Students, teachers and staff returned to school this August, and HPR has a special project to tell their stories.
In a new project called Homeroom Hawaiʻi, we track the story of one school year — in real time — through the voices of those experiencing it firsthand.
Teachers and students, principals and counselors, librarians, food servers and custodians from across the islands — they’ll be the ones taking us throughout the school, from the classroom and cafeteria to the teachers’ lounge and the football stadium under the Friday night lights.
The voices that came together for the first episode of Homeroom Hawaiʻi trace the exciting ups and downs that come with the start of the school year.
Take Addy Roberts, who's beginning a new journey at Keaʻau High School. “Coming into high school is kind of like a fresh start, a new chance for everyone to get to know themselves more and to get to introduce themselves to people in a certain way,” Roberts said.
“All in all, this week was so good for me, and I genuinely can't wait to go back next week.”
The energy that the students bring spreads all across campus, said librarian Renee Gilsdorf at King Kamehameha III Elementary.
“I feel like at the elementary level in particular, and I've worked middle and high school, they just don't have that jaded or hardened edge that adults do,” Gilsdorf said.
“If they're having a bad day, it shows, and I just always love that opportunity to be able to talk with them, or just at least let them know that you're here for them.”
For Mariko Yorimoto, who's beginning her new role as Principal of Barbers Point Elementary, the challenges that come with the job are a reminder of how important her duties to her students are.
“We do what we do because we love our kids and we want to make sure that they know they are not alone. I think the hardest part, because of that passion that fuels us to do good and always be better than the day before, is knowing that there are no do-overs,” she told HPR.
HPR’s DW Gibson, producer of Homeroom Hawaiʻi, explained what Homeroom Hawaiʻi is all about.
“These are students and teachers … and they're going to take us through this school year week by week. We're going to have that journey with them,” he told HPR.
“We spend so much time thinking about education through a data lens, through sort of an evaluation of pedagogy. This is sort of real ground level stuff. This is the voices that are on the front lines of education, experiencing it week in and week out, and they're going to take us on that journey with them.”
More segments of Hawaiʻi Homeroom will be released on The Conversation, with full episodes planned to be released on Apple and Spotify each month. Stay tuned for more information coming soon.
This story aired on The Conversation on Aug. 20, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
