Bryan Silver: 2025 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year and Maunakea Scholars Teacher
2024 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year Awards ceremony.
courtesy of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Bryan Silver, a science and Career and Technical Education teacher at Kalani High School was named 2025 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year by the state Department of Education. Bryan has spent the last 24 years teaching in the Honolulu district and has been a Maunakea Scholars (MKS) teacher since 2016 providing Honolulu’s students with project-based, hands-on STEM learning experiences. This honor reflects the profound impact he’s had on his students and community.
Bryan’s teaching philosophy allows students to explore their passions while holding them to a rigorous standard. He leads with a project-based learning model in which students can translate their learning into tangible products. For example, one of his projects allows students to create and execute a business plan while hiring other students to assist in their work. Their workers provide feedback and “performance reviews,” giving participants real-life experience and learning options that are uncommon across the state.
Bryan is also a driving force behind the Kalani High School Innovation Station, a mobile STEM lab housed in a shipping container. He enlisted students to help create the Innovation Station, providing yet another learning experience and collaborative opportunity. The lab is outfitted with 3D printers and engravers and travels to schools on the island to share access to the technology.
Mary Beth Laychak, the director of communications and community engagement for the Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope, has had the opportunity to see Bryan grow these initiatives throughout his time as a Maunkakea Scholars teacher. In one word, she describes him as “innovative.”
“Bryan shows teachers and students alike that with innovative, creative thinking, they can make extraordinary things happen out of ordinary things. It shows students what they can do with limited resources and encourages them to strive for excellence regardless.”
Bryan’s time as a Maunakea Scholars teacher reflects his commitment to opening every door possible for students. The Maunakea Scholars program gives local high school students an avenue to pursue STEM and astronomy while utilizing world-class telescopes. Over 1,200 students have participated in the program, with more than 250 students receiving telescope time. Teachers like Bryan are the critical link between this program and participants. His enthusiasm for STEM and learning pushes students to pursue their interests through the MKS program. Each school that participates in the program has the ability to tailor the curriculum to their needs. Teachers share how they run their programs with each other, nurturing a collaborative network of school programs.
Since being awarded Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year, Bryan has made it clear that teaching is not a solo journey. He is one of many wonderful teachers in the state whose creativity and devotion are often underappreciated. The interconnectedness of teaching and the ideas generated through collaboration are allowing education in Hawaiʻi to flourish. Mary Beth echoed this sentiment:
“So many teachers in the state are doing wonderful and creative things, and it’s a great way to highlight the great things being done in an educational system that is often viewed in a negative light. It’s great that a teacher like Bryan can be recognized; it shines a light on the success stories occurring in our public high schools, and we love to see that.”
Bryan will represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year Program in Washington, D.C. He is a shining example of perseverance and faithful service of our keiki that the teachers around our state exude daily. Mahalo Bryan for all your hard work, Hawaiʻi has a wonderful representative in you.
