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ABOUT

ABOUT

The Piha Me Ka Pono Community School program in partnership with the Hawai'i Department of Education, implements the Community School Strategy to equip public schools to be centers of community where every student’s needs are met, everyone belongs, works together and succeeds.

Piha Me Ka Pono serves (8) eight Hawai'i public schools and utilizes the Community School Strategy's holistic approach on how to care for students to address the unseen "baggage" e.g. food insecurity, houselessness, foster care, divorce, trauma, etc.  that some of our young lives are facing. A Community School Coordinator is located at each school and is tasked with building trusting relationships and bringing in appropriate resources and support not only for our students but for the surrounding school community.

Schools alone cannot solely impact student achievement. In order to fully prepare students for future roles, strong relationships must be built and sustained within the community. That’s why Piha Me Ka Pono Community School Coordinators work collaboratively with their respective schools to implement the (4) four pillars of Community Schools as an overarching strategy to remove the barriers of learning through a strong community-based approach.

Program Components
Program Components The Four Pillars
The Four Pillars

The community school model uses the four pillars, a strength-based approach between home and school, to recognize that school improvement is a partnership based on relationships of mutual trust.

Expanded Learning Time

Intended for students focusing on enrichment and intervention.

Integrated Student, Family, and Staff Supports

A committed network of community partnerships available to support parents and students.

Active Family and Community Engagement

Securing parents as true partners through a coordinated system of meaningful services to better support their child’s success and for them to pursue self-improvement opportunities. 

Collaborative leadership

Practices to build a culture of professional learning, collective trust, and shared responsibility.

Contact Piha Me Ka Pono

Looking to partner or learn more about how you can support a Community School? Complete the Contact Form below, or call our office at (808) 884-5927 to speak to a Piha Me Ka Pono representative.

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Recent News

Recent News

Walking School Bus in Kealakehe Helps Reduce Chronic Absenteeism and Increase Student Safety 

February 12, 2025

As schools across Hawaiʻi work to tackle chronic absenteeism, Partners in Development Foundation’s Piha Me Ka Pono program has partnered with Kealakehe Elementary School and Kealakehe Intermediate to address attendance rates and student safety through an innovative solution. “Kids often walk to school from their homes, but 8 out of 10 times, they don’t make it…

Two Mentorship Programs Receive Fundamental Support to Empower Vulnerable Native Hawaiian Youth Populations

June 6, 2023

Over $120,000 will enable the youth of the Honokaʻa and greater Windward Oʻahu region to benefit from services such as career pathway development and mental health.

Four PIDF programs celebrate Lā ʻOhana in Waimea

June 13, 2022

Tūtū and Me keiki from Hawaiʻi Island’s Waimea and Honokaʻa sites celebrated their end of the year accomplishments with an in-person Lā ʻOhana (family day)! Four PIDF programs participated in the fun: Pili a Paʻa, Project Pilina, Tūtū and Me ʻOhana Support, and Hoʻopalekana Ola.

Community School Manager seeks to spread kindness and hope

May 28, 2022

Pili A Paʻa Community School Manager at the Kohala Complex shares encouraging and positive messages while directing school traffic.