By Veronica Kimi
Since its inception in 2018, the Social Justice Education in Hawai‘i Project has been empowering teachers to affirm and uplift the diverse student populations of Hawai‘i. Established through the generosity of Jana and Howard Wolff, and led by a partnership between the Hanahauʻoli School Professional Development Center and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Education, the multiyear project has included numerous professional development workshops on topics such as antibias education, civic education, engaging in challenging and controversial conversations with students, place-based and culturally relevant learning, and much more. The program likewise offers opportunities for teacher networking and collaboration, university-level coursework for credit, and an award to recognize and uplift educators who are advancing social justice in their schools and communities.
In this blog post, we celebrate the newest recipients of this impactful awards program – the Hawai‘i Social Justice Educator Award – which has been granting at least two $2,500 awards each school year since 2022.
MEET THE 2025-2026 HAWAI‘I SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Ramsey Fiorello is a math and science kumu at Hālau Kū Māna, where she has been teaching since 2016. With over 20 years of experience in education, her background includes degrees in elementary education, special education, and STEM, and she also teaches at the University of Hawaiʻi, College of Education, where she prepares future educators in science methods grounded in ʻike Hawaiʻi, place-based, and project-based learning. Ms. Fiorello’s passion for authentic, hands-on learning has only grown through her work at Hālau Kū Māna, where students are taught to engage with their strengths—whether through traditional academics or applied, experiential learning. Together with her teaching team, Ms. Fiorello works to inspire haumana to be strong, grounded advocates for their communities, their ʻāina, and the lāhui. She shares, “When students understand their identity, history, and responsibility to their land, they develop the skills and mindset needed to thrive—both in Hawaiʻi and beyond.”
Hālau Kū Mana is a Hawaiian-focused charter school committed to indigenous knowledge, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. Their classrooms extend beyond four walls, using hands-on, place-based learning to connect students with their culture and ʻāina. A key initiative the school engages in is Kūʻi at the Capitol, a project that is centered on perpetuating traditional practices of kuʻi ʻai (poi pounding), kalo cultivation, and ʻike kupuna while fostering social justice through food sovereignty and sustainable stewardship. Ms. Fiorello will use the Hawai‘i Social Justice Educator Award to acquire materials to create papa kuʻi ʻai (poi boards) and pōhaku kuʻi ʻai (poi pounding stones) for current and future generations of students, develop educational resources on kalo biodiversity, moʻolelo, and sustainable loʻi practices, and establish an ongoing cycle of learning, where each year’s students create a papa kuʻi ʻai as a gift for the next incoming class, ensuring ʻike and practice are continuously passed down. Ms. Fiorello shares, “This project is not just about teaching students how to kuʻi—it is about grounding them in ʻike Hawaiʻi, strengthening their pilina to ʻāina, and empowering them to reclaim their ancestral knowledge as a means of resistance, identity, and self-sustainability. In an era where many keiki feel disconnected from their culture, this project provides a tangible way for them to engage with their heritage, understand the brilliance of our kupuna, and carry these traditions forward.” The Social Justice Education in Hawai‘i project is thrilled to support this advocacy effort for food sovereignty, sustainability, and the preservation of Hawaiian cultural traditions.
Chayanee Brooks has been teaching English Language Arts at Kaʻū High and Pahala Elementary School on the island of Hawai‘i for twelve years. She is a National Board Certified Teacher who was recognized as a Kaʻū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa Complex Area Teacher of the Year in 2023, a Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellow, and a Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellow. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Neuroscience. Built on her knowledge of neuroplasticity, learning, and memory, Ms. Brooks’ classroom approach includes socratic seminars to cognitively engage and empower students. She has facilitated professional development training for teachers on the use of cogenerative, open-ended, and explorative dialogues to generate authentic and collaborative learning experiences. She is also the author of numerous articles on assessment, feedback, and student voice.
Ms. Brooks’ greatest passion is advising her Journalism students as they produce personal documentary stories for airing on public television in Hawaiʻi. She will utilize the Hawai‘i Social Justice Educator Award in the coming school year to continue empowering students to become critical media producers and consumers by creating films exploring identity, diversity, and social justice. In Ms. Brooks’ Journalism classes, students are challenged to begin with self-reflection pieces around social justice themes, then collaborate on a film that celebrates their community's diversity and/or advocates for marginalized groups, including students with diverse personalities. Students are then supported as they develop personal films that integrate both their personal narratives and scientific insights to educate peers and the wider community. With the award funding, Ms. Brooks will host final projects on a platform designed for community engagement, to foster dialogue and inspire more action. As a Hawai‘i Social Justice Educator Award recipient, Ms. Brooks looks forward to continuing to engage students in critical thinking, the exploration of complex social issues, and the promotion of diversity.
Laura Peterson serves as Molokai High School’s Student Services Coordinator and AVID Advisory Program Coordinator. She previously served as the Comprehensive Student Support Resource Teacher for the Hana-Lahaina-Lanai-Molokai Complex, and as a special education teacher. Ms. Peterson is a National Board Certified Teacher (Exceptional Needs), holds a masters degree in Teacher Leadership, is an Ed Specialist focused on Assessment, Evaluation, & Accountability, and is currently pursuing a Disability and Diversity Studies Certificate at UH Manoa.
Ms. Peterson will use the Hawai’i Social Justice Educator Award to further develop a project in her community that addresses the question, How do you strengthen the social model of thinking about disability in the school environment? Titled, “HĀ, No Dis, All Ability”, Ms. Peterson’s disability social awareness project uses graphic messaging that is aligned with the Hawai‘i Department of Education’s Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ) Social-Emotional Learning framework, and harnesses the power of Hawaiian culture to increase awareness and change perceptions of disability. Recognizing that students respond to graphic imagery and short messages, this project utilizes bold graphics combined with Ōlelo No‘eau to deepen thinking regarding disability for a new generation. She will use the funding to produce professional graphic materials such as stickers and bookmarks for students, posters for the school environment, and teacher outreach packets, which will all serve as key elements of the program’s launch coinciding with International People with Disabilities Day on December 3, 2025. Ms. Peterson’s goal is to inspire a shift in thinking in the Molokai school communities from a medical model which focuses on diagnosis, toward a social model which aims to remove societal barriers including attitudes and systems that limit individuals with disabilities.
We celebrate the work of these remarkable educators as they continue to pave the way toward a more just and inclusive future for Hawai‘i's students and communities. Read about the inspirational work of previous award recipients Jonathon Medeiros, Natalie Lalagos, Ululani Brigitte Russo Oana, Jessica Sobocinski, and a team of Punahou students working with Kids Voting Hawai‘i, and consider applying for a Hawai‘i Social Justice Educator Award for the 2026-2027 school year next fall.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Veronica Kimi serves Hanahau‘oli School as the Professional Development Center Coordinator. Veronica holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from UCLA, a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Chaminade University, and professional experience in marketing, communications, and human resources. She enjoys supporting Hanahau‘oli School’s educators and the greater education community as they pursue the invaluable work of inspiring the next generation of dreamers, thinkers, and doers. Together with her husband Phil, Veronica has three vibrant daughters who make life a true joy.
