The Hanahau'oli School Professional Development Center is adding a new series of weekend learning experiences for educators centered on the idea that children are natural scientists! Join us this February and March for three workshops that can be taken individually or as a series. Natural Scientists: Engaging Children in Early Childhood with Place-Based Community Resources is designed for educators across the state of Hawai'i who work with children in preschool through grade 1 to gain hands-on experiences utilizing place-based resources in their classrooms.

Session 1: Saturday, February 22, 9am to 11am

Integrating Kilo and Hawaiian Moon Phases in School Gardens and Outdoor Spaces with Dr. Summer Maunakea of UH Mānoa College of Education

In-person at the UHM COE Hoʻōla ʻĀina Pilipili Garden, located at 1776 University Avenue

$40 per person

This workshop introduces educators to the concept of kilo and why it is an important practice to cultivate relationships with and learn from our environment. Educators will design their own kilo journals and learn practical strategies to integrate the Hawaiian moon phases into their curriculum. Educators will discuss the use of kilo and Hawaiian moon phases in conceptual teaching around the themes of food, cycles, and weather. This in-person workshop will take place at a working garden at UH Mānoa, so please prepare for sunny conditions and physical activity.

Session 1 Objectives:
Participants will:

Be able to introduce the practice and role of kilo to students in the school garden
Know how to use Hawaiian moon phases and kilo journals as data collection tools
Be able to apply kilo and Hawaiian moon phases in conceptual teaching around the themes of food, garden, cycles, and weather.

Session 1 Agenda:

9:00 Plant Buddy Workshop Opening Activity
9:00 - 9:30 Kilo Introduction, Designing Kilo Journals
9:30 - 10:45 Observation and Data Collection; Integrating the Hawaiian Moon Phases
10:45 - 11:00 Conceptual Teaching Application & Closing

Session 1 Facilitator:

Summer P. Maunakea, PhD is an assistant professor of Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Education and Leadership at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, College of Education. Currently, she teaches courses on curriculum leadership, place-based education, sustainability, interdisciplinary science and social studies grounded in an indigenous perspective. As part of the Kokua Hawaiʻi Foundation’s ʻĀINA In Schools team, she instructs professional development courses that prepare educators, parents, and community members to teach from the ʻāina, utilizing the ʻĀINA In Schools Curriculum. Summer is a lifelong learner of intergenerational approaches to the holistic well-being of people and the natural environment. Her role in the project will include connecting educators to the transformative community organizations and partners that aim to support Hawaiʻi educators.

Session 2: Saturday, March 1, 9am-11am

Hands On Plant Exploration: Science, Nutrition, and Inquiry for Early Childhood with Tiana Kamen of Farm to Keiki

Online via Zoom from Kaua'i Island

$40 per person

This workshop introduces participants to the core principles of Farm to Early Care and Education, leveraging the insights and methods from the "Farm to Keiki" book. We will explore how to provide educators with practical, hands-on strategies and ideas for fostering young children’s scientific inquiry through natural, local surroundings and gardens. By focusing on a plant featured in the book, we'll illustrate its integration across all academic disciplines, from nutrition to science, emphasizing the full cycle from garden to tummies.

Session 2 Objectives:
Participants will:

Understand the foundations of Farm to Early Care and Education and how it can be applied using the Farm to Keiki approach
Learn to use the Farm to Keiki book as a key educational tool, providing diverse, engaging activities for children
Develop practical skills for involving children in hands-on, experiential learning that connects them to their environment
Discover how to integrate plant-based learning into various academic subjects, enhancing educational outcomes and nutritional awareness

Session 2 Agenda:
9:00 - 9:15 Introduction to Farm to Early Care and Education and the Farm to Keiki approach.
9: 15-9:30 Overview of the Farm to Keiki book and its methods.
9:30-10:00 Hands-on activities demonstration using a selected plant from the book.
10:00 - 10:20 Discussion on linking plant-based learning to academic subjects and nutritional education.
10:20-10:40 Interactive session for participants to plan a simple activity, drawing on the techniques discussed.
10:40-11:00 Closing remarks and Q&A session.

Session 2 Facilitator:
Tiana Kamen, MS Nutrition was born and raised on Kaua’i. She is an ‘āina-based educator, farm to school advocate, and nutritionist. She is also the author of the curriculum, “Farm to Keiki – Cooking, Gardening and Nutrition with Children”. Tiana is dedicated to growing the Farm to Early Childcare and Education movement in Hawai'i and trains educators throughout Hawai'i in Farm to Keiki. She uses food and nature as medicine to inspire people to adopt healthy lifestyles and take care of the Earth. Tiana has been involved in the farm to school movement since 2009 and is a recognized leader of Farm to Early Childcare and Education in Hawai‘i. She pioneered two farm to school programs, Farm to Keiki (a farm to preschool program) and the Kaua‘i School Garden Network. Through this work, she became a founding member of both the Hawai‘i Farm to School Network and the National Farm to Preschool Subcommittee.

Session 3: Saturday, March 8, 9am-11am

Exploring Cultural, Biological, and Geographical Features of Our Communities with Young Learners with Educator Jess Sobocinski

Online via Zoom from Hawai'i Island

$40 per person

In this workshop, participants will learn how to help their young learners begin to develop a sense of place by connecting them to the cultural, biological, and geographical features of their communities. We will explore rituals, routines, and activities that can help students begin to orient themselves in relationship to their surroundings by exploring significant place names, mountains/streams/beaches, seasonal shifts, weather patterns, and the flora and fauna they can experience from just outside their classroom. This awareness lays the foundation for lifelong scientific learning, enriching their experiences both inside and outside of the classrooms.

Session 3 Objectives: Participants will:

Understand how cultural, biological, and geographical features can help young students develop a sense of place
Learn to use digital educational resources and toolkits to find lessons and activities that engage young learners with learning about their place
Discover classroom and campus-based rituals, routines, and activities that help orient students to the rich resources of their surrounding communities

Session 3 Agenda:
9:00 Welcome and introduction by PDC
9:05-9:15 Sense of Place Pilina Builder
9:15-9:30 Introduction to “Sense of Place”
9:30-10:00 Exploration of rituals, routines, and activities
10:00 - 10:20 Introduction to educational resources and toolkits
10:20-10:40 Interactive session for participants to use resources to plan a ritual, routine, and activity for students in their unique place
10:40-10:50 Large group shareout
10:50-11:00 Closing and Q&As

Session 3 Facilitator:
Jess Sobocinski is an educator and researcher living in the ahupuaʻa of Kealakekua, Hawaiʻi Island. Originally from Portage, Indiana, she discovered her passion for education through work in food hubs, where she saw the potential of community gardens to foster healing and address social inequality. After serving as a garden kumu at Hōnaunau Elementary and earning her K-6 teaching license through Kahoʻiwai, Jess has worked in farm-to-school programs across Hawaiʻi Island for over a decade. As a graduate student in the MEd CS STEMS² program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, her research focused on using ʻāina-based education to promote social justice education in elementary schools, empowering students to recognize and address injustices while developing empathy and resilience. Jess is back at Hōnaunau Elementary, serving as a first grade general education teacher!

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