Announcing the “Philosurfers”

The success of the Future Surfrider Day and WE>I Day has lead to the launch of the Surfrider Philosopher in Residence Project. This innovative project “interns” upperclassmen from Kailua High School and utilizes their expertise in “doing” philosophy by placing them in classrooms to help interested teachers implement p4c Hawai‘i into their courses. This semester there are three “philoSURFERS” who are laying the foundational groundwork of the project by supporting teachers at Maunawili Elementary School, Enchanted Lake Elementary School, Ka‘elepulu Elementary School, Waimānalo School, and Kailua High School (Kailua High School’s mascot is the Surfrider and they are affectionately known as the Surfers, hence the philoSURFERS). Using student leaders to aid teachers indicates an important transformation in p4c Hawai‘i, one that recognizes the power of students to bring about meaningful change in education. In the first 13 weeks of the project, the philoSURFERS’ impact has reached four schools, 22 teachers, and roughly 560 students. Clearly, this has become one of the most important and influential initiatives of the Uehiro Academy because teachers and students, who we don’t have the resources to support, are being exposed to philosophy as a result of this project.