New charter school in Kalihi focuses on preparing students for success in data science and AI

A new charter school called Kūlia Academy, focused on teaching data science and artificial intelligence, is scheduled to open this fall in Kalihi on Oʻahu. The school will be located in the former space occupied by St. John the Baptist School. Executive Director Andy Gokce and Board Member Karen Awana have been working on the development of the school for the past eight years.

Gokce explained, “We came up with the idea that data science and AI will be the rising careers of the future. Every single career, whether in psychology, law, or other fields, will require AI in the future. So we decided to focus on teaching data science and AI.” The school has developed a six-year curriculum based on materials from MIT, Stanford, UCLA, and other private initiatives.

The school has already hired a data science and AI teacher who has been working on updating the curriculum since January. They are currently accepting student applications, with a lottery for 100 sixth-grade slots scheduled for April 20. School officials have received over a hundred applications already, leading to the need for a lottery system. Their plan is to add a grade level each year until they reach a total of about 700 students in grades six through 12.

This news was featured on The Conversation on April 16, 2024, and The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.