Pacific and Asian Affairs Council

What Pacific and Asian Affairs Council does

Pacific and Asian Affairs Council (PAAC) is a Hawai'i-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1954/1955 that operates as the designated World Affairs Council of Hawai'i. The organization delivers global education and youth leadership development programs to high school students across all Hawaiian islands, including the Academic WorldQuest trivia competition, Global Vision Summits, LEAD leadership summits, school-based PAAC clubs, academic scholarships, and international study tours to Asia-Pacific destinations (Taiwan, Palau, Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Korea) via the Freeman and Takitani Summer Study Tours and Sister-State programs. PAAC's core technology is its programmatic curriculum (including a UN Sustainable Development Goals-aligned curriculum) and a distributed club network that operates within partner schools; it does not develop proprietary software products.

PAAC's business model is a nonprofit donations-and-grants model with modest program-fee revenue. The organization is funded primarily through foundation grants (Freeman Foundation, Mamoru & Aiko Takitani Foundation, McInerny Foundation), corporate sponsorships (Southwest Airlines), individual donations, and its annual 'A Global Affair' gala (with table tiers ranging from $5,000 to $11,000). Program fees are heavily subsidized: study tours list at approximately $4,200-$5,000 with scholarships covering 50-100% for qualifying students, while the East-West Center partnership caps Sister-State tour costs at roughly $500. The end customer is the Hawai'i high school student; the institutional customers (donors, foundations, partner schools) underwrite capacity. PAAC is governed by a Board of Directors and operates from a single headquarters in Honolulu with a staff of 1-10, delivering programs statewide and selectively internationally.

Name

Pacific and Asian Affairs Council

Legal name

Pacific and Asian Affairs Council

Website

https://paachawaii.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pacific and Asian Affairs Council is a Hawai'i-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1954/1955 that delivers global education, leadership development, and Asia-Pacific study tour programs to high school students statewide, funded primarily by foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Education & Youth Leadership Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units) (EDADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education (EDADALAD)

Keywords

• Global education programs
• Youth leadership development
• International study tours
• Cultural exchange programs
• Academic competitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: PAAC relies heavily on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors to fund its global education programs. The organization hosts annual galas and accepts direct donations through its website.
2. Study Tour Program Fees: Students pay program fees for study tours to Asia-Pacific countries. Taiwan study tours cost approximately $4,200-$4,500, while Palau study tours cost approximately $4,500-$5,000. Financial aid and scholarships are available to offset costs for qualifying students.
3. Event Sponsorships and Ticket Sales: PAAC generates revenue through gala event sponsorships (Presidential Table $11,000, Ambassador Table $7,000, Diplomat Table $5,000) and individual ticket sales (General Admission $275, PAAC Alumni $175).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pacific and Asian Affairs Council (PAAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization serving as Hawai'i's World Affairs Council. It delivers global education and youth leadership programs for Hawai'i high school students, including the Academic WorldQuest Competition, Global Vision Summits, PAAC Clubs, LEAD Summit, Sustainable Development Curriculum, and Study Tours Abroad to Asia-Pacific destinations (Freeman, Takitani, and Sister-State tours). PAAC also offers academic scholarships, a Global Issues Certificate, and a Teacher Program.

Product overview

PAAC operates as a non-profit educational organization offering a portfolio of interconnected global education programs for Hawai'i high school students. The core offerings include the Academic WorldQuest Competition (global trivia), Global Vision Summits (issue-focused simulations), PAAC Clubs (ongoing school-based chapters), Academic Scholarships (merit-based awards), Study Tours Abroad (Freeman and Takitani international trips), Sister-State Study Tours (diplomatic exchanges with Okinawa, Jeju, and Ilocos regions), LEAD Summit (leadership development), Sustainable Development Curriculum (SDG-based lessons), Global Issues Certificate, and Teacher Program. These programs work together to prepare students for global leadership through competitions, travel experiences, classroom curriculum, and leadership training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Academic WorldQuest Competition: A global trivia competition for high school students in teams of four to test their international IQ. The winning team wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. to compete nationally.
• Global Vision Summit (GVS)
• LEAD Summit
• Freeman Summer Study Tour
• Sister-State Study Tours

Products and services

• Academic WorldQuest Competition A global trivia competition for high school students in teams of four to test their international IQ; the winning team wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Academic WorldQuest Competition.
• Global Vision Summits An annual inter-school summit that convenes public, private, charter, and home-school students across Hawai'i to discuss key international issues through simulations and collaborative problem-solving.
• PAAC Clubs School-based student chapters at Hawai'i high schools providing long-term engagement with PAAC programs, including weekly meetings with officer teams, advisor supervision, U.N. Sustainable Development Goals lessons, Global Awareness Project (GAP) service initiatives, and participation in PAAC competitions and summits.
• Study Tours Abroad International study tour program for Hawai'i high school students to Asia-Pacific destinations, emphasizing hands-on learning, cultural exchange, and friendship-building; includes Freeman Summer Study Tours (Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Japan), Takitani Summer Study Tours (Palau), and Sister-State Study Tours (Okinawa, Jeju, Ilocos). Program fees range from approximately $4,200 to $5,000 with scholarships covering 50-100% for eligible students.
• Academic Scholarships Annual scholarships and awards provided to PAAC's most involved students, including the Paul S. Honda Scholarship for graduating seniors and the Eddie Tangen Award for underclassmen.
• Sustainable Development Curriculum U.N. Sustainable Development Goals lessons developed on various global issues and their relevance to Hawai'i, designed for use in PAAC clubs and classrooms.
• LEAD Summit A four-day leadership development summit for PAAC club officers held at Camp Erdman, focusing on teamwork, communication, leadership styles, and service project planning.
• Global Issues Certificate A certificate program recognizing students who complete a series of global education requirements and PAAC program engagements.
• Teacher Program Professional development and resources for educators to integrate global education and international affairs into their curriculum.

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• East-West CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAAC partners with the East-West Center on the Sister-State Study Tours program, hosting orientations at Chaminade University and delivering cultural programming. This partnership enables subsidized access for students at approximately $500 maximum cost.
• World Affairs CouncilscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAAC serves as the World Affairs Council of Hawai'i, affiliated with the national World Affairs Councils organization. This connection enables the Academic WorldQuest national competition and access to national-level programming.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Pacific Forum: Honolulu-based foreign-policy think tank focused on the Indo-Pacific with emerging-leader and youth programs. Comparable to PAAC in Indo-Pacific mission and Honolulu base, though oriented toward policy research rather than secondary-school education.

Broad incumbents

• World Affairs Council of America: National umbrella network for 90+ World Affairs Councils including PAAC (which serves as the Hawai'i affiliate). Comparable as the federation that runs the national Academic WorldQuest competition in which PAAC's winning team competes.
• Asia Society: National nonprofit promoting Asia-Pacific understanding through education, policy, and arts programming. Comparable to PAAC in mission (Asia-Pacific global competency) and youth-education offerings, though at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Asia Foundation: International development nonprofit focused on Asia-Pacific with education and leadership programs. Comparable to PAAC in Asia-Pacific mission and youth-leverage focus, though operating at a continental rather than single-state scale.

Emerging players

• World Learning: International nonprofit running student exchange, civic-education, and youth-leadership programs globally. Comparable to PAAC in youth civic-education mission and study-abroad programming, though at a significantly larger international scale.
• Pacific Century Institute: Hawai'i-anchored nonprofit focused on Asia-Pacific leadership development and citizen diplomacy. Directly comparable to PAAC in mission (next-generation Indo-Pacific leaders) and Hawai'i geography, though with a more professionally-oriented program mix.

Direct peers

• East Asia Resource Center: University-based center providing K-12 teacher professional development on East Asia. Comparable to PAAC's Teacher Program and SDG Curriculum offerings for secondary-school educators, though focused specifically on East Asia.
• National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCAS): National program that prepares K-12 teachers and students to teach and learn about Asia. Comparable to PAAC in Asia curriculum delivery to high schools, with overlapping teacher-training and classroom-resource offerings.
• East-West Center: Hawai'i-based institution that promotes US-Asia-Pacific understanding through education, research, and exchange. Directly comparable as a co-developer of PAAC's Sister-State Study Tours and operates overlapping Asia-Pacific youth and professional programs from the same Honolulu base.
• World Affairs Council of Atlanta: Sister World Affairs Council running comparable Academic WorldQuest, model UN, and youth global-affairs programs at a larger metropolitan scale. Most directly comparable peer to PAAC within the national World Affairs Councils network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/paachawaii
• Xx.com/paachawaii
• Facebookfacebook.com/PAACHawaii
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paachawaii

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pacific and Asian Affairs Council