Ulupono expands climate education partnership with PBS Hawaiʻi

Apr 08, 2025

Ulupono Initiative is pleased to sponsor PBS Hawaiʻi's efforts to transform its acclaimed climate change series into classroom curriculum, extending educational resources to K-12 students nationwide.

As a founding sponsor of PBS Hawaiʻi's "Mauka to Makai: Our Kuleana" climate change initiative, Ulupono will support Phase 2 of the program, which converts the series' compelling climate stories into standards-aligned curriculum on PBS Learning Media.

The curriculum, scheduled to launch on April 22, Earth Day 2025, will include a popular episode, “Youth Advocates Behind Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation” settlement. The episode documents how youth climate activists successfully challenged state government, resulting in a landmark settlement agreement accelerating Hawaiʻi’s progress toward its 2045 zero emissions goals. Young advocates share firsthand accounts of climate change impacts on their communities, demonstrating how grassroots youth activism can create meaningful policy change.

As part of the PBS Learning Media curriculum, this inspiring case study provides students nationwide with a lesson in the power of civic engagement and the legal frameworks that can advance climate action through Hawai‘i’s unique cultural and environmental context. PBS Learning Media serves millions of teachers and students across the country, providing access to thousands of digital resources and instructional materials. This expansion will broaden the audience for Hawaiʻi’s climate stories from a primarily local viewership to a nationwide network of educators.

“It is exciting to see the story behind the landmark case involving Hawai‘i’s youth continue to be shared, this time to a nationwide audience and on an educational platform,” said Murray Clay, president of Ulupono Initiative. “This opportunity allows for students to learn from their peers in another state, while highlighting Hawaiʻi's unique environmental challenges and community-based solutions.”

The initiative aligns with Ulupono's mission to improve the quality of life for island residents through sustainability solutions in clean transportation, renewable energy, local food production, and freshwater management.

For more information about the “Mauka to Makai: Our Kuleana” series, visit www.pbshawaii.org/mauka-to-makai. To explore PBS Learning Media resources, visit www.pbslearningmedia.org.