Connections to culture and place are vital to creating meaningful learning opportunities and ensuring that the students of Hawaiʻi have meaningful learning experiences that are relevant to their heritage and home. A commitment to equity ensures that students in Hawaiʻi develop a strong sense of self and culture grounded in Na Hopena A‘o (HĀ) and the understanding that Hawaiʻi is a unique and special place in which to grow and learn.

Students are a part of an extended ‘ohana, the environment, their community, and a global society. Education encourages students to value these connections and become stewards to make the world a better place. As students encounter multiple perspectives, classrooms transform to include multicultural understandings that root them to their communities and provide them with leadership skills that benefit the world.