Teaching Navahine v. Hawai‘i DOT: Engaging and Preparing Youth for Climate Action
Thursday, October 30, 2025
8:30 am to 3:00 pm
At the Hanahau'oli School Professional Development Center, located at 1922 Makiki Street, Honolulu, HI 96822
$100 per person

This workshop introduces educators to the landmark settlement, Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, which confirmed that youth in Hawaiʻi have a constitutional right to a life-sustaining climate. Participants will explore the dual opportunities this agreement creates for student learning: first, by helping young people understand and advocate for their constitutional rights; and second, by engaging them in real-world civic action connected to Hawaiʻi’s transportation future. The workshop will include direct insights from the lead attorney and a youth plaintiff, who will share how this historic settlement, recognized by all three branches of Hawaiʻi’s government, can serve as a catalyst for civic engagement, youth empowerment, and climate education.

Educators will also examine how the state has responded to the settlement, including the creation of a dedicated HDOT division, the establishment of a youth council, and the release of the HDOT Energy Security and Waste Reduction Plan, which charts a path to electrifying transportation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the highest-emitting sector. Participants will gain resources to connect these developments to classroom instruction, explore curriculum already implemented in Hawaiʻi’s schools, and engage in dialogue with colleagues to design lessons that prepare students for climate action. This workshop weaves together constitutional rights, youth action, climate justice, and state-level policy, and participating educators will also become eligible to host a presentation at their school by the lead attorney and youth plaintiff.

This workshop is offered in collaboration with the Sustainability Fellowship Program and Davis Democracy Initiative at Punahou School, together with the Hanahau'oli School Professional Development Center.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

Participants will be able to:

Explain the significance of the Navahine v HDOT settlement and its implications for the constitutional rights to a clean and healthful environment for all who reside in Hawaiʻi.
Integrate civic engagement and climate justice into classroom curriculum.
Facilitate student discussions and projects that connect legal rights with local action and democracy.
Empower students to advocate for their constitutional rights.
Access and adapt curricular resources for teaching and learning about civic engagement.

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS

Andrea Rogers has been working with Our Children’s Trust since 2010 and joined the staff in 2017, representing youth in constitutional climate change cases against governments, contributing to organizational legal strategy and case development. She supervises Our Children’s Trust’s government affairs attorney and climate scientist.

Andrea is counsel of record in Juliana v. United States, Genesis v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Held v. State of Montana, Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Dept of Transportation, and is actively developing several state cases. In addition to advancing our federal and domestic cases, Andrea supports Canada’s first youth-led climate case that received a favorable ruling before the Federal Court of Appeals, La Rose v. His Majesty the King, putting the youth plaintiffs on the path to trial. Her litigation on behalf of youth in Washington State secured the nation’s first court order mandating an agency to cap and regulate carbon dioxide emissions and in Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Dept of Transportation, she secured a landmark climate settlement with Hawaiʻi Governor Green and HDOT Director Sniffen to decarbonize Hawaiʻi’s transportation sector no later than 2024.

Prior to joining Our Children’s Trust, she was an honors attorney for the U.S. Department of Transportation, in-house legal counsel for Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, staff attorney for Western Environmental Law Center, and clerked for Hon. John C. Gemmill on Arizona Court of Appeals. Andrea received her JD from Arizona State University and BA from University of California, Santa Barbara.

Debbie Millikan is a dedicated advocate for sustainability education with two decades of experience in public and private schools in Hawaiʻi. She currently serves as the Director of Sustainability at Punahou School, where she created and leads the Sustainability Fellowship, a two-year program that connects students with internships, community partners, and authentic climate challenges. She also founded the Climate Future Forum, an initiative that brings youth voices to the forefront of state-level climate conversations. Believing in the transformative power of education, Debbie works to instill a sense of responsibility and empowerment in young people, ensuring they not only understand the complexities of climate change but also see themselves as active participants in shaping our future. She is passionate about creating pathways for youth to develop their agency, collaborate with policy makers and community leaders, and build a just, equitable, and sustainable future for all.

THIS WORKSHOP IS DESIGNED FOR

This workshop is designed for K-12 educators across disciplines, with particular relevance for social studies, civics, environmental science, and interdisciplinary courses that engage students in sustainability, government and community action.