Local bands and student musicians took to the stage of Honolulu's historic Hawaii Theatre last week to raise money to help teachers across the state continue to provide students with a high-quality education.
It was all a part of the Hawaii Foundation for Educators' annual "Teach our Future" benefit concert to help fund professional development and professional resources for teachers.
"It's really important to support teachers through professional development opportunities like the Hawaii Foundation for Educators, because it shows teachers that they're supported and ultimately it benefits the students that we serve in our classrooms," said Logan Okita, a Nimitz Elementary School teacher, according to an HFE press release. "Professional development can be really expensive for educators, and so to have that funding available to reimburse teachers once they've completed the program is an amazing resource, and it's a great benefit for teachers so that they know once it's completed, they'll have that money back in their pockets."
This year's concert featured performances by Eddie and the Coconuts, the Makaha Sons, Pure Heart and the Hawaii High School Saxophone Ensemble.
"For (the students) to perform in front of the teachers, many of them from the various schools that are here tonight, it really shows their honor and respect for them, but also their ability to give back within the community, and playing in the Hawaii Theatre is just awesome for these kids," Harris Nakamoto, Hawaii Foundation for Educators board member, said in the release.
The benefit concert brought in more than $40,000 for the nonprofit, according to the HFE press release.
According to the Hawaii State Teachers Association website, the organization represents about 13,700 public school teachers across the Aloha State.
The website noted that donations to the foundation are used to help pay for professional development classes and buy any resources the teacher needs for those classes, so that educators are not bearing the burden of added expenses to further their education.