Hawaii Learning Resource is the dba of North Hawaii Women and Children’s Services, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1998. The first project of the organization was the Kahua Project which partnered to reduce teen pregnancy in North Hawaii by developing a school based life skills curriculum provided in North Hawaii public and private schools.
The project touched more than 2,000 students in eight North Hawaii schools. In 2003, because of its perceived value and the potential to achieve long term sustainability, this program merged with the Hamakua Health Center, Inc., Clinical Family Planning Program.
In 2003, North Hawaii Women and Children’s Services launched its flagship program, Hawaii Learning Resource, formerly Hawaii Resources for School Success, whose mission is to empower all kinds of learners through partnerships that bring advances in teaching and learning to our community. This focus was selected based on research which shows that one of the most powerful predictors of adult success is fourth grade reading levels and because of personal experiences of board members who saw that getting the right resources for school success at the right time had the power to turn a student’s life around.
Too many capable North Hawaii students are struggling or seriously lagging in school and too often fall through the cracks in the current education system. This happens despite well meaning teachers and despite the fact that success in school is vital for success in today’s economy. Hawaii Learning Resource sees a key opportunity to increase student success through early identification and effective support of students who struggle in school, many of whom are capable or even gifted students. Currently, many schools in North Hawaii lack the resources needed to do this. Increasing success in school will increase the opportunity for these students to acquire the skills to make positive life decisions and to be successful in life.
Fortunately, many advances in education research, including advances through the All Kinds of Minds Institute (www.allkindsofminds.org), provide effective models to help increase student success, especially for diverse learners. Hawaii Learning Resource’s programs are modeled on evidence-based programs and focus on increasing student success for underachieving students through: Summer Academic Enrichment Camps, Teacher Professional Development, and Community Education Workshops.
Our Mission
To empower all kinds of learners through partnerships that bring advances in teaching and learning to our community.
Our Vision
We envision a community which embraces and empowers all learners to thrive in school and in life and where North Hawaii families and children have the learning skills needed to make positive life decisions.
Our Values
- We value the unique strengths and abilities of all kinds of learners.
- We value families and educators who believe in and support all learners.
- We value the opportunity to transform students’ lives through effective teaching and learning.
- We value our partners who are committed to and invest in better educational opportunities for all learners.
