Ma ka hana ka ʻike - Through doing, one learns.

Every LJA Secondary Student is part of an Impact Project, a committed student cohort that meets weekly to engage in meaningful projects, connect with mentors, peers, and community experts, and directly impact their community. These experiences are organized within four Impact Academies, categories of hana pono (good work) needed within our local and global communities: Aloha ‘Āina, Global Citizenship, Peace and Pilina, and Arts and Innovation.

Impact Projects are generated through faculty, student, parent, and Experiential Education team proposals, often in collaboration with established community partners. Middle School students have the option to explore new projects each semester through weekly 90-minute sessions, while High School students dedicate the full school year to one project. This sustained commitment allows students to cultivate deep relationships, an ethic of sustained commitment, and true expertise in their teams.

ʻAohe pau ka ʻike i ka halau hoʻokahi – All knowledge is not taught in the same school.

Learning at LJA does not solely occur in the classroom, nor is it only guided by our faculty. We value diverse learning pathways and strive to connect students to community experts, non-traditional teachers, and carefully curated transformative experiences. A core tenet of experiential learning is that the work itself can be the teacher, particularly when that work is difficult, allows for failure, and requires sustained engagement. To ensure these projects are productive and impactful for students, faculty guide students through these experiences using Kolb’s experiential learning cycle.