In our schools, students don’t simply learn about democracy and civic responsibility—they experience it first hand. Please contact your school to find out about offered activities.

Hawaiʻi State Student Council

Students are elected or selected by their high school peers to serve on the Council, the voice of Hawaiʻi’s public school students. Students meet monthly to discuss concerns, and members also address issues before the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and Hawaiʻi State Board of Education.

Hawaiʻi Secondary Student Conference

Students who serve on their middle and high schools’ leadership councils are invited to attend a daylong visit to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and district level conferences in the fall. There, students identify, discuss, and develop proposed solutions to key youth issues, focusing on school challenges that require joint action from students, the Board of Education, the Department of Education, and the legislature.

​​​Board of Education Representative​

The Board of Education, which governs Hawaiʻi’s public education system, includes a seat for a non-voting student representative who attends meetings and provides feedback on important policy issues. Every year, a member of the Hawaiʻi State Student Council is selected to be the student representative on the Board.