In-person and virtual registrations are being accepted by Sept. 12
Posted: August 19, 2026
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association’s Human and Civil Rights Committee, along with the University of California, Los Angeles’ Foundations and Futures, will host a free teachers’ workshop exploring sovereignty, self-determination, and climate justice through multimedia resources and community-centered pedagogy.
The event will be held Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the HSTA Honolulu office. Dinner will be provided to in-person participants.
Guests may choose to participate in person or virtually when registering for the free event.
“Educators are at the heart of every movement for justice. This workshop will give you the tools, stories, and community to strengthen your curriculum and your organizing,” said Verona Holder, chair of HSTA’s Human and Civil Rights Committee, who teaches 5th grade at Mililani Waena Elementary.
Why should you be there?
- Explore sovereignty, self-determination, and climate justice through multimedia-rich, community-centered pedagogy.
- Unlock UCLA’s free Foundations and Futures Multimedia Textbook, a groundbreaking online resource created with over 200 scholars, featuring images, videos, poems, interviews, and archival documents from Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANPI) communities across the Pacific and the United States.
- Learn directly from Dr. Davianna Pomaika‘i McGregor, founder of the University of Hawai’i Mānoa’s Ethnic Studies Department and lead creator of the Native Hawaiian section of the textbook.
- Engage with movement-building strategies through a screening of “We Build Power,” a documentary on how Los Angeles educators revitalized their union, confronted racism, and built lasting coalitions.
- Participate in a live conversation with producer Arlene Inouye, offering insight into organizing, solidarity, and educator-led change.
During this workshop, educators will learn about UCLA’s free online comprehensive collection of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander histories and perspectives. Together with over 200 of the nation’s top scholars, subject experts, and curriculum developers, the online textbook features dozens of AANPI communities across the United States, its territories, and the Pacific. Participants will learn more about this resource, including how to access its images, videos, poems, interviews, and archival documents. Teachers will also have an opportunity to learn from Dr. Davianna Pomaika’i McGregor, the founder of the UH’s Ethnic Studies Department and lead creator of the Native Hawaiian section of this textbook.
The workshop will also feature a screening of the documentary “We Build Power.” The film explores urgent lessons and questions about how Los Angeles educators reinvigorated their union, fought racism, and built lasting community coalitions. A fast-paced, toolkit documentary for workers worldwide, the film features conversations with members and leaders of the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA). After the documentary, a conversation will be held with one of the film’s producers, Arlene Inouye.
See event flyer for details. This will be a child-friendly event. For more information or if you have questions, email HSTA Kaulike Specialist Chanel Wong at cwong@hsta.org.