Mahalo for an Incredible

7th Annual

Hawai’i DEI Conference!

Relive the highlights, explore key takeaways, and stay connected!

🌿 Hana Pono at Kahanaiki

Students and faculty from across Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island, and Northern California came together at Kahanaiki for a day of hands-on restoration, cultural learning, and mālama ‘āina. Guided by the Experiential Ed Team at Le Jardin Academy, participants contributed to various efforts to enhance the area’s ecological and cultural landscape.

🌱 Projects included:

Removing invasive species to prepare a future lei garden
Supporting Le Jardin Academy’s partner organization, Ulana me Lokomaikaʻi, in protecting the hala grove
Clearing new areas for native plant restoration
Learning how to prepare huli (kalo stock) for planting

📸 Scroll through the gallery to witness the collective effort, deep connections, and the lasting impact of this experience.

🌿 7th Annual Hawai‘i DEI Conference: Cultivating & Growing Our Spheres of Belonging

Mahalo to everyone who made this year’s Hawai‘i DEI Conference an unforgettable experience! From inspiring keynotes to deep conversations, hands-on learning, and moments of pure joy, this gathering was a powerful reflection of how we cultivate and grow our spheres of belonging—together.

📽️ Watch the highlights and relive the moments that made this year so special!

🕊️ 1,000 Paper Cranes Project: A Symbol of Unity & Belonging

At this year’s conference, our community came together to fold 1,161 origami cranes, transforming a simple art form into a powerful expression of connection and joy. ✨

Guided by the theme "Cultivating & Growing Our Spheres of Belonging," students, ambassadors, conference staff, the Shanti team, and attendees shared skills, laughter, and meaningful moments through the tradition of Senbazuru. Each crane carried a story, a wish, and a collective commitment to a world where all beings are seen, treasured, and respected.

🌱 Watch the video and relive this beautiful act of creation. Let’s continue weaving the threads of belonging together!

Our students are the heart of our mission. In this video, they share how participating in Shanti Alliance has helped them foster a sense of belonging and take action to create change in their communities.

“No matter who you are…everybody wants a place where you belong, feel seen, and understood.” -Nathan, Student Participant
“Shanti Alliance brings people from all different ethnicities, all different realities, to work towards a better community.” -Cece, Student Participant

The Shanti Alliance supports educators and students in deepening their understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) to drive social change within school communities. We offer opportunities for individuals to gather, discuss experiences, and build the skills necessary to promote social justice, while affirming the value and dignity of every person in their school environment.
Our vision is to create thriving, peaceful, and sustainable school communities across Hawaiʻi, where educators and students show up as their full selves, equipped with the knowledge and capacities to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive world.
For 2024-2025, we are focusing on "Cultivating and Growing Our Spheres of Belonging"—a program designed to foster learning spaces that center belonging and equity. This work encourages reflection, deep respect, continuous learning, and a meaningful connection to our places and communities, ensuring that everyone can be present in their wholeness.

Guided by Purpose, Grounded in Community

Thriving, peaceful and sustainable school communities of Hawaiʻi where educators and students show up as their full selves and have the dispositions, knowledge and capacities to contribute to making the world a more equitable, just and inclusive place.
To support school communities to nurture inclusivity and belonging through a DEI framework for Hawaiʻi that draws from the knowledge, wisdom and practices of our diverse community.
We Believe that DEIB work requires continuous, active community building and collective action that:
Nurtures relationships and trust within a culture of support and appreciation.
Supports safe and inviting spaces for people to connect, share, process and reflect. This is critical to replenishing the spirit, and builds one’s resilience to engage in the work in a sustainable way.
Builds the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be effective DEIB practitioners.
Centers the voices of those most impacted by oppression in design, implementation, and reflection processes that will result in effective and long lasting positive change.