Jonathon Medeiros will bring global perspective, lessons to students at his alma mater
Posted: November 7, 2024
A Kauaʻi High language arts teacher and 19-year teaching veteran was chosen to represent Hawaiʻi in The NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship’s 2025 cohort.
Jonathon Medeiros will participate in the fellowship, which consists of 12 months of professional development curriculum and an international field study to integrate global competence into his daily instruction.
He will join Laura Cummings, a science and math teacher at Sunset Beach Elementary, and they will be two representatives from Hawaiʻi in the program.
The fellowship brings together 48 educators from 35 states and Japan and centers on deepening global competency skills that empower students to excel and flourish as they navigate our interconnected world.
Medeiros said because he is always trying to push himself and learn from others in various situations, he found the opportunity compelling enough to apply.
“I’m always focused on helping the kids think about their place, where they live, and being curious about Kauaʻi and their smaller communities, like, ‘What does it mean to be here?’ ‘How do they connect to these communities?’ and, ‘What is their connection to communities beyond Kauaʻi?’”
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.
“When I’m in a group of educators like this, I learn so much from the other teachers. They come from across the continent with various experiences and backgrounds,” Medeiros said.
He also said he’s excited for the international field study in Costa Rica in June. Over the course of ten days, he’ll learn how the country uses public education to boost its prosperity and literacy rates, and he hopes to take lessons on sustainability home to Hawaiʻi.
“We balance development and tourism with preserving Hawaiʻi, so I’m interested in learning those kinds of ideas from another place,” he said.
Medeiros hopes the experience will encourage his students and colleagues to look outward more than they currently do and see things with a global lens.
“It’s easy to forget that we’re not alone. We’re in a community of communities. If I get something from my community, I need to give something back. If we act like we’re the only communities on the globe, we’re going to continue to damage this planet.”
He said he’s grateful for his union and the NEA for continuing to provide meaningful opportunities for professional development. He encourages his colleagues to take a leap of faith and pursue similar opportunities.
Applications for the 2026 cohort open in December, and Medeiros said, “I would encourage teachers that anytime they feel a spark of curiosity, to pursue that curiosity. It might feel daunting, but it’s worth it to put yourself out there.”