Deadline nears for Hawaiʻi public high school students to apply for 2027 sister-state study tours

Hawaiʻi public high school students, including those on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, have until Thursday to apply for a subsidized two-week trip to the Philippines, South Korea or Japan next spring.

The Pacific & Asian Affairs Council and the East-West Center are accepting applications for the 2027 Hawaiʻi Sister-State Study Tours Program until 11:59 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time on Oct. 15. The State of Hawaiʻi is funding the program, according to the organizations.

The program selects one student from each public high school in the state as a Student Ambassador. The trips run March 13-26, 2027, to one of three Hawaiʻi sister-state destinations: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur in the Philippines, Jeju Island in South Korea or Okinawa in Japan. Students apply to the program rather than to a specific destination, and organizers assign them to a tour if selected.

Students in grades 9-12 are eligible, with preference for 10th- and 11th-graders. Previous international travel is not required, according to the council. Applications and eligibility requirements are available at paachawaii.org/sister-state-2027.

The council valued the program at more than $8,800 per student. Families pay no more than $500, which covers pre-trip orientation, international airfare, lodging, ground transportation, meals, travel insurance and scheduled activities. The council said it offers payment plans and need-based waivers.

“We want local students and families across Hawaiʻi to know that an international learning experience of this caliber is available to them,” said Niki Shishido, executive director of PAAC. “We’re looking for young people who are curious, adaptable, willing to step outside their comfort zones and ready to represent their school, community and Hawaiʻi. The purpose of this program is to allow our local students to bring back with them new perspectives, foster relationships and develop ideas that can benefit all of us here at home.”

According to the organizations, each tour has a different focus:

• Ilocos region, Philippines: Students study more than a century of ties between Hawaiʻi and the Philippines, including current connections in culture, education, workforce development and economic exchange.
• Jeju Island, South Korea: Students compare the two island communities’ experiences with tourism, local industries, food systems, education and sustainable development.
• Okinawa, Japan: Students study more than 125 years of migration and family connections with Hawaiʻi, along with cultural, educational and government partnerships.

The 2026 program included 42 Student Ambassadors from 42 public high schools on Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Lānaʻi, Maui and Oʻahu, the organizations said. For one in four of them, the trip was their first outside the United States.

The organizations reported results from a post-program survey of the 2026 participants:

• 89% said they better understood global diplomacy.
• 91% said they felt more confident representing something larger than themselves.
• 86% said they felt better prepared for unfamiliar situations.
• 98% said they built meaningful relationships with their cohort.

The organizations did not say how many students responded to the survey.

“Spending a week invested in the connections between Hawaiʻi and Jeju Island inspired me to learn more about global issues and other cultures,” said Jhera Mae Paulo, a Waiʻanae High School student and 2026 Jeju Island Student Ambassador. “Although we are both islands, I didn’t know we shared similar struggles, like tourism and economic growth. I want to explore more solutions for keeping locals, especially the younger generation, home to support their community.”

In 2027, Student Ambassadors will complete a research project with their delegation and mentors on a challenge shared by Hawaiʻi and their host destination. They will develop recommendations and present them at a Student Ambassador Showcase.

The Pacific & Asian Affairs Council, founded in 1954, is a Honolulu-based nonprofit focused on global education for Hawaiʻi high school students. Congress established the East-West Center in 1960 to promote relations among the United States, Asia and the Pacific.