Action Plan to Eliminate Discrimination in Hawai’i Schools by Miyah Soares

Goal

miyahsoares — 2025-10-07 08:00:53 UTC

Our overarching goal for this project is to eliminate racism in schools in Hawai’i, especially towards the Micronesian community.

We can break this goal up into two intermediate goals: better understanding of the discriminated groups, like the Compact of Free Association, and more resources to increase the graduation rate of the COFA and other discriminated communities in Hawai’i schools. There is no set time for this project but we will work on it until we are successful. This project will require help from the Department of Education, school administrators, and the community.

Objectives

miyahsoares — 2025-10-07 08:01:22 UTC

The objectives for our first intermediate goal, better understanding of the discriminated communities, are to hire more educators and administrators with diverse backgrounds and to incorporate a multicultural education in the school criteria, including a focus on the Micronesian culture. The areas that can be taught from the COFA culture are language, celebrations/holidays, and history.

The objectives for our second intermediate goal include financial aid set aside for oppressed students and a bigger support system, like counselors, tutors, and clubs. A few examples of financial aid that can be provided to help discriminated students are discounted/free bus passes, meal aid, and donated school supplies. The financial aid and support system will help the discriminated students feel cared for through any racism that may occur.

Tasks

miyahsoares — 2025-10-07 08:01:54 UTC

The tasks necessary to complete the objectives for the first intermediate goal is to recruit and encourage diverse educators and administrators to work in the Hawai’i school system. Another task is the Department of Education evaluating the current Hawai’i K-12 criteria to be more multicultural, and to dedicate a portion specifically for Micronesian and other Oceania history.

The tasks needed to accomplish the second intermediate goal is for the Department of Education to budget funding for financial aid for the discriminated students. The second task would be to create donation bins for school supplies. The third task is related to a task from the first intermediate goal, but recruiting caring and diverse counselors and tutors to support the students. The last task is to create and promote clubs in the community, like a “COFA Student and Family” club.

Responsibility

miyahsoares — 2025-10-07 08:02:53 UTC

The responsibility falls on many people for our overarching goal to be successful.

- The Department of Education is responsible for hiring diverse educators, administrators, and other supportive roles. The DOE is also responsible for revising the Hawai’i school criteria and to budget for financial aid.

- School administrators are responsible for making sure that the objectives are properly met.

- The community is responsible for cooperating and helping with donations, checking their own implicit bias against students, especially Micronesian students, and with clubs for the students.

Timeline

miyahsoares — 2025-10-07 08:03:12 UTC

There is no set timeline for this project but each task should be completed as soon as possible. It would be best for the DOE to begin evaluating their budget, criteria, and employees now. Following that could be the community starting clubs and donating. Ideally, this would be completed within the next couple of years.