Hawaii Kids ‘Connect These Dots’ To Understand Climate Change 0 From public schools on the Westside to private schools in Honolulu, teachers are finding creative ways to educate — and empower — students facing the effects of a warming planet.
Michelle Pieper has been struggling to make sustainability exciting for kids. The Hawaiian language teacher at Nanakuli Intermediate and High School says she tried talking about composting and climate change with her students, but they seemed indifferent to the idea of “saving Mother Earth.”
Pieper knew she needed to make sustainability more culturally relevant. The teens saw first-hand how sea level rise and extreme weather were affecting the Westside. But it wasn’t until their kumu, or teacher, taught it from the perspective of Wakea – known as Sky Father in Hawaiian culture – that she really reached these high schoolers.
“When we divert food and cardboard from the landfill, we’re eliminating greenhouse gasses, therefore protecting Wakea,” Pieper explained.
