Saturday, October 25, 2025

University of Hawaiʻi Maui College (UHMC)

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

In Language There Is Life is a one-day professional development institute that explores the power of storytelling to support the well-being of classrooms and communities. Rooted in the ʻōlelo noʻeau I ka ʻōlelo nō ke ola (in language there is life), this gathering honors poetry, oral traditions, and cultural practices as pathways for healing, resilience, and educational excellence.

The institute weaves together three complementary approaches:

  • Arts & Culture: Youth voice, oral tradition, and performance as healing practices

  • Health & Wellness: Cross-sector dialogue exploring arts, education, and community care

  • Teacher Development: Practical, culturally grounded strategies for classroom flow and student engagement

While open to all educators, the institute provides special incentives and targeted support for new and early-career teachers within their first seven years of practice.

Schedule Overview

8:30–9:00 AM • Arrival, Welcome Protocol

9:00–9:30am AM: opening keynote panel

9:30–10:30 AM • Workshop Track 1
10:30–11:30 AM • Workshop Track 2
11:30–12:30 PM • Workshop Track 3
12:30–1:30 PM • Lunch & Dialogue
1:30–2:30 PM • Integration Workshop & Closing Circle

Special Support for New Teachers

Teachers within their first seven years are eligible for a $200 stipend to attend.

Program Highlights

  • Welcome Protocol & Hōʻolauna led by The Maile Grove

  • Keynote Panel featuring Moses Goods - of Chief of War- and Youth Speaks poets on oral tradition, resilience, and literacy as pathways to healing

  • Facilitators: Co-led by AHAS and The Maile Grove, with partners from Youth Speaks and UHMC. Our facilitation team includes educators, cultural practitioners, and arts integration specialists with decades of combined experience in Hawaiʻi schools and communities. Together, we bring expertise in Hawaiian language and culture, trauma-informed practice, arts-based learning, social-emotional learning, and classroom management—all grounded in research-based, culturally sustaining approaches.

By the end of the institute, educators will:

  • Gain 8-10 practical, culturally responsive tools for classroom wellness and engagement

  • Feel more confident in relationship-centered teaching approaches

  • Have a customized digital toolkit linking arts strategies to NCAS and HĀ standards

  • Connect with a peer network committed to culturally sustaining education

  • Experience renewed sense of purpose and professional community

Core Learning: Arts-Based Strategies for Classroom FLOW

Three hands-on workshop tracks, each offering 2-3 practical tools teachers can implement immediately

Track 1: Arts-Based Tools for Engagement & Behavior

  • Drama routines for classroom management

  • Writing practices for emotional regulation

  • Music and movement strategies for transitions

  • Aligned with NCAS standards in Theatre, Music, and Visual Arts

Track 2: Hawaiian Place-Based Practices for Resilience

  • ʻĀina-grounded observation and reflection techniques

  • Cultural protocols that support classroom community

  • Sovereignty and healing through place-based learning

  • Aligned with Nā Hopena Aʻo (HĀ) outcomes

Track 3: Storytelling & Relationships Through the Arts

  • Moʻolelo and personal narrative for connection

  • Collaborative artmaking for classroom safety

  • Poetry and creative writing for social-emotional learning

  • Integrating Media Arts and Theatre NCAS standards

Presented in partnership with AHAS: Archive for Health, Arts & Spirit, The Maile Grove, Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Youth Speaks, and UHMC English Department