PBLWorks Celebrates the High-Quality Project Based Learning (PBL) Accomplishments of School Leaders in 84 Hawaii Schools

Educators participated in the multi-year Hawaii Innovative Leader Network to hone their PBL skills through professional development, networking and support

Novato, CA (September 24, 2024) – The Buck Institute for Education (dba PBLWorks) recently celebrated the successes and highlights of its Hawaii Innovative Leader Network (HILN), a multi-year initiative that has engaged 99 school leaders from 84 schools across five Hawaii islands.

The initiative was led by the nonprofit PBLWorks, which provides professional development to help leaders and teachers implement high-quality Project Based Learning.  During the initiative, which was funded by the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, leaders collaborated, shared best practices and worked together to gain a deeper understanding of how to enhance the student experience through Project Based Learning.

Participants described the impact the HILN and Project Based Learning has had on both educators and students.

“It’s tremendous to see how PBL has helped us start to cultivate a co-creator mindset where leaders and teachers, and teachers and students, co-create things that are exciting to learn about—things that make a difference and have an impact not only on ourselves but also on our community that surrounds us, said Denise Karratti, vice principal of Waimea High School on the island of Kauai.”

“I saw a huge increase in engagement, of students connecting with each other, as well as feeling they were being seen and heard especially in a time of crisis,” added Ryan Mandado, CEO of DreamHouse ‘Ewa Beach Public Charter School, which opened shortly before the COVID19 pandemic school shutdowns. “PBL really helped us get through it and I really recommend we continue PBL practices to connect with all of our students.”

The HILN, which concluded this summer after more than eight years, is one of several leadership network programs created by PBLWorks to support school and district leaders. PBLWorks launched statewide School Leader Networks in Massachusetts and in Kentucky and is currently recruiting for a New York City School Leader Network, which launches this fall.

“When it comes to implementing Project Based Learning, strong leadership is as important as having support from a community of like-minded peers,” said PBLWorks CEO Bob Lenz. “Our PBL School Leader Networks (SLN) provide an opportunity for education leaders to connect and learn from one another as they go through their PBL journeys and we are looking forward to hearing many more success stories through our future leader networks like our upcoming SLN launching in New York City this fall.”

For more information about PBLWorks’ School Leader Networks and how to get involved, visit https://www.pblworks.org/school-leader-networks-sln.

About PBLWorks

The Buck Institute for Education/PBLWorks believes that all students, especially Black and Brown students, should have access to high quality Project Based Learning to deepen their learning and achieve success in college, career, and life. Its focus is on building the capacity of teachers to design and facilitate quality Project Based Learning, and on supporting school and system leaders in creating the conditions for these teachers to succeed with all students.