​​In anticipation of the World Conservation Congress (WCC) convening in Hawai'i in September, the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) has created educator resources for teachers, students and schools to participate and contribute in this global gathering.

"Our curriculum staff have created resources for schools statewide to create innovative lessons around this momentous event," said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi.  "This is an exciting opportunity for our schools to supplement what is already being taught and shaped by our students to stress the importance of sustainability and natural resource management."

HIDOE's Resource Bank is available online and provides grade-specific lessons relevant to the themes of the WCC and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) including biodiversity, food and water security, and climate change. Teachers are encouraged to access and utilize the materials to enhance place-based science instruction.

"The goal of the Resource Bank is to provide educators with a starting point to find instructional materials," noted Suzanne Mulcahy, assistant superintendent, Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Student Support. "It complements our current initiatives – Nā Hopena A'o, New Generation Science Standards, and Mālama Honua."

The Resource Bank is separated into two sections – a set of online collections of teaching resources applicable to the themes of IUCN and WCC, many of which are based in the context of Hawai'i; and a list of grade-specific lessons with highlighted connections to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards. A few of the resources available online include:

• NOAA's Sea Earth Atmosphere Curriculum: Elementary marine science curriculum developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with a focus on Hawai'i and the Pacific.
• Project Aloha 'Āina: Project- and place-based units developed by the Native Hawaiian Education Council in partnership with Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Units include wetlands, ahupua'a, stream life, conservation, and coral reefs.
• Navigating Change: Lessons based on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands developed by the Native Hawaiian Education Council in partnership with Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.
• 'Ōhia Project Curriculum: Lessons developed by the Moanalua Gardens Foundation (MGF), along with Bishop Museum and HIDOE, based on conserving Hawai'i's natural environment.

The theme of this year's WCC is "Planet at the Crossroads." The IUCN holds a WCC every four years that brings thousands of scientists, leaders and decision makers from around the globe together with the goals of environmental conservation and developing solutions to global challenges. This will be the first time it's convening in the US since it started in 1948.