ARTS FIRST: Building a Statewide Network for Arts Education

The power of storytelling in the classroom: How a statewide network is changing the landscape of arts education.

During the ARTS FIRST Retreat at HCF on April 21, 2026, artist Solomon Enos guided partners through
a collaborative art-making activity. Each participant colored an individual panel, which was combined
to create a single collective artwork. The experience demonstrated how the arts can foster
collaboration, strengthen relationships, and build connections.

Access isn’t equal when it comes to arts education in Hawai‘i.

While some schools have dedicated arts specialists and robust programming, others may rely on community partners and visiting teaching artists to encourage students’ creativity. Geographic distance, workforce shortfalls, and limited resources can make it difficult for educators, especially on the neighbor islands, to find the support they need.

Addressing these challenges requires more than any single organization can provide. Instead, it takes a network.

Fostering a Network to Increase Access to Arts Education

That’s the idea behind ARTS FIRST, a statewide coalition of educators, artists, nonprofit leaders, government agencies, and community partners working together to strengthen arts education throughout Hawai‘i. What began in 1999 as a legislative effort to create a strategic plan for local arts education has evolved into a robust network today that focuses on four key areas: advocacy, professional development, research, and expanding public awareness of arts resources.

“This network provides an opportunity to build connections among a diverse group of leaders whose organizations are focused on arts education,” said Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) Arts and Culture Program Director Elise von Dohlen.

Representing communities across Hawaiʻi, ARTS FIRST provides a forum for partners to share knowledge, identify gaps and priorities, and develop statewide solutions to challenges in arts education. Coordinated by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the network is strengthened through annual retreats and ongoing engagement co-convened by HCF.

“Grantmaking, of course, is a key strategy,” von Dohlen says. “But we’ve seen an even greater opportunity for us to help strengthen access to arts education and support collaboration through this network.”

Bridging Culture and Curriculum

ARTS FIRST is committed to advancing shared goals. One initiative championed by its Professional Development committee addresses the need for increased access to professional development opportunities for teachers on neighbor islands.

In response, HCF awarded funding to three organizations for professional development programs: Archive for Health, Arts, and Spirit (AHAS), Prince Dance Company, and When We Shine Foundation.

AHAS hosted “In Language There Is Life,” a professional development institute that emphasized the power of storytelling in the classroom. Designed to support new and early-career teachers, this one-day professional development institute held at University of Hawai‘i Maui College brought together 75 educators from across Hawai‘i, with 59 receiving stipends to attend. Through workshops, writing activities, and opportunities for reflection focused on arts integration and Hawaiian cultural values, teachers gained tools to foster joyful and culturally grounded classrooms.

Sparking Confidence in the Classroom

Organizers were astounded by the program’s reach. Following the event, educators reported greater confidence using culturally grounded teaching practices and left with practical ideas for incorporating storytelling, poetry, and even students’ home languages in their classrooms. Many described taking new approaches to teaching.

One teacher shared, “Since the conference, I’ve been leaning more intentionally into the power of language, connection, and relationship-building. I’ve been applying strategies that center student voice. The conference reminded me that culture, compassion, and aloha are not extras – they are foundation.”

Beyond the experience, the professional development grants were designed to test ideas and share insights with the greater ARTS FIRST network, helping other organizations broaden future arts education opportunities. These grants became part of a larger effort to build capacity across Hawai‘i. The result is a stronger foundation for arts education statewide.