Devin Oshiro, 2021 Ka Ho‘oulu Innovation Award recipient. (Photo courtesy of Chaminade)
Chaminade University’s Center for Strategy and Innovation in partnership with Hawaii Catholic Schools last month announced the two recipients of the 2021 Ka Ho‘oulu Innovation Awards.
Winning the individual award was Devin Oshiro, principal of Saint Louis School. Taking the institution award was St. Joseph School in Waipahu.
The awards recognize innovation that has “greatly advanced Catholic education in Hawaii.”
Oshiro worked collaboratively with his school’s faculty to create a diverse learning environment. Their system of aina-based learning, global learning, personalized learning, whole group learning and learning specific to young men resulted in higher grades, improved standardized test scores and the school’s highest enrollment in 20 years.
St. Joseph School integrated a community-wide Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum to address a much-needed facet for their students. It partnered with the Institute of Social and Emotional Learning and formed an internal SEL committee to develop a curriculum through faculty and staff workshops to develop an understanding of the process and reinforce SEL as essential to student achievement.
The Ka Ho‘oulu Innovation Awards were created in 2020 to recognize outstanding educators from Hawaii Catholic schools. Award applicants submit projects that exemplify the Catholic worldview, support quality academics, integrate technology and promote operational vitality.
“We are so delighted to sponsor this award,” said Helen Turner, vice president of Chaminade’s Center for Strategy and Innovation. The winners represent an educational system “where teachers and administrators are continuously innovating in support of their students and their shared mission to provide high quality, affordable education.”