In our previous post, Dr. Luke Steller explored how mission-aligned partnerships—like Hanahau‘oli School’s collaboration with the Mānoa Heritage Center—can transform STEM learning. But how does a school cultivate a staff and student body that is ready for such deep applied work?

The Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center had the pleasure of hosting researcher Dr. Luke Steller for an immersive school-day visit in September 2025. A science communicator and community engagement leader from Australia’s Northern Territory, Dr. Steller was exploring how STEM education can be strengthened through authentic collaboration with local communities as a Winston Churchill Fellow. His visit to Hanahau‘oli School was one of 19 program visits across Hawaiʻi, Arizona, New York City and London, and his observations and unique insights into opportunities for empowering STEM education in Australia are published in a comprehensive and inspirational report that can be downloaded and viewed in its entirety here. 

The Social Justice Education in Hawai‘i Project is a Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center initiative led in partnership with the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Education. Since 2018, the project has been growing and supporting local educators who see schools as levers of change for creating a better future world. . Deeply aligned to the mission of progressive schools, social justice educators seek to transform education from merely transferring knowledge to actively promoting equity, fairness, and more inclusive, democratic societies.