Kamalani Academy in Wahiawa, Hawaii on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Kamalani Academy","outOfStateSupporters":64.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":1870808,"projectId":3065904,"letterContent":"and the incredible team at Ripple,\r\n\r\nThank you so much for your life-changing generosity!\r\n\r\nYour support has solved a massive challenge for our classroom. Thanks to your funding, every single one of my students now has a high-quality, professional sketchbook of their very own to use in our Arts-Integrated Language Arts class.\r\n\r\nAt our charter school, we constantly stretch every dollar. This year, I was faced with a heartbreaking dilemma: I desperately wanted my students to have sketchbooks to bridge their reading with visual art, but personally providing 120 sketchbooks was an expense I simply could not afford. At the same time, asking our families to buy them was out of the question—their school supply lists were already far too heavy, and I refused to place another financial burden on them.\r\n\r\nThanks to your gift, 120 students walked into my classroom, were handed a beautiful, blank sketchbook, and were told: \"This is yours. Your ideas and your voice matter enough to be kept in here.\"\r\n\r\nHaving these sketchbooks has completely transformed how my students approach their learning. Because this book belongs entirely to them, the level of care they take in creating their work has skyrocketed. They aren't just doodling on scrap paper that gets tossed in the recycling bin at the end of the day. They are carefully mapping out character journeys, visually analyzing metaphors, and illustrating their own creative writing.\r\n\r\nThere is an immense sense of pride filling our classroom right now. Students are constantly flipping back through their pages, realizing how much their writing and art have grown over the weeks. They take such pride in showing off their sketchbooks to their peers, and they love having a single, beautiful place to collect and preserve their hard work.\r\n\r\nTo the donors and everyone at Ripple: you didn't just buy us paper and cardboard. You removed a heavy barrier for our families, relieved a major stressor for me, and gifted 120 young minds a safe, proud space to bring their learning to life.\r\n\r\nWith our deepest gratitude and appreciation,","fullyFundedDate":1522185055296,"projectUrl":"project/artists-in-middle-school/3065904/","projectTitle":"Artists in Middle School","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Blake","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1870808_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y84&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753935957356","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsjblake"},{"teacherId":1870808,"projectId":3087179,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity! You have made a huge difference in the lives of our students. Because of your donation, my students finally have the high-quality art supplies they need to truly bring their learning to life.\r\n\r\nAs a charter school, our budget is incredibly tight, and funding for creative, hands-on materials is often hard to come by. Before your project was funded, we frequently had to make do with the bare minimum.\r\n\r\nArts integration isn't just about making things look pretty—it is a powerful tool for deep comprehension. For many of my students, turning abstract literary concepts into physical, visual art is the key that unlocks their understanding.\r\n\r\nThanks to your kindness, our classroom is now a vibrant space where literature and art collide. Here is how your donation is bringing our Language Arts curriculum to life:\r\n\r\nVisualizing Vocabulary & Metaphors: Instead of just writing definitions, students are using paints, clay, and colored pencils to create physical representations of complex vocabulary words and literary metaphors, cementing their meaning.\r\n\r\nCharacter & Setting Dioramas: While reading our novel units, students are building 3D scenes and character models to analyze setting and character development. This hands-on process has dramatically boosted their reading comprehension and engagement.\r\n\r\nCreative Writing Illustrations: Our aspiring authors are now publishing their own stories, complete with beautiful, hand-illustrated covers and pages, taking immense pride in their final written work.\r\n\r\nWhen students can touch, build, and color their thoughts, reading and writing stop being chores and start being adventures. You didn't just buy us art supplies; you provided the bridge my students needed to connect deeply with literature and express their own unique voices.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in our charter school students and for giving them the resources they deserve to succeed!\r\n\r\nWith our deepest appreciation,","fullyFundedDate":1522185975100,"projectUrl":"project/integrating-art-into-language-arts/3087179/","projectTitle":"Integrating Art into Language Arts","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Blake","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1870808_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y84&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753935957356","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsjblake"},{"teacherId":1870808,"projectId":3064509,"letterContent":"Thank you from us with all of our hearts!\r\n\r\nI am incredibly grateful for your generous support of our digital storytelling class. Your donation of art supplies has opened up a whole new world of creative possibilities for my students, and we cannot thank you enough.\r\n\r\nWhen people think of \"digital storytelling,\" they often picture students staring at computer screens, typing scripts, or editing video clips. While that is certainly a big part of what we do, the magic of storytelling truly comes alive when we bridge the gap between the virtual and the physical.\r\n\r\nThanks to your generosity, my students are no longer limited to just a keyboard and mouse. They are now able to CREATE both digitally and physically.\r\n\r\nWith these new art supplies, our classroom has transformed into a bustling multimedia studio:\r\n\r\nStoryboarding & Concept Art: Students are using sketchpads, markers, and colored pencils to physically map out their narratives, design unique characters, and paint vibrant backgrounds before they ever touch a tablet.\r\n\r\nTactile Inspiration: Having physical mediums to touch, cut, and paint has allowed my tactile learners to engage with the digital curriculum in a way they never could before.\r\n\r\nWithout your help, we simply would not have had the resources to provide this hands-on, hybrid learning experience. You haven't just provided pens, paper, and paint—you have fueled the imagination of young creators and given them the tools to bring their unique voices to life.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in our classroom, believing in our students, and making our digital stories a physical reality!\r\n\r\nWith deepest gratitude,","fullyFundedDate":1517770439201,"projectUrl":"project/arts-integration-for-middle-school-langu/3064509/","projectTitle":"ARTS Integration for Middle School Language Arts students.","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Blake","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1870808_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y84&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753935957356","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsjblake"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_121092","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":110,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":41,"percentAsian":6,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":16,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":40,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":19,"percentMultiracialImputed":17,"gradesServed":"K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":36.0,"schoolId":121092,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Kamalani Academy on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Kamalani Academy","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/hawai-i-state-department-of-education/kamalani-academy/121092"}

About this school

Kamalani Academy is a suburban public school in Wahiawa, Hawaii that is part of Hawaiʻi State Department of Education. It serves 110 students in grades K - 8. Its teachers have had 20 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Supporting this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades K - 8

110 Students

# of teachers unavailable

1403 California Ave

Wahiawa, HI 96786 View local requests

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Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Kamalani Academy Teachers on DonorsChoose

Mrs. Martinez

Ms. Nishihara

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Kamalani Academy Demographics

41%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

46%

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

Kamalani Academy Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Jul 26, 2026

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.