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It targets not the straight-A kids but those earning Bs, Cs and Ds who show leadership potential but could use support and inspiration. As sixth graders at Jarrett Middle, they commit to attending free summer sessions at ‘Iolani until they graduate from high school. Read more

Tina Moore was in sixth grade at Jarrett Middle School in Palolo Valley when she was tapped to be part of the first group of kids in ‘Iolani School’s summer KA‘I program.

“I was so excited about it,” recalled Moore, now 22. “I thought, why does a prestigious school want us to go there?”

KA‘I, which stands for Kukula Alaka‘i ‘Iolani or “Creation of Leaders,” is a community partnership between ‘Iolani and nearby public schools that is helping change the life trajectory for low-income students in Palolo.

It targets not the straight-A kids but those earning Bs, Cs and Ds who show leadership potential but could use support and inspiration. As sixth graders at Jarrett Middle, they commit to attending free summer sessions at ‘Iolani until they graduate from high school.

The goal is to reverse “summer learning loss” and help raise graduation rates in hopes of lifting families out of poverty. To be eligible, students must be on the free- or reduced-lunch program because of low family incomes.

As KA‘I marks its 10th anniversary this month, its students boast a 98% high school graduation rate. Many were the first in their family to reach that milestone. And 88% of those graduates have enrolled in college — nearly every one a “first generation” college student.

Most choose University of Hawaii campuses but one went to Stanford University and another to the University of Southern California.

“There’s so many life skills that I’ve gained from this program,” said Moore, a cheerful go-getter who will earn her bachelor’s in social work at UH next May. “This program made me who I am today.

“We all came from Palolo housing and in a way, a lot of people think the kids won’t amount to anything,” she added. “And then you see them coming to KA‘I every day and just breaking those stereotypes and doing so well, not just with their own cohort but with ‘Iolani students and ‘Iolani faculty.”

KA‘I staff have helped students in the program weather setbacks, including bouts of homelessness. ‘Iolani provides transportation as well as breakfast and lunch, along with the stability of a closeknit group of friends and mentors amid the turbulence of the teen years.

Moore opted to go into social work based on personal experience. “I happened to go through a lot of family issues where social workers had to get involved,” she said, “so the point is I just want to give back.”

The KA‘I program aims for depth rather than breadth in forging bonds with the Palolo community, said its director, Allison Ishii Blankenship, who heads external education programs at ‘Iolani.

“Start small and commit deeply to them,” she said. “That fits ‘Iolani’s model of putting a lot of energy and love into a small amount of kids.”

So far, 43 of the 44 students who started KA‘I after sixth grade have graduated from high school, with another 72 students in the pipeline in middle and high school. Most stick with the public schools but 11 of the 116 participants have switched to private schools, including one to ‘Iolani.

Over the years, KA‘I has evolved to meet needs along the educational pipeline in Palolo, from preschool through college. Altogether, more than 250 children have participated in its programs, all of which are free.

In 2015, KA‘I created a six-week summer preschool for youngsters in Palolo, an idea that originated with ‘Iolani juniors and seniors in a service learning class. It has served more than 150 kids ages 3 to 5.

After KA‘I students requested academic help during the school year, Blankenship found grant money and started an after-school tutoring program at Jarrett Middle and Kaimuki High two years ago. It is open to any student on both campuses. Tutors include ‘Iolani and Jarrett teachers as well as ‘Iolani and KA‘I alumni.

“This past year we had many non-KA‘I students, which we think is so wonderful,” said Kirk Uejio, tutoring program director. He said he especially enjoys the chance to check in socially and emotionally and help the kids through ups and downs.

As the first KA‘I students graduated, ‘Iolani staff saw they needed counseling and financial help on their postsecondary paths. So in 2015 the KA‘I Kulana Program was created to help them “to and through college” with little or no debt.

“The easiest way to think about our programs is just, ‘What would we do for our own kids?’” Blankenship said. “It’s just very simple … I really feel like we are in it for the long run. We want to raise life outcomes for kids from an under-resourced community.”

KA‘I is funded with grants and donations from various foundations and individuals, including the McInerny Foundation and the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation. ‘Iolani provides staff, space and resources.

Shaunte Nobriga, a grade-level counselor at Jarrett Middle School, has seen a ripple effect from ‘Iolani’s commitment to the community.

“It’s not only the students’ lives that are being affected and changed, but it literally is everyone that they are connected with — their peers, their families,” she said. “It’s just a phenomenal program. Allison supports the school as a whole, not just the kids that are in the program.”

A daily two-hour leadership course forms the core of the KA‘I curriculum, with a different theme for each grade, including teamwork, educating the heart, communications and service. KA‘I students also take ‘Iolani summer school electives and courses that earn credits toward graduation.

Along the way, they get new perspectives and discover their talents.

“I didn’t really necessarily like the fact that I was coming from Palolo until last year, when our leadership class was called ‘Palolo Pride,’” said Naomi Deleon Guerrero, 16, who will be a junior this fall. “I just needed to give it a chance. I needed to respect it a little more. It deserves respect.”

“This program helped me look at life differently, attack situations differently,” she said. “Our mentors are amazing and positive people. To be surrounded by that energy has really helped me a lot.”