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Designed for Extraordinary Minds

Hawaiʻi's first elementary school built specifically for gifted learners

Does This Sound Familiar?

Parents of gifted children share remarkably similar stories. Their child's curiosity and intensity—the very qualities that should be cultivated—slowly fade in traditional classrooms, replaced by disengagement and disconnection.

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My first grader discovered that his electric toothbrush spins on the counter, and spins even faster when the counter is wet. He wanted to know why. When I suggested sharing it at school, he said, "The other kids wouldn't understand." In that moment, I watched him learn to hide his curiosity to fit in.

— Parent from the gifted community in Hawaiʻi

Traditional schools weren't built for these children. Gifted learners need intellectual peers, genuine challenge, and teachers who refuse to put arbitrary limits on their potential.

Learn More About Giftedness →

Hawaiʻi has excellent schools. What it hasn't had—until now—is a school designed specifically for gifted learners.

No speed limits on learning. Multiple paths through school.

Purpose-Built for Gifted Learners

Gifted children think faster, dig deeper, and make connections others miss. They are a joy to teach and a privilege to know. They have also been invisible in Hawaiʻi—until now.

Tradewinds is elementary education designed from the ground up for gifted learners. We are unburdened by a century of institutional inertia—no legacy systems to maintain, no industrial-revolution pedagogies to unlearn. Scholars work at their developmental level, not their age level. A second-grader doing fourth-grade mathematics sits beside a peer exploring geometry proofs. A third-grader writing her first short story while the scholar next to her outlines a screenplay.

We offer the kind of choice that elite institutions reserve for high school—elective intensives, deep-dive projects, mentorship connections—starting in elementary school. That's what's possible when you start fresh.

Explore Our Curriculum →

What Sets Tradewinds Apart

8:1 Teacher-to-Scholar Ratio

Small enough for genuine mentorship, large enough for intellectual community.

Nationally Renowned Head of School

A gifted educator with decades of experience leading top programs, bringing world-class expertise to Hawaiʻi.

No Speed Limits on Learning

Scholars work at their level—whether that's two years ahead or five. No waiting for the class to catch up.

A Cohort of True Peers

Gifted children finally in a room full of kids who get them—who laugh at the same jokes and ask the same relentless questions.

Finally, a Place to Belong

Gifted kids often grow up feeling like the odd one out. At Tradewinds, they walk into a room full of peers who finally get them—scholars who laugh at the same jokes, ask the same relentless questions, and don't need to slow down.

That moment of recognition isn't limited to scholars. Parents navigating the joys and challenges of raising gifted children find each other here. Tradewinds is a gathering place for Hawaiʻi's gifted community—a resource that extends beyond our walls.

Is Tradewinds Right for Your Family?

Not every child belongs at Tradewinds. The children who do are remarkable—and we're teaching them to do remarkable things.

You might recognize your child in these descriptions:

Their understanding runs years beyond grade level
They exhaust every book on a topic before moving to the next obsession
They ask questions that stop adults in their tracks
They hunger for depth that typical classrooms cannot provide
Their intensity and curiosity need an environment built to match

If this sounds like your child, we'd like to talk. Several years of education purpose-built for gifted children will change the trajectory of your scholar's life.

Learn About Giftedness →Our Philosophy →

Join Our Founding Class

Fall 2026 admissions are open. Spaces are limited—families are encouraged to apply early.

Apply for Fall 2026

Rolling admissions now open. Spaces are limited.

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Talk with our team about whether Tradewinds is right for your family.

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