Joe Kent, center, with some of the students he met with during a presentation at Punahou School.
The former teacher, Grassroot’s longtime executive VP, discussed Hawaii’s problems and some ways to help solve them
Grassroot Executive Vice President Joe Kent built some bridges this week to the younger generation during a visit to Melissa Kamakawiwo‘ole‘s “Participation in Democracy” class at Punahou School in Makiki.
Kent, a former teacher at King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lahaina, was invited by Kamakawiwoole to speak about civic engagement and public policy to her class of about 30 10th-grade students.
Kent’s main audio-visual aid during his one-hour visit was a Jenga game that he uses to illustrate how an economic system can collapse if certain parts are not maintained or protected appropriately.
When he was done, the main question of the students was, basically, “OK, now that we know the problems, what do we do to solve them?” And Kent, of course, gave them Grassroot’s take on what policy options would be ideal.
If you are a teacher and would like Kent or any other member of the Grassroot staff to present to your students, please call Grassroot at 808-864-1776 or email info@grassrootinstitute.org.
