Bill > HB1491

This bill, known as the "Education for Sustainability and Cultural Competency Act," aims to comprehensively integrate climate education, environmental sustainability, and indigenous knowledge into Hawaii's public education system. For K-12 schools, the Department of Education will develop a statewide curriculum that includes hands-on learning about environmental issues, partnerships with local cultural practitioners, and civic engagement opportunities focused on sustainability. The bill requires the department to create teacher training programs to support educators in effectively teaching these topics and to conduct annual sustainability audits across school campuses. For the University of Hawaii system, the bill mandates that every student must complete a series of climate education and environmental sustainability courses before graduation, regardless of their major. The university must also establish sustainability practices like creating living laboratories for renewable energy research and offering internships focused on sustainability. Additionally, the university will conduct annual sustainability audits to track progress in integrating these principles into their campuses' curriculum and operations. The underlying motivation is to align Hawaii's education system with principles of aloha ?aina (love of land), preparing students to address climate challenges while fostering cultural competency and traditional ecological knowledge.

Education

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1491&year=2026