Pua Fernandez will bring global perspective, lessons to her Hilo Intermediate classroom

Hilo Intermediate’s seventh-grade history students will soon be thinking on a global scale thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for their social studies teacher.

Pualeilani Fernandez, a Hawaiian history teacher at Hilo Intermediate, was chosen to represent Hawaiʻi in the 2023 cohort of the NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship. The fellowship brings together 50 educators from around the country to engage in 10 months of professional development curriculum, capped off with an international field study to integrate global competence into their daily instruction.

Fernandez first learned of the opportunity through an issue of “NEA Today” magazine and was immediately drawn to the prospect of learning new things that she could pass on to her students.

“I wanted to apply because I love learning,” she said. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to build professional development and create and build resources with other teachers as well. “

Born and raised on Kauaʻi, Fernandez now lives and teaches on Hawaiʻi Island. This is her sixth year in the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education. She had worked as a substitute teacher for eight years before deciding to get licensed and certified as a teacher.

Fernandez said, “I wanted to give my students opportunities in education and get them ready for college. I wanted to teach them things that I didn’t get when I was in school.”

She called the process of applying for the fellowship “long and rigorous,” but completed the application little by little. She submitted it in April and was notified in early August that she would be the fellow representing Hawaiʻi.

Over the course of the program, fellows are supported by the NEA Foundation staff, partners, and other field experts as they work through approximately 160 hours of professional development, which includes monthly webinars, readings and reflections, a two-day conference in Washington, D.C., and a summer international field study. Fellows also must complete a capstone project that allows learning from the fellowship to be shared with educators beyond the program.

While Fernandez looks forward to gaining valuable leadership skills from the fellowship, she’s most eager to implement what she learns in her classroom.

The NEA Foundation wants “to educate us and make sure we can teach our students how to be good active global citizens,” she said. “The Hawaiian Studies curriculum does a fairly good job of showing how Hawaiʻi is connected to the world even though it is a small island. In Hawaiian history, we can make a lot of those connections. But are we making enough? Can the students grasp those connections? Can they connect themselves to a larger community outside of Hilo? It really comes down to, how can I bring what I learn back into the classroom?”

Fernandez’s international field study will take place in South Africa next summer. For about two weeks, she and other fellows will immerse themselves in culture, visit historic sites, learn about the country’s educational system, visit schools, and more.

“I want to share these things with my students as well,” Fernandez said. “A lot of students don’t get to leave Hilo, let alone go to interisland. There are so many opportunities out there. Don’t limit yourself. Think big, dream big.”

Fernandez thanked the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association for ensuring these wider connections are possible. “HSTA is a great network. There’s so many things you guys offer us and we need to take advantage of whatever we can,” she said.

Applications for the 2024 cohort open this fall, and Fernandez encourages members to apply. “It’s a great opportunity for any educator in Hawaiʻi. It allows us to broaden our minds and experiences, and hopefully, we can share that with others,” she said.