Dr. Sun Yat-sen Courtyard

Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the first President of the Republic of China and a former ‘Iolani student, has been the subject of several school projects. In 2006-07, ‘Iolani students took part in “A Journey to Walk in Sun Yat-sen’s Footsteps,” a trip to China to research a video they produced in conjunction with students from Waianae High School. The trip was supported with a $50,000 grant from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

‘Iolani School secured an additional $100,000 to erect a statue and garden commemorating Sun Yat-sen. The Ai family and C.K. Ai Charitable Trust, along with other donors, provided funding for the garden and statue. In May of 2008, descendants of Sun Yat-sen and of his former classmates, the Sun Yat-sen Foundation, members of the Chinese community, and other visitors came to the campus for the blessing of the garden and statue.

Besides keeping alive the school’s connection to its most famous alumnus, the projects have contributed to student learning. The video that students produced aired on KHET/PBS, and ‘Iolani students have written stories, poems and given speeches about Sun.