Education

A 600-Year Tradition

Emma Robinson, a UH master of fine arts in design student, paints a scenic pine tree backdrop for the play "Power and Folly: Japanese (Kyogen) Satire for the 21st Century." Historians believe Kyogen is the oldest professional theater style in…

Welcome to the Real World

Today's assessments aren't just limited to bubble tests. There's also "authentic assessments," which require deeper, more innovative thinking from students. At Hakipuu Learning Center, authentic assessments take shape in the form of senior projects where each senior picks a topic,…

The Doctor is Not In

Hawaii is 500 doctors short. Here's what the UH medical school is doing to fix the huge deficit, especially on the neighbor islands. The Neighbor Islands count success in single digits these days: Two new doctors on Kauai over the…

Talk Story: Livingston "Jack" Wong

Five months after being named interim CEO, Wong became CEO of Kamehameha Schools in September 2014. He oversees a portfolio that includes a $10.6 billion endowment; ownership of more Hawaii land than any other nongovernment organization; and developments in Kakaako,…

Friendly "Ed-Ventures"

Cindy MacFarlane-Flores loooves the outdoors. “When I was an elementary school teacher at Epiphany Episcopal School (now merged with Mid-Pacific Institute) in the 2000s, they called me ‘Miss Nature,’ ” the owner of Field Trip Friends says with a laugh,…

Talk Story: Paul Turnbull

In June 2013, Turnbull took the top job at Mid-Pacific, a private school in Manoa with 1,580 students enrolled in preschool through high school. He talks about technology in education, project-based learning and other innovations in teaching. Q: You most…

How to Fix the Honolulu Zoo

If you grew up in Hawaii, chances are you’ve seen these exotic animals during a family visit or class field trip. And, if you’ve come back as an adult, a visit to Hawaii’s only zoo might have felt strangely similar…

Nonprofit Corner: Beautiful Children

Autism Spectrum Disorder affects 1 in 68 children in the U.S., and more than 1,800 students in Hawaii public schools have been identified as autistic, according to the Hawaii Autism Foundation. Gov. David Ige signed Luke’s Law in 2015, which…

24 Million Meals a Year

I have mostly fond memories of eating during my eight years in the public school system. I’m especially sentimental about the saimin and oven-roasted chicken I ate during lunches at Niu Valley Middle School. In fact, I ate more than…

Talk Story: Richard Vuylsteke

Vuylsteke (pronounced VUL-stek) has had a global career that has carried him through universities, journalism, the military and the business world. He recently left his post as president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong to assume leadership…

Virtually There

On Maui, Realtor Liam Ball is using virtual reality to draw in potential buyers – in some cases giving them a grand tour of homes they might not be able to visit in person. Photo: Chris…

Smart Path to Success

“Oh, no!” was Reuben Chong’s street name – as in “Oh, no! Here he comes!” For a decade, the homeless ex-convict prowled Honolulu’s Chinatown in search of money to support his drug habit. Who could imagine that this 34-year-old, street-smart…

When 2 + 2 Don’t Make 4

Dyslexia is a neurobiological and genetic learning disability related to language. Students with dyslexia often struggle with oral and written language, according to the Hawaii Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. “It’s a hidden disability,” explains Margaret Higa, 53, who…

Talk Story: Wes Reber Porter

Photo by David Croxford   Before being hired by Damien this year, Porter was a law professor and ran the highly regarded Litigation Center at Golden Gate University School of Law. Prior to that, he spent a decade as a…

Color My World

She’s an expert in how colors affect people, psychologically and physiologically. NAME: Jill Morton JOB: Color consutant and president of Colocom START: After earning her master’s in art education from UC Santa Barbara and her master’s of fine arts in…

Learning by Building

A young girl on a pink bike zooms past the newest custom-built home in her close-knit Hawaiian community in Hilo. The single-story, three-bedroom and two-bath home with a beige exterior and metal roof has taken dozens of workers more than…

Middle School Miracles

A groundbreaking program – based on solid data about student performance – is leading to remarkable changes in middle-school students around the state. Let’s start with three students at Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School. One eighth grade boy was…

My Job: The Hottest Job in Town

Name: Hadley Andersen Job: Senior Science Educator, Bishop Museum Duties: Twice a day – at noon and 2:30 p.m. – Andersen dons a protective aluminized suit, enters a shielded “cage” and melts little pieces of volcanic rock, or cinder, in…