EDUCATION
We envision a thriving Hawaiʻi where every learner has a strong educational foundation, built through learning experiences relevant to their needs and interests, with opportunities to explore their passions and live a meaningful and purposeful life. Education in Hawaiʻi must embrace all learners and learning environments to foster a sense of belonging for every individual.
However, a variety of roadblocks stand in the way. Despite decades of policy interventions, Hawaiʻi's education system still struggles to close the achievement gap between students in lower socioeconomic conditions and their more advantaged peers. Recruiting and retaining high quality educators is hindered by compensation inequities and limited advancement opportunities. Although the state allocates more than $2 billion annually to education, many stakeholders find it difficult to track spending, access funds, or trust that the budget is being managed effectively.
Why overcome these challenges? Quality education empowers our children and future generations to achieve their full potential, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities, allowing them to access better job opportunities, contribute positively to society, make informed decisions, and improve their overall quality of life. Together, we can give keiki the future they deserve.
EXPLORE THE DATA
How We Can Make Change Together
By uplifting learners’ diverse voices, and strengthening partnerships between schools, families, and communities, we can transform education in Hawaiʻi. It will become more relevant to the needs, interests, and cultures of our learners, thereby improving educational equity, reducing social disparities, and creating an inclusive and prosperous Hawaiʻi.
We’re hoping to create a collaborative education system that strives for equity, innovation, and excellence.
– CHANGE Convenings participant
Eight Strategies to Pursue
Given the insights and analyses driven by community feedback, experts, and data, here are the leverage points we’ve identified that can help push the sector forward.
- Nurture networks and partnerships between schools and communities to support families holistically, affording them greater opportunities to be engaged in their learner’s education.
- Invest in the infrastructure and staffing of early learning centers to meet demand and reduce costs per seat, ensuring Hawaiʻi’s early learners gain a well-rounded foundation as they enter primary education.
- Make learning more engaging by creating educational experiences based on learners’ interests and culture.
- Amplify and empower learners’ voices by involving them in decision-making so they can co-create their own learning experiences and journeys.
- Advocate for accessible and equitable learning environments to address learners’ needs.
- Enhance educators’ capacity to offer relevant learning experiences by providing professional development, competitive wages, and funding for resources.
- Expand opportunities for exploratory programs and career-connected learning, especially in rural areas, so learners can discover their purpose and passions in trusted surroundings.
- Create pathways with mentorship to guide learners in the pursuit of their passions and interests.
How HCF is Working to Support and Improve Education in Hawaiʻi
HCF currently funds community-based solutions aligned with several of these strategies. We also nurture relationships across the education ecosystem to foster understanding, leverage resources, and improve problem-solving in education.
HCF Scholarship Program – HCF distributes more than $7 million annually to deserving students, making us the third-largest private provider of post-secondary scholarships in the state. Our scholarships support students pursuing degrees from colleges and universities, as well as obtaining career and technical education at community colleges. In 2023, the average award amount per student was $6,941.
Youth Action Research Fellowship – HCF launched its first Youth Participatory Action Research Fellowship in Summer 2025, engaging 10 college students statewide to explore a central question: What does it take to succeed beyond your first year of college? Over 13 weeks, the fellows were guided by the John W. Gardner Center at Stanford University, to draw from their own lived postsecondary experiences and perform research that lifts up the voices of their peers.
Their resulting memo, He Lohe Ke Ola – To Hear is Life, reflects the fellows’ insights and recommendations for strengthening student success in Hawai‘i. Recommendations include strengthening early guidance and support, providing mentorship and peer networks, and ensuring access to support for basic needs. This fellowship is part of HCF’s commitment to place youth in decision-making roles and co-create solutions that support their educational journeys.
Stronger Together Hawaiʻi – HCF enhanced our scholarship program goals by investing in this initiative to increase postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion rates among Hawaiʻi students from lower-income households. The initiative addressed the largest barrier to postsecondary success—financial affordability—which is compounded by complex systems for tuition assistance and educational funding. After awarding scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year, HCF has reevaluated our approach to supporting postsecondary educational success and will be relaunching our new strategy and fundraising effort in 2025, shifting our focus from emergency student-level response to systems-change and capacity-building grantmaking to increase alignment with our goals.
Join Us
Donate to the Education Sector
Click here to donate to the CHANGE Education Fund, or reach out to our Donor Services team at donorservices@hcf-hawaii.org or (808) 566-5560.
Grant Funding Opportunities
Youth Voice in Action: Empowering Learners as Leaders
This funding opportunity supports nonprofits that elevate youth voices and give young people meaningful decision-making roles to shape their learning. Two-year grants will help organizations strengthen youth agency, leadership, and engagement while sharing insights to advance equitable, relevant, and impactful educational experiences in Hawai'i. Deadline: Friday, October 10, 2025, 4:00pm HST.
To apply for an HCF scholarship, click on Students in our main menu or go to our Scholarship Manager portal to create a new account or log into your existing one.
Check our Open Applications page to see which grants are accepting applications.
For more information or questions, please email CHANGE@hcf-hawaii.org.
Stories of Impact
The Watercolor Philanthropist
Clytie Mead’s legacy supports practical education and STEM learning for her Hawai‘i Island community.
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Bringing Early Education to More of Hawaiʻi’s Keiki
$38 million Preschool Open Doors expansion supports ALICE families and keiki, allowing 2,000 more children to qualify for education subsidies.
Read More
Bridging the Gap
ClimbHI connects Hawaiʻi’s keiki to local leaders and future careers.
Read More