Elementary Schools instill in our keiki a love of learning through positive experiences, cultivate cultural understanding, and inspire a deep sense of stewardship for the islands they will inherit.  This is where students begin shaping their educational experience and discover their way to become lifelong learners. 

Educational pedagogies vary greatly and multiple modalities are utilized throughout the day.  Inquiry-based learning, with an emphasis on collaborative work, is becoming more of the preferred learning methodology.

The Ed Specs Space Program is based on an organizational and pedagogical strategy of Learning Communities made up of Grade Level Neighborhoods, with a total school population of approximately 750 students. This corresponds with the high end of the Board of Education’s design enrollment guidelines for Elementary Schools.  By breaking down the scale of the school and orienting around grade levels, each grade can have its own integrated Grade Level Neighborhood. This allows for deeper learning opportunities, teacher collaboration and relationship building.  Students have a “home” or place where they belong.

For schools with smaller design enrollments, or when planning new buildings on existing campuses, or when working on a campus that includes a sixth grade, the quantities of classrooms and offices will need to be adjusted along with right sizing the larger support spaces.