This year, our KHHC team has been working closely with the Hawaii Department of Education to make our Korea & Hawaii Youth Leadership Field Trip a meaningful and officially recognized experience. It was a long process — over 28 emails exchanged — but thanks to everyone’s effort and patience, we received official approval from the DOE on April 29.
Partnering with a government institution taught us just how detailed and responsible we need to be. Every word in our forms and every part of the schedule had to be reviewed, edited, and explained. We even adjusted our chaperone planning to meet DOE standards, agreeing to cover travel costs for their officially designated staff member.
It wasn’t always easy. We had already secured two chaperones, and adding a third meant additional costs we hadn’t planned for. But instead of backing away, we chose to stay committed — for the safety of our students and the trust we are building with the public school system.
Through this experience, we realized that running KHHC isn’t just about planning cool field trips. It’s about leadership, responsibility, and staying true to our mission: helping the next generation of Korean American students understand their roots, learn about Korea’s history and economic growth, and become global leaders.
Thank you to everyone supporting this journey — your encouragement makes this possible.
