By: Niki Fisiiahi-Thomayer & Elly Tepper (Ulu Aʻe Transitions)

Ulu Aʻe Transitions had the privilege to engage with a diverse array of Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) professionals over the Spring 2025 semester, a kuleana (responsibility) we hold with deep respect and commitment. Along with partners ALU LIKE, Inc. and consultant Elly Tepper, we were provided a platform to share ʻike (knowledge) and provide an orientation to several locally-developed resources available via the Growing Pono Schools website. The focus was on sharing Pono Life Skills Culture-Based Lessons, Pono Pass It On Reflection Cards, and promoting HIDOE’s Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ).

Hawai‘i State Board of Education policy E-3 defines HĀ as HIDOE’s core values and beliefs in action and is intended to support student learning rooted in Hawaiʻi. The Growing Pono Schools website offers various resources educators can tap into to support this policy as well as address the current HIDOE strategic plan desired outcome of “All students experience a Nā Hopena A‘o environment for learning.” Our aim was fostering meaningful connections with educators united by a collective mission to create pilina (connections) with haumana (students). Throughout the semester, we worked to empower educators to integrate culturally grounded approaches into their classrooms, enriching the learning experiences of students across various educational settings.

Each of the opportunities to engage was a step toward advancing our mission of cultivating culturally grounded education. By sharing Pono Life Skills Culture-Based Lessons, Pono Pass It On Reflection Cards, and promoting HĀ practices, we aim to empower local educators to create classrooms where students feel seen, valued, and connected to their cultural heritage. The enthusiasm and dedication of the educators we met this semester reflect a shared commitment to this vision. As we move forward, Ulu Aʻe Transitions remains dedicated to supporting educators in their efforts to nurture the next generation of haumana, fostering environments where students can thrive academically, culturally, and emotionally. We are grateful for these opportunities to collaborate and look forward to continuing this meaningful work with educational communities across Hawaiʻi.

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In February, we had the honor of presenting at a co-sponsored HIDOE/Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) Conference, where we connected with middle school professionals from diverse backgrounds. The session sparked vibrant discussions, igniting a renewed sense of purpose among attendees. Educators left the conference inspired, eager to return to their classrooms and implement the culturally responsive strategies and resources shared during our presentation. The enthusiasm and commitment displayed by these professionals underscored the value of culturally based education in fostering student engagement and success. Feedback from attendees highlighted how Pono Life Skills Culture-Based Lessons and Pono Pass It On Reflection Cards provided practical tools for creating inclusive, student-centered learning environments that honor Hawaiian values and perspectives.

Between February and April, we had the opportunity to engage with various sectors of HIDOE, including: Office of Hawaiian Education, Hawaiian Studies Coordinators, Campbell Kapolei Complex Area and their Complex Alternative Learning Program, and Kailua-Kalāheo Complex Area. These presentations allowed us to share various ways of implementing HIDOE’s Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ) – emphasizing belonging, responsibility, excellence, aloha, total well-being, and Hawaiʻi – and explore its application in educational settings. Virtual formats enabled us to reach a broader audience, fostering collaboration among coordinators across different islands, while in-person sessions facilitated deeper, face-to-face dialogue. These interactions not only strengthened our partnerships with Hawaiian education leaders but also reinforced the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy in supporting haumana in their academic and personal growth. Kailua-Kalāheo Complex Area educators appreciated “The many activities, resources, and lessons teachers/staff can use to implement HĀ in their classrooms/school.”

Most recently in May, we presented virtually to a dedicated group of educators and staff from the Maui Canoe Complex, including counselors, coordinators, who had a main focus to support schools and their efforts with implementing Hawaiʻi’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (HMTSS) supports and using Panorama Ed resources. “I frequently see the Growing Pono lessons in the Panorama Ed Playbook and I was thinking how great it would be to give our counselors a glimpse of the resources that are available which are tied into the work they are doing with Panorama Ed,” shared Mercy Watanabe, a HIDOE Canoe Complex Area Resource Teacher who reached out to Ulu Aʻe Transitions. Pono Life Skills lessons in the

Playbook were selected to represent topics most responsive to feedback Panorama was hearing from Hawai‘i educators around a craving for strategies that support Equity & Inclusion through a focus on Self, Place, Community, and Belonging. They include strategies appropriate for both elementary and secondary grade levels, that are a low-lift for teachers to implement, and strengthen student-teacher and student-student connections. The selected lessons are all Tier 1 strategies that could be helpful to all students and include topics such as: Aloha Tree, Common Ground, Multiple Intelligences: Smart in Many Ways, My Mixed Plate, Perspectives: To Each Our Own, The Many Pieces of Me, Who I Am, and Words to Live By. Educators can access these strategies and more by logging into Panorama’s Playbook or visiting Growing Pono Schools.

Also in May, In a collaboration with HIDOE’s Office of Hawaiian Education and Hawaiian Studies Resource Teacher Miki Kubo from Maui Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kūlanihākoʻi-Maui Complex Area, we presented in person to Hawaiian Studies teachers serving students in 4th, 7th, and 11th grades, as well as administrative and support staff. This session was particularly meaningful, as it allowed us to tailor our content to the unique needs of Maui’s educational community. We shared insights from Pono Life Skills Culture-Based Lessons and Pono Pass It On Reflection Cards, resources which integrate Hawaiian cultural values such as kuleana, aloha, and lōkahi (harmony) into practical, classroom-ready strategies. The diverse audience, representing various grade levels and roles, engaged in rich discussions about how to weave these practices into their daily work with students. The session fostered a sense of shared purpose, as participants explored ways to strengthen pilina with their haumana, creating learning environments that honor cultural identity and promote holistic well-being.