[intro music] HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

Aloha.

Welcome to this episode of HIKI NŌ  on PBS Hawai‘i.

Aloha.

Welcome to HIKI NŌ on   PBS Hawai‘i.

My name is Eddie Wirtz, and I'm a  senior at Ka‘ū High School and Pāhala Elementary   School on Hawai‘i Island.

Mahalo for joining  us to watch the work of Hawai‘i's New Wave of   Storytellers.

In this episode, we are going to  enjoy some of the most memorable stories from   this spring season.

We'll revisit stories about  a charming, long time tour guide at the historic   Bishop Museum on O‘ahu.

We'll witness several  personal reflections on gratitude, bodyboarding,   poetry, and the honors of being responsible for  feeding a sailing crew.

We'll learn tips about   saving up money when you're still young, and what  a local shop on Maui is doing to better employment   opportunities for an underserved community.

And  we'll hear young students’ opinions on school   lunch.

Ready?

Let's dive in to start the show.

I'd like to share a HIKI NŌ reflection from a   Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy eighth grader.

He shares a personal story about kuleana,   a responsibility, and his family's strong  connection to a traditional voyaging canoe.

This is Waika, an eighth grader at Hawai‘i  Preparatory Academy on the Big Island.

Ever since   I was born, I was always surrounded by the ocean.

During my childhood, my mom, papa and dad were all   on many voyages with the Polynesian Voyaging  Society and Nā Kālai Wa‘a, like Mokumanamana,   and even around the world.

As a little kid, I  would hear and watch as the va‘a members blew   the pū when going for a voyage.

I was interested  and intrigued.

My papa was the one who connected   me to those things.

My papa cares for the va‘a.

He grows and prepares the food because it is   special to him.

I helped him grow and prepare the  food ever since I was very young.

When I was 13,   my papa had a heart attack and had to slow down.

This surprised me and my family.

It was hard for   all of us, because he is such an important part  of our lives.

This meant my family had to step   in and offer more support to him, while he was  forced to slow down and rest.

I had to help even   more with preparing the food and cooking for the  va‘a, which has a crew of 16 people.

However, this   was different.

I had to take on a bigger and more  independent role.

There was one voyage where I had   to help even more than usual.

I had to help plant,  harvest, prepare, and serve the food more than   ever before.

I had never cooked for that big of  a group of people, aside from my family.

I didn't   feel comfortable doing this at first, but my mom  encouraged me to.

I know I didn't want my papa to   do it by himself, so I put aside my discomfort  to help him.

People thought the food was good,   and this motivated me to continue helping.

I now  realize the impact my papa has on my family, va‘a   crew, and our hometown.

He inspires me to want  the same impact on my community in the future.

[ocean wave] This next HIKI NŌ How To video comes from  students at McKinley High School on O‘ahu.

They share their tips for young people  hoping to become savvy with their savings.

[gasp] Don't be like this student.

Here's how to  be financially smart before you turn 18.

Step one, set some goals for yourself,  such as saving one hundred dollars each   month for a big purchase, like a new phone.

Look at it this way, you need to eat lunch,   and you may want that extra sugary drink, but  you don't need to spend extra money.

Instead,   have water.

You shouldn't get your wants  and needs mixed up because that leads to   impulsive buying.

Step two, create a budget,  specifically following the 50-30-20 method.

Divide your savings into three categories.

Set  aside 50% of your monthly income for your needs,   30% for your wants, and make sure 20% goes  directly into your savings.

This allows you   to see how much you can spend each month.

Step  three, track your spending.

Some ways you can do   this are by spending a limit for yourself on how  much you spend per week.

When you make a purchase,   make sure you log in so you can see how much  you've spent and how much you have left.

Step four, open a checking account or a savings  account.

When you're opening an account, make   sure to bring a government issued photo ID, and  if under 18, bring a parent or a legal guardian.

“Hey, Mom, are you ready to go to the bank?” It is also important that you regularly  deposit your savings at the beginning of   each month.

This way you save money more  efficiently and responsibly.

Following   these simple steps will help you become  more financially smart when you turn 18.

This is Pi‘ilani Holmes from President William  McKinley High School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] On Maui, middle school students at Kamehameha  Schools have implemented a new practice to   remote mental health.

Check out their  story behind the miles for smiles event.

Kamehameha Schools Maui Middle started a  campaign called Miles for Smiles to raise   awareness about mental health and suicide.

This card was used to record miles walked   by students to get to the school's  goal of 1000 miles for 1000 smiles.

[conch shells blow] For the first time ever Kamehameha  Schools Maui Middle held a one mile   walk to raise awareness about  mental health and teen suicide.

Miles for Smiles is something that we came  up with to create awareness during Suicide   Prevention Month.

And the whole idea behind  the Miles for Smiles campaign was to, you know,   get people out, talking and  walking with each other,   to increase protective factors that we  know are the best ways to prevent suicide.

Kumu Kekaula started the miles for smiles campaign  because he believes that teens should be outdoors.

It's important for teens because I feel  like nowadays, we spend so much time on   computers and cell phones, and our  screen time is going up.

Sometimes   our middle school students don't want to  go for walks, but in the end, you know,   once we get out there and we're hitting the  pavement and talking story, then you know,   you know, the proof is in the pudding, where,  you know, people are smiling and having fun.

And   you know, once we get out there, I think  everything ends up working itself out.

Exercise was a big part of this campaign,  but another part of this campaign was LAP.

Lap means listen, ask questions, and pray.

I was asking a group of kids, “What do you   think a good solution to combat depression  and suicide?” And one of the students said,   “Listen and pray.” And then the ask questions came  about later.

And the reason why listen and pray,   or listen, ask questions and pray work so well is  because we can walk laps together.

Because anybody   could walk.

LAP is good for mental health and  also moving our bodies.

It helps our souls grow.

Kumu Kekaula hopes to expand the  event to the rest of the school.

What I'm hearing for next year is maybe we go  for 10,000 miles, and it might be involving,   you know, our entire campus, with everyone from  kindergarten to senior year, our senior class   getting involved next year.

So, looking to grow  it and spread awareness next year, even more.

Activities such as the Miles for Smiles Walk helps  raise awareness for mental health and suicide.

This is Victoria Ventura from Kamehameha  Schools, Maui for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Some of our youngest correspondents at Waikīkī  Elementary School on O‘ahu investigated   their school lunch and produced this special  commentary, or HIKI NŌ opinion editorial video,   about the importance and challenges  of sourcing food locally.

Let's watch.

Ever wonder where your daily  school lunch might come from?

We dove into some research to find out.

On a regular day of school lunch, we  thought that there would be half locally   sourced foods and half imported food on our  plates, but our prediction was incorrect.

For example, if we had chicken patty,  emoticon mashed potatoes and slushies,   only the lettuce and tomatoes might  be locally sourced.

The bread for the   chicken patty is baked in school, but  the ingredients aren't locally sourced.

So, most of the produce is locally  sourced.

We got watercress, papaya,   also our green, locally green salad comes  from Kunia farms, but that's pretty much   it.

As far as like the rest of like,  the bulk it comes from the mainland.

According to December 2022 annual report on  Farm to School Meals by the Ulupono Initiative,   the percentage of fresh local food products  purchased by the State Department of Education   for all schools statewide was only 6.2%.

The state  government wants to increase that percentage,   so the Hawai‘i DOE spend 30% of  its food budget locally by 2030.

According to the Ulupono Initiative, achieving  the 30% local benchmark would create annual   demand of about 15 to 20 million for  local farmers.

Imagine all that money   staying in Hawai‘i.

That's so much better than  spending all of our money on imported foods.

Uncle Chanon Shimizu says that it can  be challenging to get local ingredients.

The reason we have a difficult time is like,  if there's like, flooding, or, you know,   the weather is bad and the harvest is bad, and  then we can't really use the food.

So, like,   for example, our local greens.

The beginning  of the school year, from August and September,   we were fine.

I think the weather was bad.

So from  like, October, November, and December, we couldn't   get the local greens.

And then back in January,  like last month, we started getting it again.

Uncle Chanon said another problem with getting  locally sourced food on our plate is demand.

So, our most popular here at Waikīkī is like,  today we had the mini corn dogs.

That's very   popular.

Hot dog is another popular one,  nachos, chicken nuggets or chicken tenders   with French fries and cheese pizzas.

There's  like, our real popular dishes here at Waikīkī, Since these are the popular meals at our school,   it limits well locally sourced  foods Uncle Chanon orders.

So, I can order it, but sometimes  I don't order like certain ones,   because it's not real popular,  like wan bok and stuff.

One way we can help solve this problem  is by helping to create a new menu that   includes local ingredients.

Imagine a  beef curry with local beef and ‘ulu,   or breadfruit, or a fruit salad with star  fruit, papaya and bananas from our school   garden instead of the canned version.

That way, they become way more popular.

This is Allie Ching and Clara Tokuda from Waikīkī  Elementary School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Swan Kim, a student at Punahou High  School on O‘ahu, produced this next   profile story about Charles Souza, one of the  longtime tour guides at the historic Bishop   Museum.

His story about overcoming fears  of public speaking is sure to inspire you.

Aloha, everybody and welcome to the  Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.

My name is- Charles Souza is a docent at Bishop  Museum.

For the past 15 years,   he's been volunteering here twice a week.

Bishop Museum was having this program  to train docents et cetera out there.

I was working at that time, and so I decided,  well, maybe this is something good to learn,   so that I'll have something to fall  back on when I do retire out there.

It was a brave decision.

Docents  give tours, answer questions,   and guide museum visitors.

It may sound  fun, but to Charles, it was frightening.

If you asked me 15 years ago if I would be able  to speak in front of a group of 10 or 15 people,   I would have told you no way.

I took  several speech courses when I was working,   and I would stand at the  podium and basically shake.

Even though he was scared, Charles decided  to give this docent thing a try.

Still,   his fear lingered in his mind throughout  his three months of docent training,   where he learned about various  artifacts, aspects of Hawaiian culture,   and leading tours.

All too soon it  was time for him to do it on his own.

What was my first date as a docent?

It was a  little scary.

Five minutes driving to here,   I said, “What are you doing?

You're crazy.

You're not going to want to be standing   in front of people and talking,” and I  almost turned around and went back home,   something pushed me on to say, just give it a try.

Somehow, Charles survived his first day,  then his second, and soon he began to gain   confidence in touring visitors.

He was starting  to enjoy being a docent because of his love for   the Bishop Museum and the history it holds.

But there's something about this place that   makes it comfortable to get over the fear of  talking in front of 50 to 20 people at a time,   just telling the stories and relating  the stories of the different artifacts   et cetera out there.

It just  made it more comfortable.

And as a Kamehameha Schools graduate, he feels  a deep connection with Bernice Pauahi Bishop,   the founder of the Bishop Museum  and the Kamehameha Schools.

I started there in kindergarten and  went all the way through high school   out there.

As Bernice had afforded me to get  an education out there, I feel it's my duty,   my kuleana to help give back, or, you know, tell  the stories that she wanted the people to know.

Charles' breakthrough in overcoming his  fear has affected him far beyond the museum.

And one important thing that it helped  me get over was that, unfortunately,   I was able to give my father eulogy at  his services out there, where before,   I wouldn't have been able to even stand  up in front of and look at all the people.

Charles plans to keep on volunteering  for years to come.

It's not just help   him conquer his lifelong phobia; he  loves that his work at Bishop Museum   constantly teaches him new things, and  he encourages more people to join him.

You're not going to know everything.

You try your best to tell people what   you know.

You keep on learning.

So, it's important so that we can   get more people on the floor to help tell  Hawai‘i's story, tell the Hawaiian story.

But if not like it says, enjoy the rest  of your day.

And as my mentor says,   we don't say aloha goodbye, but  a hui hou until we meet again.

This is Swan Kim from Punahou  School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Students at Lahainaluna High School on  Maui have been through a lot since the   devastating fires in 2023, during which  their campus was thankfully spared from   flames.

But did you know their historic  alma mater is all in Hawaiian and has   a special reference to the resilience  of the community?

Let's find out more.

Did you know Lahainaluna High School is one of  the only public high schools in Hawai‘i that   has an alma mater in the Hawaiian language?

The Lahainaluna alma mater was composed by   Samuel Mo‘okini and Albert Kaleikini in  1998.

The lyrics tell a story about how   ‘ulu trees were abundant.

In fact, there  is an initiative to plant more ‘ulu in   Lahaina.

The song talks about Ka‘ua  Valley and its strong wind.

That wind,   according to our alma mater lyrics, is not  going to extinguish the flames of Lahainaluna.

[singing] Ipu kukui ‘a ā mau Pio ‘ole I ka makani Kaua  ‘ula translates to the ever-burning torch,   which cannot be extinguished by the fierce  winds of Kauaula.

We had a fire in 2018 it   came close to us, but it didn't burn down  the school.

The mana, or unknown force,   may have blocked the wind and protected us.

We thank the Maui fire department and many   volunteers who worked tirelessly to keep the  fire from spreading to the school.

This alma   mater tells us about our history.

During freshman  orientation, we are introduced to the alma mater.

It is instilled into our four years as students  and beyond.

The alma mater is sung at events like   David Malo Day, end of assemblies, graduations,  reunions, funerals and even at airports.

This is Anuhea Coon from Lahainaluna  High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Now, for a moment of gratitude.

It's  easy to get caught up in stress,   but this next HIKI NŌ personal narrative  from Kylie Cardenas at H.P.

Baldwin High   School on Maui reminds us how to take  a breath and remember how lucky we are.

[alarm chimes] I live the same repetitive life every day.

My  daily morning routine consists of getting up,   brushing my teeth, putting on makeup, brushing my  hair, struggling to pick out an outfit, and then   rushing out of the house to get to school on time.

On the way to school, I complain about the traffic   and how people shouldn't be able to drive in  the morning, the treacherous school parking lot,   and the unnecessarily loud sounds at seven in  the morning.

During school, I protest against   the 70 minute long periods, the school workload  that is getting too much to handle, and the fast   approaching upcoming deadlines creeping up on  me.

But wait, let's start my day over again.

[tape rewinds] I spend so much of my time grumbling about  all the burdens in my life, when in reality,   I should be appreciating them instead.

I mean, if  you really think about it, what a privilege it is   to get up at seven in the morning daily.

What a  privilege it is to not know what to wear.

What a   privilege it is to have transportation  that gets me from point A to point B.

What a privilege it is to have assignments to  complain about.

What a privilege it is to be   stressed about upcoming exams and deadlines.

What a privilege it is to be overwhelmed by   the future and the endless possibilities it  holds.

What a privilege it is to have so much   to be grateful for.

Overall, what a privilege  it is to live another day and just simply exist.

[ocean wave] This next HIKI NŌ student reflection  was produced by my classmate at Ka‘ū   and Pāhala Elementary School on Hawai‘i  Island.

She shares her love for poetry   and how it's helped her through life's challenges.

Hi, I'm Jazalle Amps, a student at Ka‘ū  High School on Hawai‘i Island, and poetry   is my passion.

Middle school was a particularly  hard time in my life.

I was never able to really   connect with my classmates, and I felt so unhappy  and alone.

Then in eighth grade, we analyzed   poetry in English class, and everything changed.

I discovered poets like Nikita Gill and I found   that poetry was something I loved.

Nikita’s poetry  talked of struggles with power and self-love.

One   of my favorites is called Hearts Like Wildflowers.

I hope you are blessed with a heart like a   wildflower, strong enough to rise again after  being trampled upon, tough enough to weather the   worst of the summer storms and able to grow and  flourish even in the most broken places.

I knew   then that I wanted to take a similar route and  talk about experiences I've had in my own life.

I found that poetry helps me navigate  through my feelings, whether it be sadness,   anger or loneliness.

For example, when I found  myself struggling with a complicated relationship,   I wrote Moon Cycle.

She'll drown in his light and  fall for him all over again, wiping her.

Herself   of a light that was never fully his, but she'll  come back as she always did.

Writing this   helped me realize I was caught in a cycle, and I  can't keep making the same mistakes over again.

Poetry lets me express my feelings in a way that  is meaningful to me, a way that brings me joy and   lets my creativity turn a whim into art.

Poetry  also allows me to look back at a situation and   see how much I've grown.

I've realized I need to  speak up for myself more, voicing my feelings,   not just in the written word, but in my own life.

Poetry will always act as a best friend of mine.

Though she's not there all of the time, she will  always be there for me when I need her most.

[ocean wave] There's a jewelry shop on Maui with an inspiring  mission to employ people, regardless of any   disabilities.

It's called Depo Market.

Here's the  story from students at H.P.

Baldwin High School.

My name is Tiffany Chou, and I started Depo  Market, a retail store that employs adults   with disabilities, and we provide social and  creative employment to adults with disabilities.

I started Depo Market because I moved home in  2019 to take over Chris's care.

And Chris and I,   we both make jewelry, and because we know so  many other people in the community that are   basically the same situation as Chris, we figured  Chris would make his wage, but with extra money,   we would start a business to give other adults  like Chris in our community the same opportunity.

So, I decided to name our business Depo Market,  because Chris, my brother, was adopted from   Cambodia, and he was found in a market called  Depo Market, and his middle name is depo,   so it has a very special meaning to us.

So, for  example, Chris, he, I would say, it has moderate   support needs.

And on the autism spectrum, he  can't drive, but he can do quite a lot of things,   but Chris being having moderate support  needs, I know people that have Ivy League   degrees that have disability and have just as  hard of a time getting employment as Chris.

According to the National Disability  Navigator Resource Collaborative,   more than 7 million people in the U.S. have an  intellectual disability, and they are more than   twice as likely to be unemployed compared to the  general population, according to a survey by the   center of Social Development and Education  at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Every purchase supports our employees, and it  supports the people that don't make jewelry,   and it's okay if you don't make jewelry.

And the  people that don't make jewelry, they're, you know,   they work the counter, they are customer  service, they bring up the orders.

And so,   I really try to emphasize to people that say they  only want to buy something made by someone here,   that every purchase is supporting people  because they're just as important.

Chou says sharing this family business  has led them to meet more people in   the community and those they  may not have met otherwise.

We do have some people that come in that have  no idea who we are and meet Chris and are like,   wow, this is so cool.

So, I just  hope people come in and like,   leave knowing that someone like Chris can  contribute to society just like everybody else.

This is Ally Benigno from H.P.

Baldwin  High School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] To close the show, I'm honored  to share my own HIKI NŌ student   reflection.

Let me take you to one of  my favorite spots on Earth, the ocean.

I've been bodyboarding since I was four, learning  in small surf, avoiding waves that were too big   or scary, until my 13th birthday, when my  parents bought me a brand new bodyboard,   fins and a leash.

So of course, I had to put  them to the test.

I went to Kawa‘a on the   southeast side of Hawai‘i Island, where  the waves were about four to six feet.

My heart was racing as I tried to paddle out,  until a big set tossed me around and washed me   all the way back to the beach.

For a while, I  sat on the sand, board in my lap, watching the   surf.

I started to time the waves until I found  my opportunity and courage to paddle back out.

I jumped in the water, paddling and duck diving  out into the lineup, but being so inexperienced,   I caught two waves and came back to shore.

I didn't have enough experience or stamina   to try and make the paddle out again, but  pushing myself changed something in me,   and I was determined to conquer those waves, till  eventually I did.

I went back out again and again,   and now I spend every free moment I can body  boarding.

To me, bodyboarding is a way to escape,   a way to forget all my troubles and take a moment  to relax.

And Kawa‘a will always be one of my   favorite spots to bodyboard.

This is Edward Wirtz  from Ka‘ū High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Well, that's a wrap for this spring round of a  special HIKI NŌ season.

Thanks for joining us   to watch the impressive work of Hawai‘i's New  Wave of Storytellers.

Don't forget to follow   HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i, on YouTube, Instagram,  and TikTok.

You can find this HIKI NŌ episode   and more at pbshawaii.org.

Tune in next week for  more proof that Hawai‘i students HIKI NŌ, can do.

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