Program Description

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy

Summer Session
Waimea, Hawaii (Big Island)


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For More Information, Contact
Shirley Ann K. Fukumoto
Auxiliary Programs Office
Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy
65-1692 Kohala Mountain Road
Kamuela, Hawaii 96743
808-881-4088
Fax: 808-881-4071
http://www.hpa.edu
E-mail: summer@hpa.edu

Type of Program: Academic enrichment, boarding and day
Participants: Boys and girls entering grades 6–12
Enrollment: 100
Program Dates: Mid- to late June to mid- to late July
Head of Program: Shirley Ann K. Fukumoto

Location

Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA) is one of the premier college-preparatory boarding and day schools in the Pacific region. The school has two campuses in Waimea on the island of Hawaii. The Upper Campus, which hosts the Summer Session program, is located on 220 acres at the foot of the Kohala Mountains, in the heart of Hawaii’s ranching country. The Village Campus is housed on a separate 8-acre campus just 2 miles away.
A special aspect of HPA is its use of Hawaii’s unique geographical and social setting. Through many courses and activities, the school gives students a strong sense of Hawaii and its culture.
HPA is a 45-minute drive from the Kona International Airport. There are many daily, direct flights to Kona from the Honolulu International Airport. Flight time is about 40 minutes.

Background and Philosophy

The HPA Summer Session, which was established in 1974, offers enrichment and unique study opportunities in English, science, and culture for boarding students and a limited number of day students entering grades 6–12. The program, which enrolls boys and girls from throughout the world, runs for four weeks, from late June to late July.
Summer Session offers new and prospective HPA students an excellent introduction to the school’s program and instructors. Many students return every summer to take advantage of the outstanding program and staff and to meet students from around the world.

Program Offerings

Upper School students can select from the following 2-hour academic and elective courses: 2-D Art; Algebra I; Capture the Big Island; Ceramics; Driver’s Education; Global Trekkers; Hawaiian Ocean Experience; Introduction to Algebra II/Trigonometry; Jewelry Creations; Journey Through Latin America; Multi-Cultural Dance; Operation Green Sweep; Original Writing, Original Thought: How to Succeed in High School, College, and Life; Print Making; SAT Prep (Brown Reading Systems); Science Blast Off; Sculpture; Service Learning Success; Stardom Camp; Study Skills Strategies; and Where’s the Map?—Create Your Own Guide to Life After Graduation. ESL courses include Themes in Listening and Speaking, Themes in Reading and Writing, Topics in Listening and Speaking, Topics in Reading and Writing, TOEFL I: Listening and Speaking, and TOEFL II: Reading and Writing.
Middle School offerings include 2-D Art, Algebra I, Capture the Big Island, Ceramics, Creative Writing/Introduction to Journalism, Global Trekkers, Hawaiian Ocean Experience, Jewelry Creations, Journey Through Latin America, Multi-Cultural Dance, Operation Green Sweep, Pre-Algebra, Reading and Study Skills (Brown Reading Systems), Science Blast Off, Sculpture, Service Learning Success, and Stardom Camp.
These courses are predominantly for enrichment and do not offer credit. Many courses—particularly in the sciences—include field trips as part of the curriculum.

Enrollment

HPA’s diverse students come predominantly from the Hawaiian Islands, the U.S. mainland, and the Pacific Rim nations.

Daily Schedule

On Monday through Friday, students attend three courses (two 2-hour morning courses and one 2-hour afternoon course). There are afternoon sports until 5 p.m. A 1-hour study hall follows the buffet dinner and ends with a social period and then lights out. Weekend excursions include trips to state and national parks such as Volcanoes National Park, cultural sites, snorkel cruises, and ocean sports.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Optional sports include instruction in horseback riding, scuba certification, and tennis. On Saturday, buses take students to the beach and shopping areas. Students can also go to the movies or on camping excursions.
During the last few afternoons of the Summer Session sports program, students participate in the “mini Olympics,” which includes many nonathletic and athletic team events. The final summer and Olympics event is the talent show, which is presented on the last evening of the Summer Session program. Parents are encouraged to come to the campus a day early to join their children at this event.

Facilities

Ten buildings on the Upper Campus house multiple classrooms, the Kono Institute of English Studies, Castle Lecture Hall, the Science and Technology Center, and Davenport Music Center and rehearsal rooms. Other academic facilities include the Gates Performing Arts Center, the Dyer Memorial Library, the Gerry Clark Art Center, Davies Chapel, and a 4,100-square-foot student union.
    Athletic facilities include the award-winning Rutgers Tennis Center, Castle Gymnasium, the Nakamaru Fitness Center, Dowsett Swimming Pool, a cross-country course, a track, a tack room, and football, baseball, soccer, softball, and polo fields.
    Three residence halls on the Upper Campus house students in double and sometimes triple rooms. Each room has beds and built-in closets, shelves, desks, and dressers. The rooms are equipped with telephone connections and computer access to the campuswide computer network and the Internet. Each building has a central lounge and laundry facilities. Faculty members and residential assistants provide supervision.
    The recently renovated restaurant-style dining facilities are located in the Taylor Commons. Also located in this building are the Academics and Student Life Center, Accounting/Business Office, Auxiliary Programs/Summer Sessions Office, Health Services, and digital audio/visual laboratory.

Staff

The teaching staff consists of regular school faculty members as well as teachers from Hawaii and around the world. Teachers take a personal interest in every student and often serve as advisers and dorm parents.
Faculty and staff members, most of whom are regular school faculty members or college students who are HPA alumni, supervise the dormitories and excursions.

Medical Care

Students must have a physical examination and a TB test prior to arrival. HPA has a fully equipped Health Services Center, and a nurse is on duty or on call at all times. For more serious emergencies, the North Hawaii Community Hospital is located 3 miles from the campus.

Costs

Tuition covers instruction, room, board, books, most group activities, and excursions. Airfare and ground transportation, optional sports, and personal expenses are extra. Costs in 2008 included a $30 application fee ($25 when applying online), tuition ($4200), an equestrian program ($475), tennis instruction ($410), and scuba certification ($500).

Transportation

Participants fly directly into Kona International Airport from Honolulu, the U.S. mainland, or Japan. For students flying into Honolulu first, the school can assist with travel arrangements to Kona (additional fees apply). The school also can arrange for transportation to and from Kona International Airport at the beginning and end of the summer session (additional fees apply).

Application Timetable

Applications are accepted from January 1 until April 15. Late applications are considered on a space-available basis. Notification of acceptance starts March 15. Upon acceptance, students are required to pay a $500 nonrefundable reservation deposit and return the registration materials with course selections.