Hawai'i

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• Overview
• Schools
• Certification and testing
• Cost of living
• Local resources
• Corps member perspectives

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Often hailed as one of the most exquisite vacation destinations in the world, Hawai‘i is also home to a public school system whose eighth graders rank 47th in the nation in reading and math scores. Hawaii’s physical distance from the mainland United States and its unique cultural history has resulted in a complex and sometimes tense relationship between Hawaii and the mainland. Despite these challenges, Hawaii corps members have succeeded in getting involved with their communities and pushing their diverse and unique population of students to new academic heights.

Life

Physically, Hawai‘i is breathtaking. The eight main islands have diverse ecological conditions and many corps members take advantage of their proximity by taking weekend trips to neighboring islands. Teach For America Hawai‘i corps members are placed across the island of O‘ahu and on the West Hawaii district of the Big Island of Hawai‘i. Corps members often live in houses with other corps members near to the schools in which they teach. On both Oahu and the Big Island, Hawaii corps members frequently enjoy the outdoor beauty that Hawaii has to offer, often taking up surfing or unwinding with a long hike on the weekends. Honolulu also offers an active nightlife with highly acclaimed restaurants, art galleries, and bars.

Corps Culture

Hawaii corps members truly form an ohana, or family, united in the desire to improve the lives of their students. Corps members regularly hold potluck dinners, barbeques, and other social events at their houses to bring the corps back together. Teach For America Hawai’i staff members are committed to forming strong relationships with corps members to ensure that every corps members becomes an excellent teacher. Hawai‘i corps members attend Teach For America professional development events designed to help them in their development as teacher-leaders, including all-corps Professional Saturday structures, content-specific professional learning communities, and other small group workshops. This support and professional development has clearly paid off, as historically over 50 percent of Hawai’i corps members have elected to stay in Hawai’i classrooms for a third year, adding even more momentum to our movement to end educational inequity.

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