For a decade now, one Honolulu charter school has nurtured students to be stewards of the Earth.
The School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, known as SEEQS, has offered a new approach to education for children in grades six to eight, and is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Buffy Cushman-Patz, executive director of the SEEQS Charter School, started as a middle and high school teacher herself.
She has always believed that education should be interdisciplinary.
“Frankly, every school that I know of…didn’t allow students the opportunity to see the connections between all the different subjects,” Cushman-Patz said.
“What if we could help students see the connection, for example, between science and history?”
SEEQS holds town halls where students, affectionately referred to as "SEEQers," and adults can present ideas and suggest changes to the school.
Days start at 8:30 a.m., later than many other public schools, so students can come to class well-rested.
Once they arrive, students jump straight into physical activity or group advisory time.
“So there’s play first thing in the morning,” Cushman-Patz explained.
The school curriculum revolves around its “portfolio defense system,” which teaches them sustainability skills. The program aims to turn students into effective citizens of the world.
At the end of eighth grade, students “defend readiness to move on to high school,” said Cushman-Patz, by using evidence from project-based classes to show their personal growth and their critical thinking skills.
“They’re reflecting on their ability to think systemically and communicate powerfully,” Cushman-Patz said.
Such an original approach to middle school education has proven to be effective. On average, SEEQS students perform up to 29 points higher than other Hawaiʻi students on standardized tests.
Cushman-Patz is proud of everything her school has accomplished in the past decade. She hopes the next 10 years will bring even more success.
“We have students who are in industries throughout the state, and they're bringing this perspective of sustainability, deep understanding of complex issues of sustainability into every realm in every field,” Cushman-Patz said.
In 20 years, she hopes to have seekers all over the state.
This interview aired on The Conversation on June 14, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. This interview was adapted for the web by Emily Tom.
