This curated list, compiled by SFCA staff, contains free educational resources accessible online.
Any reference to a specific product, process, service or producer does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the SFCA or the State of Hawai‘i (SOH). The views and opinions expressed in any referenced document do not necessarily reflect those of the SFCA or SOH. The SFCA cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked websites, therefore users are responsible to gain such permissions as required.
Hawai‘i State Archives staff have uploaded numerous finding aids for your perusal, digitized materials and online exhibitions that you can access free of charge as follows:
Hawaiian Mission Houses Education Resource Center activities and tours (including distance-learning formats).
A suite of free teacher resources to download and use in classrooms.
Kona Historical Society Digital Resources includes online content on stories of Kona, virtual exhibits, and online videos. Ideal for upper elementary, good for all ages.
Laurel Nakanishi: Online Education: This interactive video series features poetry writing lessons, prompts, and art projects to get children (Grades 3-5) writing from home. Join our Artistic Teaching Partner, poet Laurel Nakanishi, as she guides you through poetry writing and making a craft for each poem. She has also compiled a Creative Writing Library. Ideal for grades 3-5, and anyone is invited to participate.
PIC for Educators: Multimedia teaching aids and lesson plans for bringing Pacific Islander culture into the classroom. Organized by grade levels 6 – 8, 9 – 10, and 11 – 12.
Professional Development classes on the fine arts and arts integration are offered several times a year for classroom teachers. State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education (DOE) teachers can sign up to receive Professional Development and Educational Research Institute (PDERI) credit for these classes. The goal is to help teachers gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to teach standards-based fine arts in their own classrooms.
DOE teachers should check the DOE PDERI website for current classes.
The classes are coordinated by the Honolulu Theatre for Youth with funding from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawaiʻi and the National Endowment for the Arts.
In addition to classes, the ARTS FIRST Partners sponsor Summer Institutes in June – one on Maui, and one on Oahu – four full days of arts learning for classroom teachers! The SFCA contributes funding for these institutes. Go to Maui Arts & Cultural Center and Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance to find out more about the Summer Institutes.