Using ʻĀina-Based Learning & School Gardens to Promote Social Justice Education in Elementary Schools
Date: Saturday January 14, 2023
Time: 9:00am-2:00pm
Location: Hanahau'oli School Professional Development Center, 1922 Makiki Street, Honolulu HI 96822
Cost: $150 Registration scholarships available! Inquire here. Additionally neighbor island educators are eligible for a $200 travel stipend upon completion of the program.
In this workshop, educators will learn and practice techniques that employ ʻāina-based learning to promote social justice education in ways that are engaging, relevant, and developmentally appropriate for elementary-aged keiki. Following the ʻōlelo noʻeau, “Ma ka hana ka ʻike”, participants will get down and dirty with hands-on, outdoor activities! We will also be connecting with Makiki, the ahupuaʻa that envelopes Hanahauʻoli, and learning from folks at Hālau Kū Māna about how they engage students in advocacy grounded in ʻāina and community.
Drawing upon the research of facilitator Jessica Sobocinski, this workshop will delve into best practices for social justice education and how they intersect with Hawaiian culture and value-informed frameworks for place-based, culturally-informed, social justice teaching. Presenters will also share resources, as well as some lessons and experiences they have used in their own classrooms, to help educators develop Hawaiʻi-based lessons and activities that engage students in civic responsibility. This workshop will include “ think, pair, share” work time for teachers to develop their own commitments for how they plan to bring their learning into their classrooms and teaching practice. Teachers should expect to collaborate, participate, and connect!
This workshop is intended for K-6 classroom and garden teachers, as well as community educators who serve elementary-aged keiki. Lunch will be provided. Please wear comfortable outdoor clothing and sun protection, and bring a refillable water bottle and mess kit for lunch. We will be moving to a secondary location close by for a short portion of the day, so plan on driving or carpooling.
About the Facilitators:
Jessica Sobocinski has been involved with school gardens and farm to school education in Hawaiʻi for almost a decade, serving as an educator, curriculum creator, and program administrator. She is passionate about culturally-responsive, place-based food and agriculture education, and its role in nurturing resilient children and communities. Jess holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Indiana University and a M.Ed. from UH Mānoa. Jess currently resides on a 24-acre forest in Paʻauilo and teaches Kindergarten at Kanu O Ka ʻĀina, a Native Hawaiian-focused charter school in Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island.
Bella Finau-Faumuina is from the ahupuaʻa of Kalihilihiolaumiha and the ʻili ʻāina of Mokauea, Oʻahuʻs last fishing village. She is an advocate/educator, who is dedicated to implementing Hawaiian culture, history, and practices into public schools across Hawaiʻis pae ʻāina. She currently serves as a resource teacher on the windward side of Oʻahu, on behalf of Compassionate Koʻolaupoko, providing support to schools and teachers around culturally relevant, trauma-responsive practices.