Fostering a More Sustainable Tomorrow
The Sustainability Fellowship  offers participants a transformative educational experience focused on sustainability, leadership and innovation. The program is intended for approximately 20 students from across the State of Hawaiʻi, starting in the summer before their tenth and eleventh grades. Current ninth and tenth-grade students may apply for the Summer 2025 cohort.

The program is free, and eligible students from all Hawai‘i public, independent and charter schools are encouraged to apply. Deadline to apply is January 28, 2025. Applications received after January 28 will be reviewed on a rolling basis, subject to space availability.

The Fellowship is a 15-month program that begins the summer before a student’s tenth or eleventh grade and runs through the following summer.

Summer Session #1,  June 9 – July 18, 2025
Students spend six weeks in the program with an expected commitment of six hours per day. They focus on sharpening critical-thinking skills by exploring essential questions around sustainability, engaging in experiential learning activities, and building relationships with community partners.

Intervening School Year (2025–26):
Fellows will meet monthly during the academic school year to receive mentoring. During the academic year, students will also pursue a research-based Sustainability Challenge Project, which will help them to define an essential topic that they will explore during the program’s second summer session.

Summer Session #2, June 8 – July 17, 2026
Fellows will reunite at the beginning of the summer for a unique educational trip to Hawaiʻi Island. There, they will engage in hands-on activities and place-based learning with partners on the island. Following this trip, Fellows will intern or volunteer for at least four weeks with a community partner/mentor who will support them to advance their Sustainability Challenge Project. They will also participate in regular seminar classes with their fellow cohort members. The program culminates with a public presentation of their challenge project. 

• Identify two teachers who can provide a recommendation on your behalf. You may also identify a teacher, mentor or coach who can provide a third, optional recommendation on your behalf. 
• Teacher recommendation contact information form. To ensure your references have sufficient time to provide thoughtful recommendations, we kindly suggest submitting your reference contact information as early as possible. Notify the individuals you list that Punahou School will contact them via email with the recommendation form. 
• Submit Online Application form.

Strong applicants will demonstrate a commitment to the full two-summer and intervening school year program (total of approximately 15 months) and be able to explain how the fellowship aligns with their long-term commitment to sustainability.  Competitive applicants will also demonstrate a strong academic record, exhibit a deep sense of curiosity, and demonstrate a strong interest in learning alongside peers who represent diverse perspectives. Applicants must also identify a minimum of two teachers who can provide a recommendation on their behalf.  

Please note that admission into the program is competitive and has a limited capacity of approximately 20 Fellow positions. Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of faculty and members of community organizations.

The program will span two consecutive summer sessions and culminate with a public presentation of a sustainability project. During the academic year, Fellows will also participate in a guided Sustainability Challenge Project, monthly meetings with a mentor, and quarterly gatherings with the cohort of Fellows. 

“This fellowship has taught me how crucial a role youth plays in making change.”

“I feel that I have developed an extremely comprehensive knowledge base of the fundamental systems both in policy  and economics, especially in regard to global and local sustainability efforts alike.” 

“I think in many ways, my goals for my life have changed. This fellowship has given me a direction and purpose for my passion for sustainability.”

“The fellowship has expanded my perspective on sustainability and climate change through hands-on experiences and collaborative learning.”

“This program has inspired me because it has exposed me to various career paths on sustainability and how their jobs involve sustainability practices.”

“A big takeaway from this summer is that relationships are everything. We can not shape the world by ourselves, because everyone has their own expertise and knowledge when it comes to the climate crisis.”

“It has inspired me as a person to really change my perspective on sustainability and climate change and learn more in depth about what is happening on our island, around us.”

Punahou School is underwriting the cost of this initiative, making it free for all selected participants.

 

For questions, please email sustainability@punahou.edu.