Young Activists

When I was in school, I had no idea that I could make a difference in our world. I lived in the time of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War, but we never discussed these events or issues.  I wrote term papers in high school, but I was merely taking notes and regurgitating information rather than answering a question that would force me to research both sides of an issue and take a stand. 

Today, students as young as kindergarten are introduced to deeper learning where they research a topic or question together and come up with ideas on how to address any concerns. It might be a problem within the school or the community or the state or even the nation or world. Many educators are using project-based learning to teach the content standards for language arts, math, science, or social studies in a meaningful way. Students are more engaged and informed when they learn about problems that impact them now and in the future such as trash, renewable energy, climate change, racial tension, recycling, endangered plants and animals, and plastic use.

When I was a principal, our elementary school students participated in projects and learned so much in the process. I know they may not have grasped the full impact of the issue yet, but the fact that they were researching current problems and thinking about their future gave me hope. I think many adults dismiss our young people’s ideas; they don’t see that our youth deserve to share their viewpoints because our actions today greatly impact the world they will live in for generations to come.

I recently viewed US Kids/ #Vote with Us, a powerful film about the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who led a movement for gun control legislation after a gunman opened fire at their school, killing 17 people and wounding another 17. These young people experienced a traumatic and incomprehensible event in their young lives, but they were able to mobilize and lead the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. in March 2018. These young people spent much of their summer traveling around the country to share their message about gun control. It wasn’t easy, especially when confronted by adults who questioned their motives and sometimes threatened their safety. These students’ efforts led to changes in gun laws in a number of states, and some of these young activists continue to be involved today. As the film shows, though, it hasn’t been easy for any of the survivors of the shootings. 

Through the power of social media, we read about many young people who are making a difference. Their work is helping citizens in their community by organizing food pantries or distributing face masks to our health workers or cleaning up our beaches. Check out this story about the teens who organized the Black Lives Matter march  in Honolulu this past summer where thousands of people marched peacefully to protest the death of George Floyd and to advocate for social justice. Honolulu residents are now voting on a proposal to establish a Youth Commission to advise the Mayor and City Council on important issues relating to children and youth. I am in favor of this proposal; I believe that our youth today are invested in creating a better future for our city, and they should have a voice and a seat at the table.

Schools are realizing the positive impact when students are invested in their learning. When students explore current issues that are of interest to them, and when they are able to discuss and share what they’ve learned with a wider audience, the learning will be much more relevant, meaningful, and likely to have a long-lasting impact. In today’s world, we need citizens who can tell truths from untruths and who can make well-informed decisions. Empowered young activists can have a positive impact on our community, our state, our nation, and our world, and they may become our leaders of tomorrow. Let’s encourage them in their efforts to make a difference!

A Teacher’s Influence

Here in Hawaii, we celebrate and cheer for those who have brought honor and pride to our state. We are a close-knit and proud community, which is why we are especially proud of people like President Obama, Michelle Wie, Marcus Mariota, or Little League world champions. Jennifer Doudna, who recently won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry with a colleague from Sweden, joins this list. Most of us had never heard of her until we saw the headlines that she graduated from Hilo High School on Hawaii island, and then we embraced her.

I love reading stories of inspirational teachers, and this story was a reason to celebrate. (“Remembering the Hilo Teacher Who Inspired a Nobel Prize Winner”)  Miss Wong was a young, new teacher when Jennifer Doudna entered her chemistry class as a tenth grader. “Miss Wong was big,” she shared. “She taught us that science is about discovery. It’s not about memorizing facts in the textbook. It’s about asking questions about the natural world and coming up with ways to figure out answers.”  How I wish I had a teacher like Miss Wong! While I remember dissecting an earthworm and a frog in Biology and doing some experiments in Chemistry, science for me was mostly learned from textbooks, and unfortunately, much of what I learned then was forgotten shortly after the test. 

My younger brother, Chris Amemiya, is the person who influenced me as a teacher to make science exciting for my students. “Science is all around,” he shared with me. “Kids are curious; have them ask questions about the world around them and discover answers together.” I remember that as a high school student, Chris worked on a 4-year science project examining the pituitary glands of Tilapia mossambica to see if they could slowly adapt from a freshwater to a seawater environment. Today, he has a PhD in genetics, is a professor at UC-Merced, and continues to learn. He collaborates on projects with scientists from all over the world. I truly believe that Chris was already interested in science when he got to high school, but his teacher recognized that working on a real-life project would give him the tools he would need in whatever field he chose to go into later in life. 

As educators, it’s not just about sciencing. It’s about igniting a passion in students for something they are interested in learning more about. It could be mathematics or history or art or music or literature or sports. Whatever it is, we should encourage students to ask questions and then teach them the skills they will need to explore and discover on their own or with others who have similar interests. With technology so readily available and mentors who are eager to support our young people, education can be much more meaningful for our youngsters.

I wish that Miss Wong could have lived long enough to see one of her students become a Nobel Prize winner. I am sure, though, that she is smiling proudly from above. Teachers have the power to influence and impact their students; let’s make sure we are helping the next generation to explore and discover answers to their questions by working on real-world problems just like Miss Wong did with her students.