All of Hawaii's 4th through 12th grade students are invited to participate in the 2009-2010 E OLA PONO Competition. This opportunity allows youngsters a chance to express their artistic, literary, and technical skills about an important topic:
E OLA PONO "Living with respect for everyone and in harmony with everything"
When youth create posters, produce videos, write stories, do interviews, or develop logos about a concept like pono, they get to think…deeply. They create, learn, share and ultimately they teach.
View former contest winners on this website to see heartfelt, creative messages with perceptive images of what harmony and respect look like. Youth who participated in former years demonstrated an eagerness to explore the universal concept PONO. They worked together (laulima) on a team entry or supported each other's own submissions to make sure their entries were high quality and completed on time. Educators who offered this project found that this assignment encouraged self reflection, which increased their students' pono choices.
Teachers are encouraged to consider how the concept of pono intersects with curricular expectations. Students can learn about people, places, and events through the lens of pono. The impact of the past on the present and future can be discussed by looking at what was pono then, what it looks like today, and what pono might evolve into for generations to come.
VIDEO OF E OLA PONO WINNERS FROM 2008-2009
Understanding pono goes way beyond content—it's a 21st Century life skill. E OLA PONO, living pono, is not a destination—it is a journey requiring ongoing attention, intention, and reflection.
Participation in the E OLA PONO Competition offers youngsters a focus for extending learning beyond class, giving them authentic work during days out of school, like “furlough Fridays”. Understanding pono is for everyone, so we invite community members as well as teachers to work with students on these submissions.
Please review the E OLA PONO Competition Website to see grade level categories and teaching resources. Then consider how you might help youngsters develop a deeper understanding of E OLA PONO, to live with respect and harmony for all.
With aloha from the competition sponsors,
Sara Banks, Coordinator: Creating Pono Schools Project
Coral Wong Pietsch, Commissioner Chair: Hawaii Civil Rights Commission
Office of Hawaiian Affairs
THIS COMPETITION IS ENDORSED BY HAWAI'I'S PUBLIC, PRIVATE & CHARTER SCHOOLS
A booklet and DVD featuring former art, writing, and video entries will be mailed to all previously participating schools. Free copies are available upon request, while supplies last.
