Projects mentioned in this story: Early Childhood Action Strategy

From University of Hawai‘i News:

The images of devastation and the anguish of survivors of the tragic and deadly wildfire that consumed Lāhainā are difficult for everyone in Hawaiʻi to process. It can be even tougher for children, who are developing social and emotional skills.

Within a day of the tragic Lāhainā fires, Honolulu Community College early childhood assistant professor Elizabeth “Liz” Hartline created There was a fire: A story for young children on Maui. It was written for children ages 3–8 who have been affected by the Maui fires, and was first distributed on Maui through Early Childhood Education faculty at UH Maui College on August 10.

“My hope is that this tool gives families a way to talk to their children about the fire,” Hartline said. “Everyone needs a story, and finding a story that describes your experience is a first step when we’ve gone through trauma to start healing.”

Continue reading at hawaii.edu, hawaiinewsnow.com, and kitv.com.