Punahou School’s vibrant K – 12 community celebrates diversity, inspires many paths to success and connects students for life. At Punahou, we embrace school, life and the world as one big classroom. And we believe every moment, person, conversation and experience holds the potential to help students discover new perspectives, and succeed in school and beyond.

The Mission of Punahou School

We are committed to provide an environment where students can:

» Develop moral and spiritual values consistent with the Christian principles on which Punahou was founded, affirming the worth and dignity of each individual.

» Develop intellectual, academic and physical potential to the fullest degree, preparing them for college and for challenges facing them now and in the future.

» Develop and enhance creativity and appreciation for the arts.

» Appreciate cultural diversity and develop social responsibility.

Our Vision for Punahou School

1. Cultivate an enlightened, dynamic and attentive learning environment in which each Punahou student is given the opportunities and encouragement to reach their potential.

2. Attract, nurture and retain a knowledgeable, dedicated and inspiring faculty. Foster a schoolwide culture of innovation and renewal.

3. Ensure financial access to a Punahou education for every admitted and continuing Punahou student.

4. Improve and sustain teaching and learning environments, and campus facilities to support Punahou’s mission and vision.

5. Become a private school with a larger public purpose through a robust financial aid program and through meaningful partnerships with other schools and educators within Hawai‘i, the United States and the world.

6. Balance Punahou’s educational vision and aspirations with its future financial sustainability through continued prudent growth and stewardship of financial resources.

Aims of a Punahou Education

» To develop the full potential of each student through a broad and vigorous program of studies characterized by high expectations; and through rich opportunities and experiences for exploration, growth, and mastery.

» To develop within each Punahou student the capacity for critical and creative thought, and skills for effective written and oral communication, interpersonal collaboration, quantitative reasoning, scientific inquiry and a global perspective. To develop qualities of curiosity, resourcefulness, persistence and resilience – ultimately becoming a confident, self-directed, lifelong learner.

» To help each Punahou student to see the interconnections between their subjects, to integrate Hawaiian values and culture in ways that can extend and deepen their learning, to be able to think flexibly, to have a questioning attitude, to generate alternatives and possibilities, and to apply and adapt their learning to relevant issues and challenges.

» To foster within each Punahou student, personal and social responsibility by developing empathy and compassion, and by embracing diversity at all levels, while cultivating moral reasoning that leads to moral action, personal leadership and engaged citizenship.

• Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, is an independent, coeducational day school with a student body of 3,742 from Kindergarten through grade 12.
  
  
• Punahou is the largest independent school on a single campus in the United States.
  
  
• In 2016, Punahou celebrated the 175th anniversary of its founding in 1841.
  
  
• The exceptional breadth and diversity of opportunities distinguishes the Punahou experience, allowing students to explore and develop their own interests and passions, building confidence and independence, and preparing each child for a future that is uniquely successful.
  
  
• Punahou’s student body reflects the varied socioeconomic levels and ethnicities of Hawai‘i. Our students exhibit a wide range of abilities, interests and talents, all contributing to a dynamic and diverse school community. Each is recognized as an individual, encouraged to realize his or her potential and challenged to strive for excellence.
  
  
• One of the strengths of Punahou is its faculty. While diverse in experience, faculty members share a commitment to teaching and learning. Punahou teachers are selected not only for their academic background but also for the enthusiasm and vigor with which they approach teaching and for their commitment to students.
  
  
• Punahou’s outstanding facilities and beautiful 76-acre campus provide an engaging and challenging learning environment, indoors and outdoors, and support academic, artistic and extensive co-curricular programs.
  
  
• An emphasis on moral and spiritual education and development, in a significant sense, pervades Punahou and can be experienced in classrooms, in Chapel worship and worship-related experiences, through community service themes and the Character Education Program, and, to a large extent, in the school’s ethos and daily life. Chapel services are held each cycle for all students K – grade 12.
  
  
• The Aims of a Punahou Education are furthered through cross-curricula initiatives facilitated through several centers located on campus. Global education, Hawaiian studies, service, entrepreneurship, sustainability and design thinking are supported through the Wo International Center, Kuaihelani Learning Center, Luke Center for Public Service, and the Design Thinking, Technology and Fabrication Department.
  
  
• The school calendar is organized in a variable six-day cycle, with days designated A-Day through F-Day. The variable schedule supports a high level of flexibility at all grade levels and is the basis of the modular schedule employed in the Academy.