September 16, 2026
4:00 - 6:30 pm
Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center, 1922 Makiki Street, Honolulu, HI 96822
Free!
Kids Voting Hawai‘i (KVH) is a nonpartisan grassroots organization that promotes citizen participation by providing K-12 students in public, private, charter and home schools the opportunity to experience democracy firsthand, by voting online in Hawaii's General Elections. Since 1996, Kids Voting Hawai‘i has been providing an age-appropriate curriculum and classroom activities, which align with the Hawai‘i State Social Studies Standards, and address the 'civic responsibility' and 'civic character' measurements. Internet technology combines with civics education in this initiative to inspire our youth to explore candidates and issues, engage in dialogue with their peers and families, develop Hawai‘i leadership potential, and prepare for a lifetime of voting.
In this hands-on workshop, you will be guided by a team of student-leaders from Punahou School who will walk through the process of getting Kids Voting Hawai‘i launched at your school, just in time for your students to participate in the Fall 2026 election. They will be joined by civic education experts Dr. Colin Moore and Representative Amy Perruso. Together, the team will provide:
A general overview of the history and rationale behind the Kids Voting Hawai‘i program
A step-by-step guide to how Kids Voting Hawai‘i works
Kids Voting Hawai‘i Fall 2026 resources and materials
Assistance registering your school for Kids Voting Hawai‘i Fall 2026
Support in thinking through how Kids Voting Hawai‘i can integrate into your school’s current curriculum and program
Opportunities to work out the logistics for Fall 2026
First-hand experience with civic education in a wide variety of settings.
Participants in this workshop will have time to collaborate with fellow attendees to plan, troubleshoot, and perhaps even identify opportunities for cross-school connections. Together, we will work to ensure that the next generation of voters has the experience and knowledge needed for participating in their democracy in Fall 2026 and the future. Join us!
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES
Participants will be able to:
Describe the rationale and key elements of the Kids Voting Hawai‘i program
Register their school’s participation (if they choose) in Kids Voting Hawai‘i 2026
Collaborate with workshop facilitators and participants on designing a Kids Voting Hawai‘i Fall 2026 plan for their particular school community
Apply resources provided to ensure that Kids Voting Hawai‘i Fall 2026 will respond to and meet the needs of your unique students
WORKSHOP AGENDA
4:00 pm Introductions & Building our Community of Civic Educators
4:30 pm Overview of Kids Voting Hawai‘i: History, Purpose, Examples of Past School Participation
4:50 pm Kids Voting Hawai‘i Fall 2026: How will it work? Registration process? What resources are available?
5:30 pm Collaborate to Create a Plan for Your School and Students
6:15 Final Reflections & Questions
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Punahou School’s Kids Voting Hawaiʻi Team:
Riley Joe is a sophomore at Punahou School. She believes that kids should be taught to care about issues in their hometown and that they can make a difference, no matter how young they are.
Lulu Cole is a 12th grader at Punahou School, where she is a leader in the Speech and Debate team, Model United Nations Club, Astronomy Club, and Science Research Club. She is a founding member of the Kids Voting Hawaii Student Leadership Committee and helped the committee to coordinate and publicize the 2024 KVH statewide election.
Christian Kaakua is a member of the Punahou class of 2028. In addition to being KVH’s Elections Director, you can find him in a suit for a Debate tournament, at the courthouse for Mock Trial, or in Dr. Ball’s classroom as one of the Education Coordinators for the Davis Democracy Initiative.
Ren Taira is a Punahou sophomore, a part of the Davis Democracy Initiative, the incoming coordinator of Punahou’s current events club, and a passionate advocate for change. If they’re not discussing social issues, you can find them making art or at wrestling or judo practice.
Dr. David Ball coordinates the Davis Democracy Initiative at Punahou School and teaches in the Academy English department.
Dr. Pamela Sakamoto coordinates the Davis Democracy Initiative at Punahou School and teaches in the Academy Social Studies department.
Colin Moore is an associate professor at UHERO and the director of the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. He also serves as a political analyst for Hawaii News Now (KGMB/KHNL).
Amy Perruso is a veteran social studies teacher, former teacher union leader and civic educator, currently representing District 46 (Wahiawa - Whitmore Valley - Launani Valley) in the Hawaii State House of Representatives. She also serves in a voluntary capacity as the Executive Director of the Civic Education Council.