Skip to main content

Press release · Honolulu · · 3 min read

Hawaiʻi’s Department of Education offers TrustCircle to every public school

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) offers TrustCircle to all of its public school students and staff through Here to Help, the department’s statewide prevention and early-intervention initiative. Access began on November 10, 2025.

  • Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
  • Here to Help
Statewide · Hawaiʻi DOE public schools

  1. Classroom

    Students check in

    2–3 minutes, private

  2. School

    Support staff see who may need attention

    One short list, during school hours

  3. School

    Staff act early

    A note, a conversation

  4. With district data

    Tier 2/3 follow-through

    A service plan, on request

How the check-in leads to follow-through in a school. Tier 2/3 needs district data feeds.

Here to Help is rooted in the Hawaiʻi Multi-Tiered System of Support (HMTSS). TrustCircle fits inside it as a daily, private check-in: a student rates four feelings and writes a short reason, and the school’s designated support staff see who may need attention, so they can follow up early.

Teachers give 2–3 minutes of class time. Support staff decide who to see and record what they did.

“TrustCircle represents a transformative step in how we address mental health within our school communities. This cutting-edge platform provides 24/7 access to mental health resources, reinforcing our commitment to fostering the emotional resilience and overall well-being of every student and staff member.”

Kinau GardnerAssistant Superintendent for HIDOE’s Office of Student Support Services
A teacher talks with two students along an open-air walkway at a Hawaiʻi school.

A check-in first, then a few short practices

Daily check-in
Four feelings and a short reason. Only designated support staff see a student’s check-ins. Administrators, principals, teachers and parents can’t.
Well-being insights
Students see how their own check-ins change over time.
Gratitude practice
Short notes of appreciation.
Circle of Trust
A student chooses a few people they’d go to for support.
Mindfulness tools
Guided breathing, calming audio and short meditations.
Daily challenges
Small, healthy habits, one a day.

Part of HIDOE’s own prevention work

Here to Help is a HIDOE initiative that strengthens student and staff well-being through prevention, early intervention and connection, inside HMTSS.

Sources

About TrustCircle

TrustCircle is prevention and well-being infrastructure for K‑12 schools: a daily check-in that shows designated support staff who may need attention, so they can act early and follow through. It was founded in 2015 and has been recognized by UNDP as a Digital X solution.

Districts & states 

See what Hawaiʻi’s schools use

We’ll show the check-in and the follow-through Hawaiʻi DOE offers its schools, and how it would fit yours.

Request a demo

In your demo

  • How Hawaiʻi DOE runs it today
  • What a statewide rollout asks
  • How it would fit your district

The full story:How Hawaiʻi runs it