Christian Santomauro, Wali Camvel, Bella Finau-Faumuina, Kyle Kim, Lindsey Medina and Justine Silva

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “Place Based Learning,” focuses on teaching students about historical trauma, from the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 to present day, in order to help them understand the impact these events have on their lives. The place-based, project-based learning model aims to teach students about the rich cultural and educational history of their ancestors, along with what happened to break down and shame the Hawaiian culture, while enabling them to break the cycle of trauma that has plagued their community for generations. Ultimately, through this project, Santomauro and his team hope to demonstrate that given the right structure, tools and mindset, all students can learn.