Homeroom Hawai‘i is the story of a school year — in real time.

This podcast is anchored by a chorus of people who submit weekly self-recorded “audio journals.” These recordings come from those who work and learn within the ecosystem of Hawai‘i public schools—teachers, students, principals, vice principals, counselors, librarians, administrative staff, food servers, and custodial personnel.  Their voices come from all levels of education—elementary, middle and high school—as well as traditional public schools, charters, and Hawaiian immersion campuses. 

Project participants take audiences into the classroom and cafeteria, the pep rally and performance, the teachers’ lounge and the football stadium under Friday night lights. Their voices are supplemented by music and field sounds with a particular focus on inflection points throughout the year such as ceremonies and competitions, as well as cultural and community events. 

Homeroom Hawai‘i follows several compelling stories, including a librarian in Lahaina rebuilding a collection after the fires and a principal on the north shore of Kaua‘i overseeing construction of a new campus from scratch. Throughout the year, we’ll get to know each person more closely, their circumstances, motivations, and challenges. We’ll be there at every step to share the ups and downs, the struggles and victories—big and small—of one school year, start to finish.

A new segment of Homeroom Hawai‘i can be heard every week on HPR’s The Conversation. And if you miss any of those segments, listen to our monthly Homeroom Hawaiʻi podcast, starting Sept. 17. Each episode provides a roundup of our weekly segments.