Apply to ʻAha ʻŌpio o OHA is a two-step process. You may submit your application first and complete the remaining requirements afterward.
Complete and Submit the online application with a parent or legal guardian.
Application deadline: Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
You do not need to have all materials ready to apply.
After you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email with next steps, including links to required forms and complete the remaining requirements.
After submitting your application, you must complete the following:
Link to👉
Link to 👉 OHA Hawaiian Registry Program
Link to 👉 ʻAha ʻŌpio Recommender Form
All remaining requirements must be received by May 14, 2026
Applicant notifications by May 21, 2026
Your application is considered complete once all of the following are received:
You will receive a confirmation once your application file is complete.
If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of applying, please check your spam folder or contact [email protected]
A free, residential, week-long leadership experience for Hawaiʻi high school students who are interested in culture, leadership, and advocacy for our lāhui.
Program Highlights include:
OHA will cover all interisland airfare, lodging, meals, and program transportation throughout the week.
Participants are responsible for coordinating transportation from their home to the airport.
For accessibility needs or application assistance, Call (808) 594-1835 , E-Mail [email protected] , or Visit: www.oha.org/offices
Launched in 1988, ʻAha ʻŌpio o OHA was created to cultivate ʻike, leadership, and civic responsibility among Hawaiian youth through a culturally grounded legislative experience. Conceived by OHA educators, kūpuna, community leaders, and dedicated volunteers, the original program blended parliamentary training, cultural learning, and leadership centered on aloha—creating a space where ʻōpio could explore governance while deepening their connection to lāhui, ʻāina, and kuleana. Alumni from the early years (1988-2005) went on to serve as community leaders, advocates, educators, and public servants, carrying forward the values and lessons shaped during this formative experience.
Today, ʻAha ʻŌpio o OHA will continue its powerful legacy as a week-long, residential leadership and civic education program for high school students from across Hawaiʻi and beyond — including haumāna who reside on Moku Honu (Turtle Island) from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Through workshops, cultural experiences, and legislative simulations that honor the program’s roots while responding to the needs of today’s lāhui, ʻōpio will practice collaboration, strengthen their voice, and step into their roles as builders of Hawaiʻi’s Indigenous future — one stone at a time. E Hoʻounu i ke Ala. Building Indigenous Futures. Hoʻounu is the work of placing stones together — using what surrounds you. ʻAha ʻŌpio o OHA 2026 calls its delegates into that same work: not building a road, rather opening the legislative, cultural, and generational pathways that determine the future of Native Hawaiians. These ʻōpio are chosen for this moment — koho ʻia — and it is their kuleana to surface what the kūpuna began.
