HawaiiKidsCAN

Sine die! The 2026 Legislative Session is over and it was one of our favorite ever. More than the outcome, we appreciated all of the incredible partnership from community members and policymakers. From student visits to hundreds of pages of testimony, we’re so grateful to be able to do this work with and on behalf of kids. Stay tuned for future opportunities to celebrate with us and engage in the next phase of our campaign! Mahalo!!

Sign up now for our free summer tutoring program! This online, small group tutoring for Hawaiʻi students in grades 2-8 is completely free and offered in two 6-week sessions this summer! Mahalo to the , , and the James and Abigail Campbell Foundation for their generous sponsorship of the program for youth across all our islands.

BIG congrats to Mele - our board member and student advocate - on being selected for the 2026 Truman Scholarship! This is a super prestigious and competitive honor, so we’re very proud of her! It has been a privilege to see her grow her skills since high school, and she’s been a core part of our programs and team 💪

So proud of these incredible students from Le Jardin Literacy Advocacy Academy!

On 3/31, student advocates came out to the Capitol to meet with policymakers, connect with the Governor’s team, and were even recognized on the House and Senate floors. Their passion, courage, and commitment to literacy have already made a powerful impact this session, and they’re helping carry this work across the finish line as we head into the final hearing for HB1891 on Monday.

Mahalo nui to the policymakers who took the time to listen, engage, and uplift our youth voices!

We’re excited to share that our priority bills have made it past the halfway point of session and are continuing to move forward with strong momentum!

Only about one-third of bills introduced this session have made it this far, making this an important milestone.

Mahalo to the House Education and Finance Committees for advancing these measures to support student learning across Hawaiʻi.

We’re especially grateful for the strong outpouring of support from our community and partners who have helped move these efforts forward.

Stay tuned - each bill now heads to its final committee hearing, and we’ll continue to share updates along the way.

Momentum continues at the Capitol! Our priority bills have officially cleared the halfway point of session and are advancing to their next stage.

With only about one-third of introduced bills still moving forward, this progress reflects the outpouring of community support behind these measures and the shared agreement that we must make bold changes to support student outcomes.

Mahalo to the Senate Education and Ways and Means Committees for advancing policies that support student learning statewide!

Mahalo to Senator Chris Lee and Representative Mike Lee for taking the time to welcome our student advocates as they prepared to testify on HB1891 HD1 SD1 at recent hearings.

While waiting, the students had the opportunity to practice their testimony, receive advice, and share their perspectives. Moments like these help build confidence and reinforce the importance of youth voice in the legislative process.

We’re grateful for the kindness and hospitality - and for helping to empower the next generation of advocates at the Capitol.

Mahalo to House education committee Chair Woodson and Vice Chair La Chica for their support in hosting several successful events during the 2026 House Education Week!

We were proud to organize a Policy Café bringing together partners like the Hawaiʻi State Literacy Coalition, Hawaiʻi P-20, the Chamber of Commerce, and Data Science for Everyone to discuss best practices and advancing legislation in math, literacy, and workforce development.

We also convened an intimate author talk story with Liz Cohen, attended by policymakers, teachers, and practitioners, to dig into what makes tutoring effective - drawing from research across 10,000 school districts - and begin thinking about how those lessons can be applied locally.

Mahalo for the collaboration and shared commitment to strengthening student learning across Hawaiʻi!

HB1891 will have a hearing at the Sente Education committee on Monday, March 23 at 1pm. Go to our link in bio to support this critical bill to strengthen early literacy in Hawaii!