Hawaiʻi schools win ‘Super Sleuth’ award in internet speeds mapping effort 

More than 6,000 Hawaiʻi residents, many of them students, participated in a statewide effort to map internet speeds and identify gaps in broadband access,.

The initiative, called “Digital Detectives,” is part of the state’s broader Connect Kākou campaign to close the digital divide. By completing a 30-second internet speed test in October 2024, participants contributed crucial data to help direct federal broadband funding to underserved areas.

Classes from Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School on Oʻahu and Kona Pacific Charter School on Hawaiʻi Island received top honors with the Digital Detectives Super Sleuth Awards for high student participation and classroom engagement. Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke visited the winning classes and presented gift cards to support classroom supplies.

“Thanks to the thousands of students and their teachers who participated in Digital Detectives, we now have a clearer picture of Hawaiʻi’s internet speeds and where improvements are most needed,” Luke said.

The campaign aimed to turn a simple classroom activity into an opportunity for civic engagement.

“Digital Detectives encouraged our students to become active participants in expanding internet access for their communities,” said Ken Hiraki, executive director of the Public Schools Foundation. “Students had a front row seat to civic engagement and real-world impact.”

Results from the campaign have been aggregated to build a comprehensive connectivity map. State officials say construction of new fiber-optic lines in underserved areas is expected to begin as early as this year.

For more information, visit www.connectkakou.org.