About Us
The Hongs
James and Chu Hong both love traveling and have been to North America, Central America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Their experiences span large, metropolitan cities like Seoul, Paris and New York, small villages in Japan and Scotland, tiny islands in Belize, and even a scuba diving liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef. These experiences and the myriad of characters they met along the way helped shape their global views and thought processes. Their next adventures include trips to the land of Hobbits and kiwi birds and Zion National Park.
James Hong
James Hong has two masters, one in teaching and the other in public administration. He is dual-certified in English and Social Studies and has taught for eight years. His Political Science degree from UCLA fuels his passion for civic education, and he has taught the following courses: Ethics, Modern Hawaiian History, Participation in Democracy, Philosophy, Psychology, US History, AP US History, and World History. He's currently the social studies department chair at Kaimuki High School.
He is a brilliant writer and thinker! He loves a good debate and looks forward to bring out your child's critical thinking skills.
Chu Hong
Chu Hong has been a high school English and math teacher, AVID, CCLC, Curriculum, and WASC Coordinator for over 18 years, with experience designing curriculum and HSA/ SBA test items for the State of Hawaii and non-profits. She also has over 20 years of experience as a private tutor and college consultant and worked as a Next Steps Hawaii Advisor for P-20. Currently, she's the math department chair at Kaimuki High School.
In grad school, she taught English, math, social studies, and science concepts to a few of her church "aunties" kids. As she worked to meet her students' needs, she grew her list of services to prepare them for standardized tests: AP classes, SATs, and ACTs. When they needed help completing college and scholarship applications, she discovered her love of helping students find their WHY through their personal statements. She embraces the lifelong-learner philosophy coupled with a "can do" attitude to find ways to help students no matter what.
After several of her students got accepted to really good colleges, she began to get a few more phone calls. Then a few more. She's so honored to have had to launch Smarty Pants Learning Center! This year marks her 15th year of business.
Her greatest strengths are in teaching study skills, time/project management, critical literacy, writing quickly (essays, research papers), algebraic thinking, philosophy for children, SATs, ACTs, and AP Language and Composition, and her FAVORITE of all, crafting the personal statement.
Most recently, she has developed a passion for bioremediation technology ("Genki balls") and has worked with her students at Kaimuki to make thousands of balls!! She also loves to garden and "Convert Trash to Treasure" through vermicomposting. Please check out her club's website www.khsworms.com!
Mission + Vision
MISSION: Invite students to join my family's journey to become better ethical thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and effective communicators.
VISION:
- Increase kids' accessibility to coding (a universal right that should be as available as reading & writing prose).
- Avoid the myth of the digital native trap (the belief that all young people are naturally skilled with technology).
- Equip children with the skills necessary to distinguish between productive versus disruptive screen time.