Kipapa Elementary School principal Corinne Yogi received the 14th annual Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award from the Island Insurance Foundation. Yogi was presented the $25,000 award at the annual Public Schools of Hawai‘i Foundation banquet at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel on April 19.
The award is named in honor of Island Insurance Company, Ltd. founder Masayuki Tokioka and is presented annually to a local public school principal who is visionary, community-minded and has an entrepreneurial spirit — leadership qualities that Tokioka exemplified.
“Principal Yogi is a leader who is transforming Kipapa Elementary into a model learning institution,” said Island Insurance Foundation president Tyler Tokioka. “By recognizing outstanding principals such as Corinne, it is our hope that her accomplishments will inspire others in public education.”
Corinne Yogi has been an educator at Kipapa Elementary for over 24 years, including eight years as principal. Through the years, she has fostered an “‘ohana culture” in which students, families and community members feel welcomed. The school maintains a strong relationship with its Mililani community. Prior to the start of every school year, Kipapa’s community partners donate school supplies and clothing for approximately one-third of the students, who cannot afford to purchase the new supplies. This community effort also helped to achieve the school’s goal of providing technological devices to each student.
Yogi received $15,000 for a school project of her choice and an additional $10,000 cash award. She said she plans to use the monies to redesign the school library so that the extended Kipapa ‘ohana will have access to adult education classes, after-school and evening access to technology and supplies for student projects.
