On April 1, 2026, UH Mānoa College of Education (COE) students and faculty traveled to Kohala High School located in Kapaʻau on the Big Island. Secondary and elementary teacher candidates in Master of Education in Teaching (MEdT) Cohort 73 engaged in reciprocal sharing with the high school students.
“We often tell our candidates to be teacher leaders, and this collaborative field trip gave them the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership,” said Associate Professor Vail Matsumoto. “They shared their expertise in AI with the Kohala students and faculty and then learned from the school in return. It was a win-win situation, and any time work is fun, it’s yet another win.”
Kohala students taught the COE students about welding, construction, farming, and a variety of other Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. The cohort worked with the yearbook class on AI tools and conducted two after school professional development sessions for faculty on AI tools.
“Hearing student and teacher testimonies help me to picture what I can do in the future to support my students,” said Kaylie Hayashida who is earning her MEdT with a focus on secondary Japanese. “For high school students, I think this field trip gave them the opportunity to not only showcase the work they’re doing, but practice important life skills such as presentational speaking and interpersonal skills. My favorite part was the campus tour led by students where we got to hear about their journeys, hopes for the future, and how the CTE program shaped their education.”
Matsumoto was accompanied by Assistant Professor Stacy George, who helped organize the trip, as well as Assistant Professor Waynele Yu and MEdT Program Chair Stephanie Furuta. Two MEdT graduates, Dean Snelling and Jackie Meggs, partnered with the COE to make the joint venture possible. The collaboration was also supported by the University of Hawaiʻi Women’s Campus Club.
“As a future science teacher, I appreciate how Kohala high school integrates useful life skills with an education that encourages students to thrive in the directions that their choices take them,” said MEdT student Anna Karsin who attended high school on the Big Island. “Seeing the place-based learning and practical employment of community resources while hearing from the students as they shared their capstone senior projects was incredible. I especially appreciate Vail and Stacy who made this trip both educational and enjoyable socially for our cohort. It was fantastic!”
Working towards her MEdT in Elementary Education, Rachel Fried shared that her favorite part about the trip was getting to experience Kohala’s ʻāina-based education.
“The environment takes on the role of a teacher,” Fried said. “Students learn about sustainability and accountability practices they might need living in a rural community and caring for the land. ʻĀina-based learning validates the skills their families have used for generations and connects students to their culture, community, and career pathways. These excursions inspire us teacher candidates to incorporate culturally-responsive practices into our own classrooms.”
Watch a video from the trip.
