Holt on the record

Chair Woodson, Vice Chair La Chica, and Members of the Committee, I am submitting testimony in support of HB 2436 HD1. I am autistic, and performance arts is how I found my way through. Without the arts, I would not be here. That is not a figure of speech. The arts gave me a path when traditional academic instruction did not fit how my brain works, and I am certain I am not the only one. Without art there is no critical thinking. Without art there is no imagination. And without imagination, there are no solutions to the massive problems we are facing today. We cannot afford to treat the arts as optional. Hawaiʻi has something special with the HA framework, which centers belonging, aloha, and cultural connection as core educational values. Arts integration is one of the most natural ways to actually live those values in the classroom, not just as a poster on the wall, but as a real daily practice that reaches kids who might otherwise fall through the cracks. This bill establishes one arts integration coordinator per island, four positions total, to support teachers, connect schools with local artists and cultural practitioners, and bring arts-based learning to classrooms across the state. For $600,000, that is an investment with returns that show up in student engagement, cultural pride, and whole-child development in ways that test scores alone will never capture. I urge the committee to pass HB 2436 HD1. Mahalo for your time and consideration.