How Can Students Help?

 On Tuesday, August 8, we were traveling to Las Vegas to visit our son and grandsons. We took the red-eye, and when we met up with them for breakfast on Wednesday, our son asked if we heard about the fire in Lahaina. “It’s really bad,”  he said. “People were jumping in the ocean to get away from the flames.” It was difficult to believe. The TV was on in the restaurant, and we watched in disbelief. These past few days have been difficult as the number of fatalities keep rising and the photos and videos show a town that has been devastated and destroyed. In an island community like ours, people are all connected, and it’s hard not to know someone who has been impacted by the fire.

I remember the trips we took to Lahaina to watch the boys play tennis years ago. I remember the trip Randy and I took back in 2006, walking through the town and seeing the iconic banyan tree . I remember our trip to Maui in 2017 and our walk through historic Lahaina town (read my blog here). Most of the landmarks I recall are now gone. 

Randy and I visited the museum and the courthouse on our last visit to Lahaina. So many artifacts and historical pieces were lost in the fire. 

We were discussing this tragic occurrence with our grandsons. What caused it? Could it have been prevented? How has climate change impacted our world, and how can we prevent another Lahaina fire, not just here in Hawai`i, but in other parts of the world? I recall visiting Maui a few months ago and seeing so much land that is now vacant once the sugar and pineapple companies left the island. What other ways can we use that agricultural land? We are the most isolated land mass on Earth, and we need to learn from this tragedy as Lahaina is rebuilt.

I recall the students at our school making a difference for others - 3rd graders doing chores around their home and collecting funds for the Red Cross after Hurricane Sandy; 3rd and 5th graders collecting items for homeless shelters; 1st graders spearheading a school-wide school supplies drive for students at a school in Houston after Hurricanes Harvey. These are just a few of the projects our students were involved in to show empathy for others who had or were experiencing major challenges in their life. 

Students learned about “wants and needs” via this project to help students their age who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. 

Hawai`i residents are already donating goods and opening up their hearts and their wallets to the people of Lahaina who are and will continue to be impacted by this tragic fire. As an educator and a former principal, I hope that schools from around Hawai`i and the country will see this as an opportunity to have students ask questions, come up with ideas, and to make a difference for Lahaina. Four schools have been impacted by the fire (Hawaii News Now report) and King Kamehameha III Elementary School was completely destroyed. I remember seeing the school on my last visit to Lahaina. The school has and will continue to have a long and honored history (Read about the school’s history here.). This is truly a school that has the support of its community. 

I often share this Native America quote: “We don’t inherit this world from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” Our young people are much more aware of the problems we face in our world today. They will be the problem-finders and creative problem-solvers we need to make this world a better place for all of us. Schools can be where students can become passionate and active learners to truly make a difference in our world. They should be asking questions, searching for answers, discussing, collaborating, sharing, and gaining the skills they need to be contributing members of our society. 

That’s what school could be. Let’s work together to make school relevant in this changing world.