Saturday p4c Classes at the UH Uehiro Academy

Led by Dr. Toby Yos and veteran p4c teacher Beth Yos, students have been gathering at the UH Uehiro Academy for Saturday afternoon p4c Hawai‘i classes.  The 13 students in the class – all of whom are members of the Hawai‘i Youth Opera Chorus – have skillfully delved into a broad variety of questions.  Why do people act fake?  Why are people so mean?  What is too loud?  What do we mean by “smart”?  What is music?  And, of course, why does Cookie Monster eat so many cookies?

The Saturday afternoon class is distinctive because it takes place outside of a school classroom, meets at the UH Uehiro Academy, and is a collaborative partnership between the Academy and members of the Hawai‘i Youth Opera Chorus ohana.  It is also unusual because it consists of a particularly diverse group of students.  The students come from culturally diverse backgrounds, attend different schools, and fall within a broad age range.  The youngest student is in First Grade and the oldest is in Tenth Grade.  This richness of difference, coupled with the students’ aloha for each other, has led to the creation of a particularly dynamic, fun, and caring community of inquiry.  Currently the students in this Saturday afternoon class, Dr. Yos, Mrs. Yos, and UHUA intern Ryan Roberts are being kept quite busy filming a series of videos on “How to do p4c Hawai‘i.”