Special education students at Kaimuki High School have been designing and printing custom apparel to raise money for their program — and learn vocational skills in the process. It comes in the wake of federal cuts to education totaling billions of dollars.
The Conversation recently toured the school's workshop, where students use silkscreen printing to detail shirts and uniforms.
Teacher Ryan Swinehart spoke to HPR about how the program prepares students for life after high school.
“A big thing that we want to teach our kids is the vocational process,” Swinehart said.
“We know that a lot of our kids, they don't specifically want to get into the field of making T-shirts, but what we do want to teach them is the work readiness skills that go along with any job.”
Swinehart wants the silkscreen printing operation to become fully self-sustaining in the future so that profits can go right back into the classroom to buy equipment and supplies.
Students in the program fulfill orders from the high school, club programs, sports teams and nonprofits.
"A lot of kids with disabilities, they struggle after they leave high school because there's only so many adult day programs," Swinehart said. "A lot of kids, you know, they slip through the cracks because they don't necessarily meet the requirements, or it's just bad timing on them, things like that, and that's why we want to help them build these skills so that when they do leave, there's more opportunities out there for them."
This story aired on The Conversation on Feb. 4, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. This story has been adapted for the web.
