Something to Wear: Kailua's PAAC Club Year in Review
Prom. A job interview. A scholarship ceremony. For a lot of students, the barrier isn't nerves — it's not having anything to wear. This year, Kailua High School's PAAC Club decided to do something about that. Their Formal Clothing Drive collected donated formalwear and made it available to students, for free, no questions asked.
For a first-year club, it was exactly the right kind of project: practical, community-rooted, and entirely theirs.
Building from the Ground Up
Kailua PAAC is brand new — this was their inaugural year — and the report reads like one written by people who were figuring it out in real time, which is exactly what makes it worth reading. The club launched with SDG lessons, Palau lessons, and Kahoot! reviews, learning the PAAC rhythm while building their own. They've already identified what to improve: a more beginner-friendly SDG lesson, more lead time on flyers, more meeting time for the Palau unit. That kind of specific, honest self-assessment in year one is a strong foundation.
The Clothing Drive
The Formal Clothing Drive was the club's signature GAP project, and by their own account, it went well. Members collected donated formal clothing — dresses, suits, shirts — and distributed it to students who needed something to wear for prom, interviews, or other occasions. Free, accessible, no catch.
The one thing they'd do differently: get the flyers up earlier. More lead time means more donations, which means more students served. They know this now, and they'll carry it forward.
Joining the Larger PAAC Community
What's notable about Kailua's first year is how deliberately they plugged into the broader network — not just running their own club, but showing up for PAAC as a whole.
LEAD Club Officer Summit: Two officers attended Camp Erdman, where the value was immediate. "As part of a first-year PAAC club, it was very valuable to network with other PAAC members and advisors! We truly enjoyed the activities, including the rope course and swimming." For a club still finding its footing, those connections aren't optional — they're the scaffolding.
KBA Parade (Joint GAP with Farrington): Kailua members marched with Farrington High School in the Kalihi Business Association Christmas Parade, picking up trash along the route alongside students from across the island. "We were able to work with other PAAC clubs to make new friends. We sang with old & new friends while picking up trash throughout the parade." The image of students singing while cleaning up a parade route is, somehow, very PAAC.
Global Vision Summit: Two officers joined clubs from across Hawaiʻi to tackle AI in the Pacific. "We were able to collaborate with other PAAC clubs, who were just as passionate about global impact! We appreciated the opportunity to converse in an empowering space."
Sister-State Study Tour — Jeju Island: One officer traveled to South Korea as a student ambassador — a first international trip. "This travel experience gave me the opportunity to travel outside of the country for the first time and really immerse myself in another culture different from my own, as well as representing our own culture here as students of Hawaii. This taught me how to take leadership in diplomatic roles and gain a new perspective."
What Year One Looks Like
First-year clubs often struggle to find their identity. Kailua's emerged clearly: they're a club that shows up — for their school, for their community, and for the broader PAAC family — while being honest about where they're still growing. The SDG lesson was too advanced for beginners. The Palau lesson needed more time. The flyers went up a little late.
None of that is failure. All of it is data.
The clothing drive made something real possible for students at Kailua. Year two gets to build on that.
Kailua High School PAAC Club, in their inaugural year, completed a Formal Clothing Drive GAP, participated in the KBA Parade joint GAP with Farrington High School, and attended LEAD Summit, Global Vision Summit, and the Sister-State Study Tour to Jeju Island during the 2025–2026 school year.
