Parker School opens center to inspire creativity, collaboration for all students

Parker School opened its new SMART Center, a 21,000-square-foot facility designed to inspire creativity, collaboration, and innovation for students of all ages.

The $19 million project is the largest capital investment in Parker School’s nearly 50-year history and is designed for students to engage in hands-on learning across multiple disciplines.

The SMART Center includes dedicated spaces for sports, mathematics, arts, recreation, and technology—the pillars behind its name—as well as a nod to sixth-generation Parker Ranch philanthropist Richard Smart.

All 344 students from kindergarten to 12th grade will use the new facility, which includes two technology classrooms, a design lab and workshop, a dance studio, a fitness center, a kitchen, and Parker’s first-ever gymnasium.

The Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium will host athletic competitions, student pep rallies, and milestone celebrations, such as graduation, on campus for the first time.

“The SMART Center is more than just a building—it’s a place where students will explore passions, build confidence, and gather in community,” said Head of School Stephen Dunn. “It represents Parker’s deep commitment to ensuring every student is known, valued, and nurtured.”

A blessing by Danny and Anna Akaka opened the building and welcomed a crowd of more than 650 attendees into the Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium. Guests enjoyed remarks from the school’s head of school, board president, and key donors before the event transformed into a spirited pep rally featuring teachers in inflatable costumes and a student logo-wear competition.

According to a press release from Parker School, it took more than a decade of hard work and generosity to open the doors of this groundbreaking new facility. The addition to the 20-acre campus was made possible through several donors and foundations, including:

• Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation
• Kirk-Landry Charitable Fund
• Marc and Lynne Benioff
• Kerley ʻOhana
• LGA Family Foundation
• McInerny Foundation
• Dorrance Family Foundation
• Jim and Lynn Lally
• The Breen ʻOhana
• First Hawaiian Bank Foundation
• Atherton Family Foundation
• MPD Higgins Foundation
• William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation
• Cooke Foundation, Ltd.