PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION EXEMPLARS FROM THE COMMUNITY
The Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center provides high-quality professional programs and resources inspired by progressive education philosophy and pedagogy for the greater education community. Here you’ll find a collection of community projects supported by the PDC that demonstrate our commitment to growing progressive education practices in a variety of educational settings across the state.
A subset of these programs is funded by the Dr. Robert G. Peters Scholarship Fund for Early Childhood Education. Established in 2025 through a generous gift from the Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation, this fund provides scholarships and professional recognition for exemplary progressive education practices in the field of early childhood education. In commemoration of the work and service of former Hanahau‘oli Head of School Dr. Robert G. Peters, who subsequently served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation, we share this outstanding work as a tribute to his leadership and dedication to early childhood and progressive education.
Sticker Art Manaʻo: Like the ipu that holds wai—wai is wealth, and knowledge is wealth. Just as the ipu carries the potential to produce seeds that will sprout more ipu, the growth of these spaces creates more vessels to gather and share ʻike, sustaining the flow of knowledge and nurturing its seeds for generations to come. -Aleysia Kaha @manaolana_art (Instagram)
The Hawai'i K-5 Social Justice Bibliography
Hōnaunau Elementary first grade teacher Jess Sobocinski is a former garden and farm-to-school kumu who remains devoted to ‘aina-based education and promoting social justice education in elementary schools. In her pursuit of resources to empower young learners to recognize and address injustices while developing empathy and resilience, Jess applied for and was granted a $2,500 Hawaii Social Justice Educator Award through the Hanahau‘oli PDC. Jess utilized the funding to curate a living bibliography of social justice-themed children’s literature, meticulously selected to depict the diverse people, places, stories, and cultures of Hawaiʻi. Jess additionally built a physical collection of over 100 books from the bibliography to serve as a physical social justice library within Hōnaunau Elementary, and commissioned the artwork above as stickers to be shared with families and educators for convenient access and reference. We invite you to utilize the Hawaii K-5 Social Justice Bibliography to help foster positive connections between the unique identities of students, and to cultivate empathy, curiosity, and respectful dialogue surrounding diverse identities and experiences. This free resource is openly accessible at no cost to learners, educators, and parents. Click here to view and contribute to the resource, and check out resources from a recent workshop in which Jess introduced the Hawai‘i K-5 Social Justice Bibliography and ways it can support social justice education in Hawaii here.