor Program encourages students to go hiking, surfing, backpacking and more.

Students learn about the ‘Leave No Trace’ principle and further their connection with nature. Plus, this program partners with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) to offer top-level wilderness medicine certification courses on the island.

The Energy Lab is another HPA hub of inspiration and is the first school building in the world to be zero energy, water, and waste. This is where students delve into programs surrounding sustainability, human-machine interfaces, research drones, DNA cloning, and other high-tech areas, oftentimes as part of their independent research project.

A global gathering of future scientists, changemakers, and innovators

Uniting students with the tools required for university preparation, the academy is known for its rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum, providing the opportunity to design, and conduct high-level, real-world research and gain confidence in their innovative abilities.

As a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) school for grades 6-12, HPA has several platforms that support a 1:1 device learning environment.

With a full-time K-8 educational technologist to support teachers and students in their implementation of technology and a new online community portal that allows parents and students to access information and communicate with the school more efficiently, HPA has everything in place to support each students’ pioneering ventures.

The school even has an ELL international student liaison, ready to help students in need of extra help with their English language skills.

That’s why the Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy has seen so many marvellous student innovations over the years. From the creation of a Bionic Prosthetic Hand to designing Virtual Scuba Diving, HPA student potential is limitless, with a student community filled with future scientists, changemakers and visionaries.

A location like no other – that’s the HPA Difference

With 80 percent of the world’s ecosystems in their backyard, learning on the island of Hawaiʻi means students have access to an abundance of nature and experiences that most young students around the world can only dream of.

The island is home to 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones, a rich cultural history, an internationally renowned sea turtle research program and the Merrie Monarch Festival – the “Olympics” of hula.

A once-in-a-lifetime learning experience, day students from Hawai‘i are joined by boarding students from 16 other US states and 23 countries to build an international student community, contributing to the HPA Difference.

So, for students that need strong, supportive relationships with faculty members, a wide variety of academic programs with opportunities for independent study options, and a close-knit peer community built on mutual trust and shared experiences, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy is ready and waiting to welcome you into the ‘ohana.

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