Hawaii’s educators to gather at the Building Together P-3 conference in Waianae

HONOLULU—Tell a child something and they’ll probably forget it. Show them and they might not, but if you engage them they’ll remember the lesson. But how do you effectively engage children with different cultural backgrounds? And what role does culture play in teaching and learning? Teachers, administrators, and early learning instructors will explore these questions and more at this year’s Building Together P-3 Waianae Coast Conference. The conference, hosted by INPEACE (Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture), will take place on Wednesday, October 6 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ihilani Mariott Resort at Ko Olina.

The daylong event will cover several subjects including, curriculum development, integrating culture-based education, support services, and encouraging family engagement. Conversation will focus on the convergence of several content areas—comprehensive services, family empowerment, and seamless transitions—to promote life long literacy.

Keynote speakers include INPEACE CEO Kanoe Naone and State Department of Education Complex Area superintendent Lisa DeLong. They will talk about Waianae as an innovation zone where schools work together on a “complete redesign” of teaching strategies. Participants will hear and discuss the concepts of P-3, the state of our State regarding early childhood education and other innovations happening on the Leeward Coast.

Conference participants will then choose from several different breakout sessions. Cultural-related sessions will include: Kamehameha School Research and Evaluation senior research associate Brandon Ledward will present culturally relevant teaching strategies; Vicki Draeger, director of Early Childhood Programs of Keiki O Ka Aina, will discuss ways to integrate Hawaiian language values with the Montessori Method; and Danton Naone, project manager of INPEACE Aina Education, and Sanoe Marfil, INPEACE P-3 community resource coordinator, will focus on Kupu Ola, an outdoor classroom that implements alternative methods to teach standards.

There will also be a discussion on addressing learning strengths and challenges through culture-based methods led by Joan Kamila Lewis of Kapolei High School, Hoola Leadership Academy, and Justin Kaupu, Kapolei High School’s music teacher. Other sessions will address the Comprehensive Student Support System (CSSS), parent engagement, the importance of the Hawaii State School Readiness Assessment (HSSRA), and the guiding principles of Literacy for Learning.

NPEACE is a Native Hawaiian early childhood and workforce development agency serving communities with high concentrations of Native Hawaiians. They are dedicated to improving thequality of life for Native Hawaiians through community partnerships that provide educational opportunities and promote self-sufficiency.

For more information, visit http://www.inpeace-hawaii.org.