{"id":23590,"date":"2026-09-21T16:51:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T02:51:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/?p=23590"},"modified":"2026-09-21T16:51:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T02:51:23","slug":"2026-teacher-of-the-year-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/ja\/2026-teacher-of-the-year-2027\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaimuk\u012b High School\u2019s Chu Hong named 2027 Hawai\u02bbi State Teacher of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kaimuk\u012b High School teacher Chu Hong, who stepped into a new field and built the school\u2019s agriculture program into a hands-on learning experience connecting students with sustainability, entrepreneurship and future careers, has been named the 2027 Hawai\u02bbi State Teacher of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 22-year Hawai\u02bbi public school educator received the state\u2019s top teaching honor from Acting Lt. Gov. Keith Regan and Superintendent Keith Hayashi during an awards ceremony at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai\u02bbi on Monday. Hong was selected from among 15 Complex Area Teachers of the Year and the Public Charter School Teacher of the Year<\/a>, representing more than 13,000 educators statewide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery single day, you are committing yourselves to supporting the future of Hawai\u02bbi by educating our youth,\u201d Acting Lieutenant Governor Keith Regan said. \u201cYou truly are setting the foundation for the future of the state. Every single day you\u2019re asked to make selfless choices to support our kids and you do that with incredible grace and incredible love and care for the students that are in your classrooms\u2026 On behalf of the Governor and the entire state of Hawai\u02bbi, mahalo for all you do and congratulations.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChu has shown what is possible when an educator steps outside of her own experience to create new opportunities for students,\u201d Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. \u201cShe has transformed Kaimuk\u012b High School\u2019s agriculture program into a place where students are growing crops, developing products, running businesses and exploring future careers. Through these hands-on experiences, she is helping students discover what they are capable of and allowing them to see new possibilities for their future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After years of teaching mathematics and language arts, Hong took on an entirely new challenge when she moved into agriculture at Kaimuk\u012b High two years ago. With no formal background in the field, she sought out training and expertise to develop the school\u2019s Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources pathway and expand its garden into a Smart Farm. Students now operate vertical hydroponic towers and grow crops including orchids, anthuriums, turmeric and lilikoi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through her W.O.R.M.S. (We Offer Rich Moist Soil) program, students apply what they learn through agriculture and entrepreneurship, from diverting food waste and producing compost to growing crops, developing value-added products, managing budgets and operating businesses. Their work has earned first place in the state\u2019s Young Entrepreneurs Program Challenge for two consecutive years \u2014 first for strawberry gummies and most recently for turmeric and lilikoi products made from crops grown on campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hong has also secured more than $200,000 to expand agriculture, sustainability, entrepreneurship and career-connected learning opportunities for students, while building partnerships with local businesses, retired educators and community members to provide mentorship and real-world expertise. Her work has created a learning environment where students can explore agriculture, science and entrepreneurship while developing skills that can support their college, career and community goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principal Lorelei Aiwohi described Hong as an innovative educator whose commitment to learning, collaboration and student success has made a lasting impact at Kaimuk\u012b High School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMs. Hong is an exceptional educator who has transformed our agriculture program by connecting classroom learning to real-world opportunities,\u201d Aiwohi said. \u201cShe has brought together students, families, colleagues and community partners to create meaningful experiences that build students\u2019 skills, confidence and understanding of what they can accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In accepting the award, Hong credited her fellow Teachers of the Year, school leaders and community partners, and reflected on the role educators play in helping students recognize their own potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur job is to stay with our students through the waiting, through the mundane, through the mistakes, and through the dark, until they finally look up and see their own light,\u201d Hong said. \u201cAnd when they do, let\u2019s help them shine it toward someone else. That\u2019s how we build a constellation, that\u2019s how we build a school, and that\u2019s how we build a community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hong will represent Hawai\u02bbi in the National Teacher of the Year program. A national winner will be named this spring in Washington, D.C. Today’s Teacher of the Year award prizes included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n