{"id":219262,"date":"2025-07-29T13:53:21","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T23:53:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=219262"},"modified":"2026-06-05T17:49:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T03:49:54","slug":"new-wahiawa-education-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/29\/new-wahiawa-education-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"New Wahiaw\u0101 education hub to grow workforce, support community"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Six
State leaders break ground for Wahiaw\u0101 Center for Workforce Excellence (Photo credit: HIDOE<\/abbr>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Community Colleges<\/a> will anchor the top floor of a major new education and community facility that broke ground in Central Oʻahu<\/span> on July 28. The $42.5-million Wahiaw\u0101 Center for Workforce Excellence will house UH<\/abbr> Community College satellite classrooms, along with a new Wahiaw\u0101 Public Library and Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Department of Education (HIDOE<\/abbr>) district offices, bringing education, workforce training and public services together in one location.<\/p>\n

“This becomes our hub—it\u2019s our innovation center, it\u2019s where people will gain skills, and it\u2019s not even just for the students,” said Gov. Josh Green. “It\u2019s where our families can come together in a community.”<\/p>\n

Empowering learners<\/h2>\n

The three-story, 43,000-square-foot building has a multi-level parking structure. The UH<\/abbr> Community College\u2019s third-floor space will include computer labs and a sensory lab designed to integrate with other UH<\/abbr> facilities.<\/p>\n

\"Wendy
Wendy Hensel (Photo credit: HIDOE<\/abbr>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“[The building] reflects what the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> is about\u2014partnership and integration and intersections in our community,” UH<\/abbr> President Wendy Hensel said. “This center for workforce excellence is a shining example of what\u2019s possible when we work together. The closer we are, the better we synergize, the more impactful our efforts become.”<\/p>\n

The first floor will feature a modern Wahiaw\u0101 Public Library with classrooms, meeting rooms and flexible community spaces. HIDOE<\/abbr>\u2019s administrative offices will occupy the second floor, supporting 20 Central Oʻahu<\/span> schools with services and training.<\/p>\n

“This facility will inspire and empower learners of all ages\u2014from curious kindergarteners to K–12 and university students to adults—in one central, dynamic education hub that will provide resources to spark imagination and create new career possibilities close to home,” said Superintendent Keith Hayashi.<\/p>\n

Building excellence<\/h2>\n
\"Keith
Keith Hayashi (Photo credit: HIDOE<\/abbr>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Wahiaw\u0101 Center was funded by the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> State Legislature, and complements nearby workforce initiatives, including Leeward Community College\u2019s Wahiaw\u0101 Value-Added Product Development Center and the Central Oʻahu<\/span> Agriculture & Food Hub.<\/p>\n

“This is where seeds of excellence hopefully will be born,” said Sen. Donavan Dela Cruz. “Knowledge is important, but what you do with that knowledge is even more important\u2026 and hopefully this will be a center where people can take risks, learn to take action, fail so that they can learn and try again, make a difference in society.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New facility aims to unite learning, careers and community support in Central Oʻahu.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[71,1785,603],"class_list":["post-219262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-wahiawa-value-added-product-development-center","tag-workforce-development","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t