Student Travel and Hosting Programs

List of 12 items.

• Grade 5: Keio Yochisha Student Exchange

  Over the course of eight days, a group of Punahou 5th graders travel to Tokyo where they live with a host family and attend Keio Yochisha School alongside their host buddy. In turn, Keio students visit Punahou school for a similar experience with our Punahou 4th graders. The program provides students an opportunity to experience Japanese education and culture.
  
  

  Starting in the 2024 – 2025 school year.

• Grade 6: Ancient Roman History Curricular Travel

  During this experience students travel through Rome and Naples, learning about the ancient world and making connections with the five traits of civilization found in the social studies curriculum. While traveling in Italy, students explore and develop a greater understanding of historical sites and the rich culture. Students cook authentic Italian foods, learn how to navigate in new cities, and draw connections between the ancient and modern world.

• Grade 7: Aotearoa (New Zealand) Curricular Travel

  The Aotearoa curricular exchange builds on existing partnerships with the Villa Trust Charter Schools in Auckland and Southwell School in Hamilton.  Students build relationships and collaborate with partner classrooms prior to travel, and then Punahou students share their final projects during the in-person school visits.  Included in the itinerary are cultural experiences and visits to sacred places to deepen appreciation for cultural similarities and differences throughout the Polynesian Triangle.

• Grades 7 – 8: Tamagawa Student Exchange

  The Punahou-Tamagawa exchange intertwines the development of  global consciousness and competencies throughout a curricular project and student exchange experience. Prior to the in-person exchange, Punahou and Tamagawa students use an online platform to meet one another and collaborate on a global issue project. Tamagawa students share their projects when they visit Punahou, and Punahou students share when they visit Japan. While in Japan, Punahou students homestay with a Tamagawa family and participate in their annual ski camp.

• Grades 7 – 8: Soong Ching Ling Student Exchange

  As part of Punahou School's partnership and cultural exchange with High School Affiliated to Renmin University Of China and Soong Ching Ling School, students in seventh and eighth grade have the opportunity to travel to Beijing and Shanghai. On this trip, students visit historical places and partake in cultural experiences with our sister schools.  A homestay with students from Soong Ching Ling school provides students with a full cultural immersion experience.
  
  Program will resume in the 2023 – 2024 school year.

• Grade 8: Washington D.C.

  An educational tour designed for eight graders to study the Constitution with planned visits to Washington DC’s historical landmarks, such as the National Archives, the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, the White House, the Holocaust Museum, the Lincolm Memorial, and many more. Tour highlights include taking part in a student experiential peace building workshop at the United States Institute of Peace, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and traveling to Philadelphia for the Constitutional Ambassadors Program featuring live theater that brings contemporary discussions about the Constitution to life.
  

  Coming in the Spring of 2024

• Grade 9: Water Is Life Conference

  In the summer prior to their sophomore year, as many as three Punahou students will participate in the third edition of the Water is Life Conference. The program is focused on connecting students and educators from across the world around projects related to water security, water management, climate change, and diplomacy. This conference aims to bring bright young students from different countries together in a meeting of hearts and minds. It seeks to plant the seeds of friendship and dialogue, instill awareness on the issues of water management and develop scientific, diplomatic and leadership skills in young participants.

• Grades 9 – 11: Summer Immersion Language Program France

  This three-week study program in Antibes, France, focuses on French language acquisition at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels with particular emphasis on oral and written communication. Students will attend the French Language School and will stay with host families.The program also includes excursions to places of cultural interest, such as Monaco, Cannes, and Montecarlo.

• Grades 9 – 11: Summer Immersion Language Program Spain

  This five-week study program in Salamanca, Spain, focuses on Spanish language acquisition at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels with particular emphasis on oral and written communication. Students will attend the University of Salamanca and  will stay with host families. Upon completion of the five-week program and some additional online work, students can apply to receive college credit through the UC California system. The program includes excursions to places of cultural interest, such as Santander, Segovia, Madrid, and Portugal.

• Grades 9 – 12: Learning Across Borders

  Learning Across Borders (LAB) is an educational nonprofit focused on students and educators from various countries in the Asia-Pacific region. LAB is focused on promoting four thematic principles: environmental science, project-based learning, student leadership, and cross cultural navigation. Students in all grades are invited to participate in the state finals in late April. Exemplary teams will be invited to participate in the Global Finals.

• Grades 9 – 12: G-Term Travel

  In the Academy, students have the opportunity to embark into week-long experiences to different corners of the world.  These travel experiences include trips to: Cuba, Mexico, Singapore, Korea, Okinawa, Japan, Taiwan, Washington D.C., Detroit, California, Seattle, Boston and more.

• Grade 12: Summer Capstone Travel

  This travel version of the Senior Capstone course is an opportunity to apply the Aims of the Punahou education in a new setting. Capstone experiences all include a service and culture component. Past locations include Iceland, New Zealand, Alaska, China, and Bhutan.