Islands Society Appoints Charity Porotesano Interim Director of 'Islands in the Classroom' Program

Sept. 2, 2015 - PRLog -- The Islands Society is proud to welcome Charity Porotesano from America Samoa, to lead the Islands Society's flagship regional education program, 'Pacific Islands in the Classroom.' As an experienced educator and Truman Scholar, Ms. Porotesano will be responsible for connecting educators in the Pacific while curating lesson plans that focus on three local themes namely history, culture and peoples as well as a global theme namely climate change. She will also act as interim Director of the global 'Islands in the Classroom' initiative.

'Charity is an exceptional young leader and active advocate for education who could not be better placed to lead this important initiative' says Keiko Ono, Vice President of the Islands Society. 'Her experience and commitment to improving the access, quality and content of education in the Pacific is outstanding and I very much look forward to working with her in building the program.'

'I am very excited to lead this program' says Charity Porotesano. 'In my experience as a former student in American Samoa, there has been very little education on our Pacific region and island neighbors. I hope that this program will provide students with knowledge of the region and, therefore, the tools needed to lead our region through the challenges we face today and tomorrow from climate change to diversification of economies. Pacific islands lack many natural resources, but together through education, we can thrive.'

Mission:
We will prepare our students to gain the critical thinking skills needed to understand the issues facing their communities.

Goals:
1. To teach history and culture of diverse communities
2. To expose students to global social issues around the world
3. To facilitate discussion of issues facing Island communities

For more information on the 'Pacific Islands in the Classroom' please contact Charity at charity@islandssociety.org

About the Islands Society
The Islands Society is an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that develops and implements projects that inspire and empower islanders around the world. These projects are currently organized around two main themes: community projects and next generation leaders. The community projects center on nine issue areas, including charity, conservation, democracy, disaster relief, education, equality, health, innovation, and sustainability. Meanwhile, the next generation leader projects support artists, athletes, chefs, incubators, musicians, policymakers, storytellers, and technologists.
See: www.islandssociety.org

Pacific Islands Society
The Pacific Islands Society a constituent society of the Islands Society. It is dedicated to promoting promoting stronger people-people relations between the Pacific Island Countries and beyond through speaking series, cultural events and annual campaigns.
See: www.islandssociety.org/subsocieties/pacific-islands-society/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PacificIslandsSociety
About the 'Islands in the Classroom' Program

About the 'Islands in the Classroom' Initiative

The 'Islands in the Classroom' initiative is a global program aimed at connecting educators collaborating to build curricula by and for island communities. Focusing on K-12 curricula, educators are invited to join a global network working to support the quality and content of curricula in their respective classrooms. As a unique collaborative project, educators will also be supported in enriching students' learning experiences by incorporating the use of free technologies and commons resources. Through this initiative, teachers and students can promote awareness of issues critical to islanders in the classrooms around the world and foster a greater appreciation of their unique cultures and experiences.

About the 'Pacific Islands in the Classroom'

The 'Pacific Islands in the Classroom' program is the first regional program under the Pacific Islands in the Classroom initiative. Covering K12 teachers from the Pacific region, teachers will be provided a global network to help support and celebrate local cultures, histories and communities on a global platform.


About Keiko Ono

Keiko Ono is the current Vice-President of the Islands Society. Borne of Japanese – Papua New Guinean descent, she was primarily raised between nine countries in South-East Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands. Prior to joining the Pacific Islands Society, Keiko studied Politics and Development at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London. She has since served as one of three Presidents in SOAS Students Union, worked as a researcher for a Zambian NGO and developed experience as an educator in Tokyo working with the Japan-based international NGO, Peace Boat.