1. Full name
The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences
2. City, Country
Volcano, Hawaiʻi
3. Designation/organization
PK – 8 Public Charter School
Member since 2018
The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences (VSAS) is located in the rural town of Volcano, Hawaiʻi, adjacent to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. VSAS serves a diverse student population including 64% low-income students and 39% Native Hawaiian students. The VSAS philosophy is that education is more meaningful to children when presented in an environment that is familiar, that relates to their home life, and that allows for discovery-based experiential learning. Our mission is to provide an environment in which students are “Learning through Volcano’s unique natural and cultural resources to become creative global citizens.”
With Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in the school’s backyard, the students of VSAS study next to the world's most active volcano surrounded by many native, endemic, and endangered plants and animals. Using the National Park's geological and cultural resources as a locus and its community of scientists and specialists as mentors, the students of this PreK-8 school are able to have enriching classroom experiences with discovery-based learning outside the classroom. The school also provides an enriched arts curriculum, taking advantage of community experts and offering a spectrum of opportunities for learning and exploration through the visual and performing arts.