SOTF is a five-year, capacity-building initiative designed to transform the learning environments and teaching strategies of independent schools to better prepare students for work and citizenship in the 21st century.

A cohort of schools was selected in 2009 and although their approaches to this issue have varied greatly, they have largely focused on student-centered, project, or inquiry-based learning that actively incorporates technology into the curriculum.

The SOTF Team is the vanguard of what the school hopes eventually will be a 21st Century transformation of the teaching and learning environments of the entire institution.

Developmentally, K5 students are still much like preschool children; however they mature quickly during the school year and develop increasingly higher levels of individual responsibility and self-control that are needed to be successful in first grade and beyond.

The school's curriculum is based on three pillars: Core Knowledge, Critical Skills, and Christian Character, which is referred to as Academics +.

[5][6] Student-athletes compete on nearly 40 teams in 9 different sports: basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, swimming, track & field, tennis, air-riflery, and volleyball.

[7] Hanalani is also a member of Pac-Five Athletics, a consortium of independent schools on Oʻahu that join to field teams for certain competitive sports in the ILH.

[7] The mission of the Athletic Department is to "develop students in leadership, sportsmanship, and Christian character so that they may honor God through their lives.

In 2018-2019 Hanalani Athletic's achievements include: HHSAA Cross Country State Champion- Adam Harder,[10] ILH Cross Country Coach of the Year- Jeremy Honold,[11] ILH Girls Basketball Division 2 Coach of the Year- Charles Hiers,[12] and numerous other team and individual achievements.