Mid-Pacific Institute

Mid-Pacific Institute is a private, co-educational college preparatory school for grades preschool through twelve with an approximate enrollment of 1,538 students,[1] the majority of whom are from Hawaii (although many also come from other states and other countries, such as Japan, South Korea, China, Canada, Australia, Marshall Islands and countries in Europe and Africa). The school offers programs of study in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and the Mid-Pacific School of the Arts (MPSA). Mid-Pacific Institute is located on 38 acres (150,000 m2) in Manoa, near the University of Hawaii, close to downtown Honolulu.

Mid-Pacific Institute
Mid-Pacific Institute seal
Location
2445 Kaala Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822

United States
Coordinates21.303269°N 157.816933°W / 21.303269; -157.816933
Information
TypePrivate, Day, College-prep
Religious affiliation(s)Christian
Established1908 (1908)
PresidentPaul Turnbull
GradesPre-K–12
Enrollment1,550
Campus size38 acres (0.15 km2)
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)   Green and white
AthleticsMid-Pacific Owls and Pac-5 Wolfpack
Athletics conferenceInterscholastic League of Honolulu
MascotPueo (Hawaiian short-eared owl)
NewspaperNa Pueo
Websitewww.midpac.edu

History

The high school was established through the 1908 merger of Kawaiahaʻo Seminary for Girls, founded in 1864, and Mills Institute for Boys, founded in 1892. Both schools were founded by missionaries, with the goal of teaching English to native Hawaiians, Japanese, Chinese and other nationalities. It was established that the school must remain Christian so long as the original land was in use. However, students are allowed to practice any religion of their choice. Even members of the Hawaiian royal family attended the schools.[2] By opening its doors to students with no prejudice over race and class status, Mid-Pacific was a part of a growing movement toward greater social acceptance that was rarely seen in the repressive oligarchical control within the Territory of Hawaii.[3]

"At Mid-Pacific, an attempt was made to bring students of all races together in a boarding school and to encourage democracy in education. Because it was subsidized by members of the Damon, Wilcox, and Atherton families- all missionary descendants-the fees were relatively low, and many ambitious Chinese and Japanese youngsters enrolled."

Professor Lawrence H. Fuchs, Hawaii Pono[3]

Tech Center and Kawaiahao Hall on the Campus of Mid-Pacific Institute

A merger of the two schools was suggested in 1905 and the Hawaiian Board of Foreign Missions purchased 35 acres (14 ha) of land in Manoa valley. A ceremony was held on May 31, 1906, for the new school campus, which officially opened in 1908. The two schools continued to operate independently while co-existing in the new campus until the coeducation plan went into effect in the fall of 1922 and by June 1923 Mid-Pacific Institute became the common shared name.[2]

The school added an elementary school when it merged with Epiphany School (which had been established as an elementary mission school by the Episcopal Church in 1937) in 2004.[4] The school had an on-campus dormitory from 1908 until it was closed in November 2003[5] and replaced by the new elementary school.[4]

On February 23, 2012, Mid-Pacific announced it had ordered 1,500 iPads for all students and faculty, making it one of the first schools in the nation to equip every student K-12 with an iPad.[6][7]

Mid-Pacific School of the Arts (MPSA)

The Mid-Pacific School of the Arts offers a preprofessional certificate program in dance, instrumental music, drama, and fine arts. The MPSA is the only certified program of its kind in the state of Hawaii. Students who complete their studies often move on to professional conservatories and other schools of performing and fine arts. MPI is unique in requiring all of its students to take a number of arts electives.

Students can take classes in dance, hula, instrumental music, media, musical theatre, theatre, visual arts, and voice.

The Mid-Pacific School of the Arts, which was formally established in 1991, is a member of the International Network of Performing and Visual Arts Schools and was among the first six schools in the nation to be recognized by the organization as a Network Star School. It also received the Arts Excellence Award from the Hawaii Alliance for Arts Education.[8]

The International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a widely recognized and highly regarded two-year pre-university educational program that emphasizes rigorous, internationally based curriculum standards and promotes awareness and appreciation of global issues and perspectives.[9] Students must take six subjects, and must also pass 3 extra requirements, for example, Theory of Knowledge (ToK), a 4000-word Extended Essay (EE), and a requirement of at least a total of 150 hours in CAS (Creativity, Action, Service). Mid-Pacific Institute was the first secondary school in the state of Hawaii to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The IB is administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization, which was founded in the 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mid-Pacific Athletics

The school's athletic affiliation is with the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. Mid-Pacific participates in intermediate, junior varsity and varsity level soccer, cross country, track & field, golf, softball, baseball, basketball, canoe paddling, tennis, bowling, volleyball, swimming and kayaking. Mid-Pacific Institute is one of nineteen smaller private schools that made up a larger unified team called Pac-5 Wolfpack, which allows the students to participate in certain high school athletic competition. Pac-Five began in 1973 to allow smaller institutions (of 1000 or fewer students per school) to form a football team and compete at a varsity level with bigger schools.[10] Now, Pac-5 competes in wrestling, judo and water polo. Mid-Pacific announced that they would be leaving its affiliation with Pac-5 in 2023.[11]

Mid-Pacific Institute has won state championships in baseball (1990-1992, 2002, 2013), Girls' Basketball (2017), Girls' Soccer (2011–2013), Boys' Soccer (2008, 2010, 2014, 2015), Boys' Sporter Air Riflery (2013, 2015, 2018, 2021), Girls' Sporter Air Riflery (2014, 2018), Girls' Swimming & Diving (2013, 2015), Boys' Canoe Paddling (2007), Boys' Golf (1985) and Softball (2011-2012).[12] Through their affiliation with Pac-Five, they have also been part of state Football championships in 1982 and 1985.[13]

Alma mater

Mid-Pacific's Alma mater was written by John L. Hopwood[14]

Notable alumni and faculty

References
  1. "Campus & Facilities". Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  2. Young, Peter T. (2013-05-31). "Mid-Pacific Institute". Ho‘okuleana. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  3. Fuchs, Lawrence H. (1961). Hawaii Pono: A Social History. New York: Harcourt Trade Publishers. p. 267. ISBN 015139539X.
  4. Na Pueo staff (2004-04-19). "Improvements are expected now that Epiphany School has joined the MPI family". Star Bulletin. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  5. DePledge, Derrick (November 15, 2003). "School To Move Students To Hotel". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  6. Kogachi, Kaitlin (July 30, 2012). "Mid-Pacific Institute sparks big changes with iPads". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  7. "One to One Education Initiative". Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  8. "Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts". Mid-Pacific Institute. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  9. "MPI Family Handbook" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-21.
  10. Stinar, Jamie (April 8, 2004). "Pac-5 more than a game to its dedicated athletes". Hawaii Star Bulletin.
  11. Chinen, Kyle (March 30, 2021). "Mid-Pacific to leave PAC-Five Athletics in 2023". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  12. "Mid-Pacific Institute HHSAA Championship Records". Sportshigh.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
  13. "Pac-Five HHSAA Championship Records". Sportshigh.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
  14. "07/08 High School Handbook" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  15. "Isiah Kiner-Falefa Stats, Fantasy & News".
  16. Coffman, Tom (2003). The Island Edge of Hawaii. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-8248-2662-8.
  17. "Senator Glenn Wakai". Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  18. "The Dean of Japanese American Baseball". Nisei Baseball Research Project. 2012-02-09. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
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