Oʻahu educators completed spring break pilot
Posted: October 26, 2023
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association is reviving a popular program that connects teachers with local businesses so they can help their students become college and career-ready.
Approximately 10 participants will have the opportunity to work with Oʻahu-based business partners in a variety of industries, such as automotive, health care, banking, hospitality, and agriculture.
Program coordinator and former HSTA teacher leader Dana Shishido says the externship’s revival is incredibly important to support educators and students in a post-pandemic world.
“Isolation robbed students of the opportunity to form real-world connections, so now we’re finding many of them, especially our younger students, lack important communication and problem-solving skills, and a forward-looking perspective,” she said. “It’s our job as teachers to prepare them for the real world, to become strong members and future leaders of our society.”
The HSTA teacher externship program began in 2010 by Stacy Nishina, a public school teacher, longtime HSTA staff member, and tireless advocate for public education. The program was renamed the Stacy Nishina Teacher Internship Program after her passing.
“The goal of this program has always been to connect teachers with businesses so teachers can learn firsthand how they operate and what they’re looking for in their employees, then share these lessons with their students who will grow up to be potential employees in the future,” Shishido explained.
Pilot round completed in spring 2024 on Oʻahu
The pilot round of HSTA’s newly revived program, now called an externship, took place over spring break, March 18–22, 2024. It was open to elementary and middle school educators on Oʻahu.
Five HSTA members joined 10 other Hawaiʻi State Department of Education teachers to complete a five-day pilot externship at various Outrigger Hospitality locations, shadowing hotel staff on jobs like the reception desk, housekeeping, maintenance, human resources, and revenues and sales.
Grant coordinator for the program and HSTA Leeward Chapter UniServ Director Dana Shishido said of the hospitality pilot, “The amount or type of career opportunities are so vast. It’s our hope that the teachers can take this back and share it with their students, and share it with their colleagues.”
Participants who met all the requirements received a $1,000 stipend, made possible through a Grant in Aid award to the Hawaiʻi Foundation for Educators, a 501(c)(3) organization that works in partnership with the HSTA to provide Hawaiʻi’s educators with the quality training and professional development they need to support our keiki.
Shishido, the grant program coordinator, hopes that the program will expand in the future to allow for more teacher externships in other industries.
“We’re looking at everything trying to just build the entire community, and it’s so great to hear that the Outrigger made such a great impact on our teachers. Hopefully we are able to do this again in the future.”