Tradewinds Update: Applications Open + How You Can Help

It’s been a busy few weeks since my last update, and I wanted to share where things stand.

Your Stories

I’ve been having conversations with families across Oahu—hearing your stories about the joys and challenges of parenting gifted kids. It’s been encouraging to hear how many of you recognize this need. These conversations are helping shape what we’re building. One parent I spoke with has a daughter who’s absolutely obsessed with Kuiper Belt objects.

Listening to him talk about his daughter’s passion reminded me exactly why we’re doing this—kids like hers deserve a place where that curiosity isn’t just tolerated but celebrated. If you haven’t connected with me yet and want to share your story or ask questions, you can book time with me.

Founding Family Applications

The founding family application is now open. If you’re seriously considering Tradewinds for fall 2026, I’d love to hear from you. Applications received by November 30th will receive priority consideration for admission: https://tradewinds.school/admissions

Crystallizing the Vision

I’ve been building a “brain trust” of educators with deep experience in gifted education—heads of school at top gifted schools in California and Texas, former gifted educators, local Hawaii educators, and the makers of award-winning educational apps. I also recently visited a school in Texas to observe AI-powered personalized learning in action.

These conversations have helped crystallize our vision in ways I’m excited about. You can see the latest thinking on our newly updated website.

How You Can Help

Two areas where your network could make a real difference:

1. Campus Space: We’re evaluating a couple of strong options, but if you know of a church, school, or institution with quality space available—particularly with outdoor area—we’d love to hear about it. We’re looking for a space that matches our vision for an exceptional learning environment, whether as a permanent home or as our campus for the first few years.
2. Exceptional Teachers: We’re looking for educators who can inspire deep curiosity and know intuitively when to push, when to encourage, and when to let a student dive deeper. In the next age of education, content delivery matters less than the ability to see each child clearly and help them become their best selves. Experience working with kids is essential, though not necessarily in traditional classroom settings. If you know someone truly exceptional, I’d love to connect.

Online Class Update

The online Codes & Ciphers class has been a hit with the kids who’ve joined. I’m exploring doing an in-person class on a different topic in the new year. If you have thoughts or interest, let me know.

Thanks to all of you for being part of this journey from the start.