2024 Schools of the Future Conference

HIDOE SOTF Scholarships

65 early bird registration scholarships are available for schools that have not attended the Schools of the Future Conference (SOTF) since 2019. Each scholarship is for a 2-day SOTF ticket and is valued at $460. Scholarships will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis with a maximum of five (5) per school. Any applicants beyond the maximum allowance will be waitlisted. If your school is eligible, it will be listed in the dropdown list in the form.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be teachers or administrators from a Hawaii Department of Education Public School.
Applicants must work at a school that has not participated in the SOTF Conference since 2019.
Each applicant must complete their own application. Please get permission from your immediate supervisor before applying for the scholarship.

Scholarship Requirements:

If notified of a scholarship award:

The recipient will have 30 days to register using the discount code noted in the award letter.
A single ticket cannot be split among 2 attendees, with each person attending one day of the conference.
Your immediate supervisor will be cc-ed on the email communication.
Your attendance at the 2-day SOTF Conference will be verified and reported to your immediate supervisor.

Applications will be accepted until June 30, 2025 or until all scholarships have been awarded.
Please contact Charles Souza with any questions.

HIDOE SOTF Scholarship Application

Early Childhood Program Director Scholarships

Thanks to a generous grant from the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation, the Schools of the Future Conference is pleased to offer a limited number of registration and travel scholarships for directors of licensed private preschools to attend the 2025 Conference.

Early Childhood Preschool Directors from non-public, Hawaii-based licensed preschools are invited to complete the application below to apply for a scholarship to attend the 2025 Schools of the Future Conference. Travel and registration scholarships are available for those who do not reside on Oahu. Registration scholarships are available for those residing on Oahu. All scholarship recipients are required to attend the Private Preschool Dinner Meeting on the evening of Thursday, October 16, 2025, hosted by the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation at the Convention Center. There is no additional charge for the dinner, which will feature special guest speakers.

SOTF Travel & Registration Scholarships For Private Preschool Directors from Neighbor Islands

The SOTF Early Childhood Education (ECE) travel scholarships are intended for program directors from private preschools located on the Hawaiian Neighbor Island (Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii Island). Scholarship awards will be limited to one per preschool or program.

Awards will be granted in an amount up to $500 if attending the conference for two days, or up to $225 if attending only one day of the conference. The awards are intended to defray the costs of attending the Schools of the Future Conference and can be used to cover airfare, lodging and transportation. Reimbursement of expenses up to the maximum amount of the award will occur upon completion of the event and will only be paid out once attendance is verified. Please note that all receipts must be submitted to the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools to receive the reimbursement.

Those who receive a travel scholarship will also receive a complimentary 1 or 2 day ticket to attend the Schools of the Future Conference, valued at $230 or $460 respectively.

Scholarship Eligibility and Requirements:

Open to licensed non-public preschool directors serving children under the age of 5 years from Neighbor Island (Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii Island) private preschools.
Applicants must complete their own application.
The recipient will have 30 days to register using the discount code noted in the award letter.
Attendance at both the SOTF Conference and the Preschool Program Directors' Dinner Meeting are required in order to receive reimbursement for travel-related expenses.

Deadline to apply: Friday, September 19, 2025 or until funds have been depleted.
Notifications will be sent as applications are received and within two weeks of submission. Please note that award recipients should register as soon as the notification is received.

SOTF Registration Scholarships
For Private Preschool Directors on Oahu

Scholarships are available for either a 1 or 2-day SOTF ticket, valued at $230 and $460 respectively. Scholarships will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis with a maximum of one (1) per preschool or program.

Scholarship Eligibility and Requirements

Applicants must be program directors from non-public, licensed, Oahu-based private preschools that serve children under the age of 5 years old.
Each applicant must complete their own application.
The recipient will have 30 days to register using the discount code noted in the award letter.
Attendance at both the SOTF Conference and the Preschool Program Directors' Dinner Meeting are required of award recipients.

Deadline to apply: Friday, September 19, 2025 or until funds have been depleted.
Notifications will be sent as applications are received and within two weeks of submission.

Please contact Christie Tomasa with any questions.

ECE Directors Scholarships

SOTF Learner Variabilities Travel Scholarships

Thanks to the ongoing support from the Oak Foundation fund at the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, the Schools of the Future Conference is once again pleased to offer a limited number of need-based travel scholarships for administrators and teachers from neighbor island public, charter, and private schools to attend the 2025 SOTF Conference.

Preference will be given to public and charter school conference attendees on the island of Hawaiʻi who work with students with learning differences. Educators from public, charter, and private schools on any neighbor island (Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Hawaiʻi island) who work with students with learning differences are also eligible to apply for the need-based travel scholarships. A maximum of two travel scholarships will be awarded to educators from the same school.

Awards will be granted in an amount up to $500 if attending the conference for 2 days, or up to $225 if attending only 1 day of the conference. The awards are intended to offset the cost of attending the Schools of the Future Conference and can be used to cover airfare, lodging, and roundtrip transportation to and from the Hawai‘i Convention Center on Oʻahu. Reimbursement of expenses up to the maximum amount of the award will occur upon completion of the event and will only be paid out once attendance at the conference is verified. Please note that all receipts must be submitted to the Hawai’i Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) to receive the reimbursement. All eligible expenses will only be reimbursed up to the granted amount.

The travel scholarships do not include conference registration. All recipients of the travel scholarships are responsible for completing registration and are required to pay the conference fee in effect at the time of registration.

Eligibility:

Open to administrators and teachers from any neighbor island (Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Hawaiʻi island) public, charter, or private school.
Preference will be given to Hawaiʻi Island educators, to special education teachers, and to those who work directly with students with learning differences.
Applicants must directly serve students with learning differences.
Applicants must complete their own application form.

Deadline to apply: Monday, September 15, 2025 or until funds have been depleted
Notifications will be sent as applications are received and within two weeks of submission. Please note that award recipients should register as soon as the notification is received, in order to take advantage of the Registration Rate in effect at that time.

Please contact Christie Tomasa with any questions.

Learner Variabilities Scholarship Application