Manoa Academy Online launches this summer

Starting this summer, eligible students at all public and private high schools in the state will have a chance to take online courses from the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Social Sciences.

The new initiative, known as Manoa Academy Online, is open to qualified students who will become juniors or seniors this fall and want to get a jump-start on college that can be tailored to their schedule and location.

“We’re really excited by this idea of providing online opportunity statewide, and part of that is there are so many high schools that maybe otherwise wouldn’t have access to this level of curriculum,” said Denise Konan, dean of the College of Social Sciences.

“We are trying to make it as convenient as possible. The advantage with the online class is really flexibility for the students.”

Manoa Academy Online is the latest branch of Manoa Academy, which offers in-person UH courses for high school students. The program started in 2016 in partnership with Kamehameha Schools and has spread to other “partner” high schools. The courses, taken at the high school or the Manoa campus, are offered at little to no cost to students, and the credits count toward their high school diploma as well as college.

Manoa Academy Online expands that effort to all high schools via the web. Students who are in partner schools will be able to take the online courses without paying UH tuition, while those at other schools will have to pay regular tuition of $453 per credit.

Current partner schools include Kamehameha Schools campuses, Punahou’s Pueo program, Saint Francis School and Kaiser, Kalani, Kaimuki, Roosevelt and Waipahu high schools. That list is likely to expand, Konan said.

Students entering Manoa Academy must meet the regular requirements for UH admission, including a 2.8 GPA. They are conditionally admitted to the university as juniors or seniors in high school, the $200 tuition deposit is waived and they don’t have to reapply to UH after graduation.

The college piloted the online option this semester, and it attracted students from schools as far-flung as Lahainaluna High on Maui and Kamaile Academy in Waianae.

Climate scientist Ryan Longman, who is teaching Geography 101 this semester in the pilot program, said he is impressed with the caliber and motivation of the high school students enrolled. Class discussions take place through online posts, which take shape based on student interests and their research, he said.

“They don’t have to log in and participate at a certain time,” he said. “It gives them an opportunity to look at something in depth before they bring it to the table. In the classroom setting they wouldn’t be able on the spot to access that information and have an opinion.

“Students have the flexibility to work when it’s convenient for them.”

This summer, Manoa Academy Online will offer introductory courses in geography, the media, political science, psychology and sociology. The preferred application deadline is Thursday.

Ren Nakamura, a freshman at Manoa, got an early start on college while still at Roosevelt High School and encourages others to do the same. He took Advanced Placement courses and two community college courses before graduating from Roosevelt in May, then tackled a UH Manoa Academy political science course through Punahou’s Pueo program that summer.

“Definitely, go for it,” Nakamura said. “It is a good experience. You get ahead. It’s not as hard as some people think it is. And ask questions. The professors are more than willing, usually.”

A bonus for Manoa Academy participants is the chance to study abroad in China through Manoa Academy Beijing. The free, four-week program is geared toward incoming UH students with preference for those who have participated in Manoa Academy. It combines a global studies course with language and cultural experiences.

“It’s just an incredible program,” Konan said. “I feel that if students have a study-abroad opportunity at this early stage in their career, it will be influential in ways that we cannot even imagine.”