Four Native American tribes once inhabited the territory that now comprises Tulsa, OK, where students of Rachel Langley and Jesse Wren attend school. Additionally, one-third of their students are descendants of Tribal Peoples. But how does one teach elementary students about complex topics such as land rights and Tribal sovereignty? Jesse and Rachel chose to learn from a community (and state) that’s made great strides to reclaim their own indigenous heritage – Hawaii. 

The Fellow team wrote in their 2025 grant proposal: “Late in the 20th Century, Hawaii began a ‘Cultural Renaissance’ with a focus on preserving what had been lost. This Hawaiian story parallels the history of Oklahoma…By using the stories of others, students will be able to make connections and draw comparisons that will allow them to make decisions that will impact their own community. As Tulsa tries to reconnect to its roots in Native culture, students can use the examples from Hawaii to deepen their understanding of what it means to preserve culture without losing its authenticity.” 

What that meant for Rachel and Jesse was researching Hawaiian traditions and history while experiencing that unique ecosystem to create interdisciplinary projects exploring cultural preservation of Oklahoma’s Native American communities. 

“Convincing our selection committee of a teacher’s need to learn in tropical sites like Hawaii is a tough sell,” said Karen Eckhoff, Fund for Teachers executive director. “These teachers made it clear that, for them, Hawaii wasn’t a vacation, but a necessary destination to deepen students’ cultural competency, awareness and appreciation.” 

Rachel felt this, both in the writing and pursuit of their fellowship. 

“Planning an educational experience to a tourist destination is difficult,” she said. “Even with the research we did prior to our adventure, we found that many itinerary spots had been westernized. (One person used the term “Disney-d.”) I soon discovered that my best experiences came from the people I met along the way. Once we explained that we were teachers looking at what it means to reclaim indigenous culture, people were more than willing to share their history, struggles, and stories.” 

Instead of staying at a resort, Jesse and Rachel stayed in private residences. They avoided tourist sites in favor of learning led by Indigenous Hawaiian and Pacific Islander people. Exploring Hawaii’s Plantation Village offered insight into the lives of diverse Indigenous groups who contributed to Hawaii’s sugar industry from 1850–1950 and provided a lens for discussing themes like cultural adaptation, labor history, and social equity. Service learning came in the form of volunteering at the He’eia Fishpond, a cultural site lost to large corporate farming practices for sugar and pineapple and now being reclaimed as a touchstone of Hawaiian heritage.  

“Volunteering with Paepae o He’eia to restore the ancient He’eia Fishpond was transformative,” said Jesse. “The hands-on work tied to cultural preservation deepened my understanding of ecological and Indigenous restoration. Another powerful moment came from sailing with a Native Hawaiian family, where we prepared food, heard oral legends, and joined a sunset ceremony. Both experiences showed that true learning begins with respect, relationships, and community-rooted knowledge.”

Rachel and Jesse are now intent on translating their experiential learning to students in multiple ways, starting with their 120-acre school campus. Collaborating with an Ohio classroom through the National Air and Space Museum’s Teacher Innovator Institute, students are applying the design cycle to reimagine their own school grounds as spaces for inquiry, collaboration, and cultural storytelling. The school in Ohio is contributing ecological expertise, and our school is sharing Indigenous perspectives on honoring the land. “Through data collection, podcasting, and cross-campus consulting, students are becoming both designers and stewards while discovering that outdoor learning is not just about science. It’s about identity, belonging, and respect for the places we inhabit,” said Jesse. 

“This exchange continues the spirit of our Hawaiian fellowship,” continued Jesse, “connecting young people to the land and to one another through creativity, cultural understanding, and hands-on environmental learning. It also demonstrates how lessons rooted in Indigenous wisdom can shape not just classrooms, but the way future generations imagine and care for their world.” 

Once upon a time, an elementary school librarian became a Fund for Teachers Fellow, and her fairy tale dreams became a reality. It really did feel like a whirlwind fairy tale. Back in January of 2023, a friend of mine reached out to me about working together on a FFT grant. I was hesitant at first, because life felt very busy at the time, but after only a little convincing I agreed. However, the application’s due date was around the corner, so we got to work right away!

Hailey Wansick and I are both librarians, but she is a librarian at a high school, and I’m at an elementary school. We decided on fairy tales, because fairy tales and their lessons are for everyone. They have spanned hundreds of years, and they continue to enchant generations as retellings and fractured fairy tales are consistently being published today. After some research, we decided to focus on England, Germany, and France. We wanted to create a deeper understanding of fairy tale origins and their importance, promote excitement for and interest in reading, and enhance our library collections. We wanted to learn more about fairy tale pioneers like Madame d’Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, and the Brothers Grimm. When I got the email that said our proposal had been selected, and I was officially a Fellow, I ran to my principal’s office with tears in my eyes! 

A few months later, Hailey and I flew into France, ready to start our adventure. Over the following two weeks, we traveled from France to Germany and then to England. We walked the streets of Paris and the Gardens of Versailles. We visited towns along the Fairy Tale Route in Germany. One of our favorite stops was GRIMMWELT Kassel in Kassel, Germany. GRIMMWELT Kassel is a Brothers Grimm museum. We learned so much about the Brothers Grimm, their inspirations, and their life works. Our last stop was England. Before the trip, I had been in contact with the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries as well as the British Library. We were able to go through the process of acquiring library cards and gained access to their special collections. Being able to see and touch rare fairy tale books was this librarian’s dream come true!  My fellowship made me realize I have so much more to learn about fairy tales! I still feel this way. There is such a rich and extensive history surrounding fairy tales. 
After I got back home it was time to work on bringing the magic to my students. Fairy Tale Week was born. I collaborated with my specials team on making Fairy Tale Week a reality. Students would have fairy tale-themed lessons in all of their specials classes: music, PE, art, STEM, and library. We would have a dress-up day on the Friday of that week, because who doesn’t want to dress up like a fairy tale character or creature? In November 2023 we had our first Fairy Tale Week, and it was a magical success. Students drew castles, dragons, and king and queen portraits. They played fairy tale games, and created their own fractured fairy tales. They participated in a musical storytelling and a Disney sing-a-long. They also competed in fairy tale STEM-related challenges.

The week had been like a dream, but as I read stories to all of my classes that week, I realized many of my students were unfamiliar with the original fairy tales. To address this gap, this year I spent more time reading classic fairy tales to all of my students in preparation for Fairy Tale Week. Our second annual Fairy Tale Week was in January 2025, and it was once again filled with fairy tale-themed lessons in all of the specials classes. Fairy Tale Friday was especially fun! Classes gathered in the gym for enrichment during specials, where they heard the story of Rumplestiltskin, played a kingdom-defending game, and showed off their wonderful costumes. Both Fairy Tale Weeks wouldn’t have been as magical without my team. With my whole team on board, we were able to create a special week for all of our students! Recently, I have had teachers express a desire to have additional grades collaborate with us in the future. It will be interesting to see how Fairy Tale Week evolves. 

I’m so grateful to have been awarded this grant and to be able to call myself a Fund for Teachers Fellow. This experience has created in me a lifelong interest in fairy tales and a desire to share them with my students. I was able to present, along with Hailey Wansick, about our fellowship at the 2024 Oklahoma Library Association conference as well as during an Oklahoma School Librarians (OKSL) Learning Module over the summer. It was an honor to share with others about this special professional development opportunity and encourage them to apply! People often ask me what my favorite fairy tale is, and I have such a difficult time answering this question, because I know I have so many more fairy tales to read and discover! However, if I have to choose, Little Red Riding Hood is a forever favorite. National Tell a Fairy Tale Day is on February 26th, and I encourage everyone to take this opportunity to share with others a tale as old as time! 

Today the world remembers the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which took place 79 years ago and resulted in the formal surrender of Japan and the end of World War II. When Ariel Warshaw remembered this pivotal moment in history, she also realized that her viewpoint lacked global perspective, as well as the peace that was catalyzed post-mortem.

“The reality of living in the US is that my understanding of histories, perspectives, and cultures beyond a Eurocentric lens is not as authentic as I want it to be. I aspire to have a more multidimensional mastery of my content area by exploring non-Western history in a deep way,” wrote Ariel in her Fund for Teachers grant proposal. “Most importantly, I’m committed to turning my students’ knowledge into action. I want us all to consider the lessons in these survivors’ testimonies and use them to drive change in our communities. I prioritize this philosophy at this stage in my career.”

Her overarching goals of the fellowship were to:

• -Witness and learn about what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 79 years ago, placing value on the power of place;
• -Document conversations with hibakusha, peace activists, and local educators (via transcribed interview, digital recording, photos, etc.) for my students; and,
• -Explore the ways Japanese culture has reconciled with the legacy of the atomic bombs and WWII.
  
  

Upon hearing that she was selected as a 2024 FFT Fellow, Ariel promptly created the Instagram feed @whereswarshaw and posted this: “I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been named a Fund for Teachers Fellow! This grant will allow me to explore the experiences of the hibakusha (survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings), and examine how culture has influenced reconstruction, reconciliation, and peace studies in both traditional and modern Japanese society. I’ll be visiting Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kyoto, and Osaka in July! My goal is to develop a unit focusing on the atomic bombings, utilizing oral history, primary sources, and personal testimonies. Follow along on my adventure!”

Ariel’s students and their families were also thrilled, and immediately got to work folding 1,000 paper cranes to create a “senbazuru” for her to hang at The Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park while on her fellowship.

We encourage you to visit Ariel’s Instagram feed where she thoughtfully shared images and reflections from her 16-day fellowship. Below, we share her reflections specifically related to the bombing and the hibakusha with whom she met…

Day 1

Day 1 in Tokyo! I landed at 2:30pm, wound my way through customs and immigration, and finally made it to my hotel. By the time I checked in, it was 4:30 – I grabbed a quick bite at the conbini on the corner (egg salad sandos totally live up to the hype!) and decided to give the metro system a spin! I found myself at Tokyo Skytree – the world’s tallest tower at 634 meters! It was a perfect way to get a bird’s eye view of this massive and marvelous city. At the top, there was a place to select a ribbon and write a wish for humanity – people then tied these ribbons on the viewing platform. It was a beautiful way to ground my thinking around this adventure – how does the desire for peace take hold in societies, and what lessons did the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in particular have on Japanese society’s pursuit of peace.

Day 4

Hiroshima: Wow. What a day! I took an early morning Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Hiroshima. The nearly 4-hour ride passes lots of small towns, which were beautiful to see, and I was able to see Mt. Fuji, too! As soon as I arrived in Hiroshima, I fell in love with it. Such a casual and caring atmosphere, stunning bridges, and quirky details. After a quick bite, I made my way to the Children’s Peace Memorial so that I could finally hang the incredible senbazuru – 1000 origami cranes – that our school community created. It was a really meaningful moment. I then explored the Peace Museum itself – the permanent exhibit is remarkable and heartbreaking. It contained a plethora of artifacts from victims and survivors – clothes, toys, journals, postcards, audio and video testimonies, and so on. There was also an entire section devoted to Sadako Sasaki, replete with cranes she herself had folded. After the museum, I met with Yoko Mimura-san, from the World Friendship Center, who guided me through the Peace Memorial Park – she taught me about a variety of structures found in the park, the significance of each, the history of the area, why Hiroshima was chosen to be bombed, and how the city has reconciled itself with their tragic past and inspired future.

Day 5

Hiroshima: Today was remarkable. In the morning, I went to the World Friendship Center @wfchiroshima to meet with Mr. Tamiyuki Okahara-san – or Mr. Tami – a hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor). He shared his story with me, and also relayed his father’s incredible story of survival. I saw family photographs, newspaper articles, and maps that helped illustrate what Mr. Tami and his family endured. Many in his family, himself included, have suffered from unknown illnesses and cancer. Despite these hardships, he was such a positive and inspiring man…

My next appointment was at Hachidori-sha Social Book Café. The owner, Erika Akibo, wanted a space to serve as a meeting place for locals and visitors alike to talk about global issues and social justice. On days that end in “6”, the café hosts hibakusha meetings (the bomb was dropped on August 6, so on the 6/16/26th of each month, these meetings occur). Mayu Seto, an employee but also a peace activist who works with Peace Culture Village  and Kakuwaka Hiroshima, arranged for me to meet with Mr. Okamoto Tadashi-san, another hibakusha, with a small group of other interested visitors. A young woman named Mitsuki served as our translator. Mr. Tadashi was only 1.5 years old when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima; he has scars on his arm, head, and back from that terrible day. He shared his testimony with us, explaining that after the bomb fell, everything went dark. He started to cry, and his pregnant mother was able to find him and get out of the house and away from the hypocenter. After he spoke, our group had the chance to ask questions – it was nice to learn together as a group, and people asked questions that I hadn’t considered which led to even deeper conversation and reflection.

Following this conversation, I met with Ms. Miho Tanaka, a co-founder and representative from Kakuwaka Hiroshima – this group lobbies parliamentarians to push the Japanese government to sign the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In addition, they host events focused on world peace and global activism. I was so grateful for her time – I learned a lot about the ways the peace community is pressing for change. After my meeting with Miho, I walked over to see Hiroshima Castle and Gokoku Shrine, and then visited the surviving Great Torii of Hiroshima – a torii gate that survived the bombing. Finally, I met with Ms. Miho Ikeda-san, also affiliated with World Friendship Center. She took me on a walking tour to visit A-bomb survivor trees. Miho explained that only 160 trees survived within a 2km radius of the hypocenter – and 1 was mistakenly cut down last year. She showed me how, on 80% of these surviving trees, their trunk leans towards the hypocenter. This is because that side of the tree grows more slowly than the other, causing a slight bend in the trunk. It was a unique way to learn about the environmental impact of this atomic bomb in Hiroshima, and nice to end the day appreciating nature!

Day 7

Hiroshima + Nagasaki: I started the morning at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) in Hiroshima, where I met with Jeffrey Hart, from the Public Relations and Publications Office, and an intern from Smith College, Claire, who had started just this morning! RERF is a joint US-Japanese research organization that studies the health effects of A-bomb radiation. At their facility, they meet with hibakusha (survivors) who are part of one of their studies every other year for health exams, house thousands upon thousands of bio samples in state of the art freezers (I got to see their newest freezer, which is completely robotic and can store hundreds of thousands of bio samples at -80°C), and research the impact that A-bomb exposure has had on survivors and their children. It was a truly eye-opening experience, and I was so grateful for Jeff’s time and openness!

From there, I headed to Hiroshima Station to catch the first of 3 trains to Nagasaki. 3 hours later, I had made it! I quickly checked into my hotel, and then went to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. While it was much smaller than the Peace Museum in Hiroshima, I really appreciated the artifacts they displayed and the straight-forward and brutally honest exhibits they presented to visitors. After the museum, I made my way to the Memorial Hall, and then from there, the Hypocenter and Peace Park. I even saw air raid shelters from WWII that were dug into the foot of a hill that now surrounds the park. All of these places were really moving and contemplative – spending time outside as I ended my day was a great way to reflect on what I’ve learned in the last week, and consider ways to bring it all back to the Humanities South classroom.

Day 13

Osaka + Kyoto: This morning I jumped on a train to Osaka! After an hour ride, I got off at Kyobashi Station and made my way to the Osaka International Peace Center. This museum, also known as Peace Osaka, focuses on the destruction of the city during World War II, but also the tragedy of war more generally and the importance of peace. According to some cursory research, Japan has about 50 museums dedicated to peace – the United States has… 1. How can this be? What does it say about our culture? Japanese culture? What lessons can we learn?

Gratitude

Now that I’m back home, I wanted to take a moment to express how grateful I am to Fund for Teachers for believing in my proposal, trusting me to know what I needed as an educator, and allowing me to grow in immeasurable ways. What an epic experience and empowering process with an amazing organization! Along this journey, I have met so many wonderful survivors, peace educators, disarmament activists, radiation researchers, historians, and artisans.

Thank you to the entire Unquowa School community for embracing my senbazuru project, cheering me on each day of this trip, and awarding me the Birdsall Grant to further deepen this project. I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned with you all!

Japan was pure magic: modern in so many ways, deeply rooted in ancient customs and beliefs, patient, honest, and gracious in the telling of its history, and resilient beyond words. I will hold this sacred time in my heart and mind for a lifetime. またね – definitely not goodbye but see you later!