P4C & Art in Ala Wai Elementary School

With support from the UH Uehiro Academy, the Honolulu Museum of Art and Ala Wai Elementary School are integrating p4c, art, and core instruction in a broad variety of exciting and innovative ways.  Honolulu Museum of Art instructors and Ala Wai School philosopher-in-residence Dr. Toby Yos help Ala Wai teachers to provide their students with vibrant, enriching, meaningful, and productive school experiences.

Generously supported by the Honolulu Museum of Art, Ala Wai Principal Sean Wong, and the UH Uehiro Academy and inspired by their passion to help students, to empower teachers, and to creatively explore the powerful connection between p4c Hawai‘i and art, Dr. Yos and Honolulu Museum of Art outreach director Janell Nakahara have launched an impressive array of p4c & art initiatives at Ala Wai this year:

• p4c & art in the classroom: 2^nd grade teachers Diane Arakawa & Lori Maihui and 5^th grade teachers Rhonda Morishige & Seija Nolan will, in the coming weeks, use p4c inquiry sessions to reflect upon and better understand their art making sessions with Honolulu Museum of Art instructor LeAnn Yamamoto.
• p4c STEAM: 1^st grade teacher Mae Kuba and 4^th grade teachers Lori Kwee, Joven Asuncion, and Jennifer Hudson collaborated with Dr. Yos, Yamamoto, Nakahara, and Honolulu Museum of Art outreach director Justin Davies to integrate p4c and art into their students’ STEM projects.
• p4c & art Mentoring (p4cM) groups: Forming a caring ohana, Dr. Yos and 4^th & 5^th grade students travel regularly to the Honolulu Museum of Art school.  There – with the help of Nakahara, and art instructors Ms. Ashley and Ms. Erin – they explore who they are, develop leadership skills, and discover their identity as artists.
• p4c & art Spring Break Camp: Co-sponsored by the UH Uehiro Academy and the Honolulu Museum of Art, present and former Ala Wai p4cM students gathered for a week long, intensive, p4c & art day camp.  Students, with the help of Dr. Yos and art instructor Eric Keli‘i Beyer, built friendships, gained confidence, and explored the connection between aloha, themselves, and nature.