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

[intro music continues] Aloha and welcome to this week's episode of HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

I'm Layla Taasan.

I'm Nevaeh Mendoza.

And I'm Mayo Nakajima.

We're seventh graders at Hilo Intermediate School located in East Hawai‘i Island.

Today, we're across the street from our campus at the Hilo High School campus.

Why?

We got the opportunity to host this episode from the Hilo High production studio.

We are teaming up with Hilo High School to bring you this episode today.

More on that later.

First, let's tell you about the standout stories you're about to watch.

We’ll meet teachers and a high school senior who share the love of growing their own food and aloha ‘āina, or taking care of the land.

Meet a new kind of sports team that offers competition and fun.

Two students from Waikiki Elementary will share how they overcame some unexpected life hurdles.

And much more.

Let's start with a story from the students at Hawai‘i Baptist Academy on O‘ahu.

They profiled a senior who seized extra time during the pandemic to create a garden oasis in her backyard.

So here, I created a raised bed.

This is Samantha Sebastian, a senior at Hawai‘i Baptist Academy, and I recently had the pleasure of spending time with expert gardener and my classmate, Kate Higa.

Kate Higa is a senior at Hawai‘i Baptist Academy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with more time than at home, she decided to start a vegetable garden in her backyard.

A new-found hobby soon became a productive fruit and vegetable garden and has produced an unexpected harvest, not just in terms of food, but also in terms of relationships and mental health.

So, I first started it, um, when my neighbor mentioned that he was going to start a garden, and he bought these raised beds, um, of off, I don't know, Facebook, and he put in he planted some things, and I was like, whoa, I want to do that.

And it was really exciting for me.

I was thinking I'm going to get these zucchini, I'm going to get these cucumbers.

I'm going to get honeydew because we were eating a lot of that during the time.

It was the summertime.

And we're going to save money, we're going to grow it.

It's going to be awesome.

And that's why I started gardening.

Everything that we grow, from lettuce to bitter melon to whatever, you can definitely taste the difference.

Like, your lettuce here is not wilted.

Matsuo Okamoto is not only a neighbor and Uncle to Kate, but also a garden master mentor for her.

The first time that we met, she was a young little girl.

But I was very impressed because she, she showed so much interest in agriculture.

So, she spent the whole day with me.

Then I forgot about her.

Till, oh, roughly about three, four years ago.

First of all, I think, uh, her hydroponic, that was the first thing that we built together.

But because there were too many left-handed people, all kind of mistakes were made, that it took us a long time to improve it to the point where it is today.

Then the, probably the second thing she liked about was those, uh, watercress container.

A hydro without a pump.

The biggest thing is cost.

Yeah, you really have to think about it before doing it.

Do I want to grow in the ground?

Do I want to grow in a container?

Do I want to grow in a raised bed?

And then you have to think, "How am I going to fill that?

Because soil is so expensive?

Like, just 1.5 cubic feet of soil is like nine dollars.

So, it's a big cost.

And then you got to think, "How am I going to, you know, grow it?

On a trellis?

Is it going to be staked?"

There's so many different factors.

So cost is a huge, huge thing.

Gardening, it taught, it teaches you a lot about how to eat healthy, how, what, how to know exactly what you're eating.

You have to really be realistic with yourself.

Start off small.

Say, what is one thing that I use a lot that I really want to grow, or try?

And the easiest things to start off with are brassicas, lettuces, kales, all that kind of stuff because you want to grow what you're going to eat, right?

That's what's going to keep you motivated.

If you're, ah, I don’t really like that, you're not going to really care about how it grows.

So, you got to fix what you want to grow, you got to start off small, and you just got to keep at it, and you can't be easily discouraged.

This is Samantha Sebastian from Hawai‘i Baptist Academy, for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of an ocean wave] Kate isn't the only one with a green thumb.

Next from the students of Pacific Buddhist Academy on O‘ahu.

This profile story shines the spotlight on a teacher who is very dedicated to his kala lo‘i, or farm, and bringing students along for the ride.

Pacific Buddhist Academy teacher, Van Velasco, not only teaches science but continues to explore his passion for the environment after class at his very own lo‘i, or kalo farm, in Waihe‘e Valley on O‘ahu.

This farm is important to the community because, uh, these lo‘i have been here for hundreds of years and through this property, many awai flow through and down to other farmers.

Mr. Velasco started restoring the lo‘i back into production in 2018.

His goal was to learn about traditional Hawaiian farming and take care of the water for future generations.

His lo‘i is part of a larger community water system, and others are counting on him.

One of our big tasks is maintaining the awai so the water can continue to flow to, um, not just us, but other farmers downstream and that everyone has enough water to maintain either lo‘i kalo or bananas or papayas, or whatever they're growing.

It's really important that everyone still has access to water.

The number of kalo farmers in Hawai‘i has fallen drastically over the past decades, according to Civil Beat.

It's also hard work, but Mr. Velasco says it's worth it.

I think one of the main things I want kids to know is that Hawai‘i has a rich agricultural history.

And, you know, dating back to the Hawaiians, um, even up through the plantation days, and even though we've, a lot of us have moved away from it, it's not impossible to get back to it, and it can be rewarding to get involved in, um, sustainable agriculture in Hawai‘i.

I've been really fortunate to have been able to get outside of the classroom and go to Mr. Velasco’s farm.

You know, he teaches us how to get hands on and just how to connect more with the land, um, especially because we live in Hawai‘i.

Um, you know, I feel that, uh, learning outside really helps me retain knowledge a lot better than just being confined to a classroom and sitting down for hours on end.

I like bringing my students out to this farm because it teaches them that they can get their hands into agriculture, um, and they can see not only that you can be connected to the land, but you can, you can, um, work the land and produce something from it and hopefully be the next generation that can maintain and, and sustain it.

Mr. Velasco’s passion is contagious.

He hopes all students will learn from being in his class and embrace the Hawaiian way: if you take care of the land, the land will take care of you.

This is Zachary Yoshida and Paulo Sarbida from the Pacific Buddhist Academy for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of an ocean wave] 8:00 Now let's travel to Maui to meet another teacher who loves kalo farming in this archive story from Kamehameha High Schools Maui.

[HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE] Hōkūau Pellegrino is a local farmer who dedicates his time each day to restore his family's ancient taro patches, which are located in Waikapū, Maui.

[HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE] Noho‘ana Farm is special, because, um, this is a place that my kupuna established and built all of these ancient lo‘i kalo, and cultivated this land from probably around the 16th century.

And, um, the food that was grown on this particular land, specifically kalo, was used not only to support the 'ohana that lived here, but also, um, the community around, uh, Noho‘ano in the ahupua‘a of Waikapū.

And so, Noho‘ana farm is important that because, you know, our hope is that as we, we serve our mission, which is [HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE], or perpetuating Hawaiian agriculture, that we can not only teach people about the traditions, uh, of our kupuna, but also how to, uh, provide sustenance, food, ‘ai, mea ‘ai to the community as a way to give back and support and encourage people to eat healthy.

However, there are some challenges to this mission.

Our 'ohana had to leave this ‘āina because they couldn't farm anymore because the stream went dry for almost a hundred years in fact, and so with a good water source, we will then be able to, to grow out or cultivate all of the lo‘i kalo that we had hoped to.

Despite these obstacles, the farm is helping to ensure a bright future for the Hawaiian culture.

Well, now that we've been farming and continuing to restore our ‘āina for about fifteen years now, and we host about a thousand students a year, and, with the purpose of teaching students about, not just about kalo and the importance of kalo and our connection to kalo, but how to mālama the resources that, that provide for this, um, this important, uh, Hawaiian crop.

Pellegrino understands the importance of taking care of the land and passing down traditions.

It has to be done, you know, this olelo noʻeau – i maika’i ke kalo i ka ʻohā.

It is our hope that our, our, our keiki perpetuate these particular traditions on this ‘āina.

By continuing to care for the land that is so special to him, Noho‘ana Farms will continue to be a cultural gem for the community and future generations.

This is Amaya Genovia from Kamehameha Schools Maui Middle School, for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of an ocean wave] Now let's go to O‘ahu to meet a new kind of sports team that offers competition and fun.

Sacred Hearts Academy students have joined the growing arena of competitive video gaming, or eSports.

I joined eSports because I enjoy being in the competitive scene.

I also like to hang out with friends and interact with, uh, other people from other teams who share the same interests as me.

I like how the eSports community is very welcoming for new players.

Like, it became a mushroom.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit the world at home, students from this all-girl school jumped online through multiplayer video games.

They made connections and formed a virtual community.

Gaming was very important during the pandemic and making sure that you are connected with friends.

Last school year, eSports became a sanctioned high school sport in Hawai‘i.

This year, the Academy's Lancers formed its own esports team and started competing.

The team competes, uh, once a week.

Uh, competitions are three matches, about six races.

It's best out of three.

So, if we win the first two, we don't have to play the third.

The Lancer team competes weekly against other schools in the Pacific region.

They race other teams in Mario Kart.

We gather together and we just play the game.

At first, they weren't really familiar with it.

But over time as they practice more, they got better.

There are certain things that they can do in order to win.

Uh, get better at driving, uh, timing, usually.

The Lancers also compete with teams across the country in a national league called PlayVS.

Organizers say eSports’ growing popularity is changing the way students view gaming.

You first hear the term, uh, video games, there's a lot of negative stereotypes that float around like, oh, it's a loner activity.

It's, it's people that are very inactive, it's an unhealthy lifestyle.

eSports really breaks down that a lot of those barriers.

Gaming can have structure, gaming can be organized, and gaming can be healthy as well, too.

eSports isn't all fun and games.

Students are scoring major points for their education.

I think the schools that are catching on really quickly are recognizing the, all the potential that there is but also that the, the avenues that they could take them afterwards with, with, with scholarships with, uh, college teams as well.

I know that getting scholarships is pretty hard.

Like, I'm currently in the process of trying to find scholarships myself, and just having the factor that if you are in eSports or not just evens out the playing field.

We did pretty good in our match last week.

The Lancer team is just getting started.

With just five members, they're looking to add more players to their roster.

So we’re a small school, uh, therefore, we have a small talent pool.

We're hoping to build up excitement for the competition and get girls ready and used to it.

[laughter] These players may be new, but they're eager to top the leaderboard.

My goals for this year's team are to win and to have fun, but mostly to win.

We've beat most of the competitors in our region, and hopefully we'll see how we do when we get to the playoffs.

This is Holden Aniya from Sacred Hearts Academy, for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of an ocean wave] Now let's visit Maui to meet a special student athlete and advocate in the HIKI NŌ archive story.

Ready.

Hey, back line, push up, you got to get the ball first.

Ready.

[WHISTLE] No need goal.

Let's go play.

Some of the challenges that affect me is that I'm not able to do most of the basic stuff that people without a disability can do.

Maui High School senior Britney Bautista was diagnosed with Hypomelanosis of Ito at a very young age.

The developmental delay syndrome affects her speech, intellectual ability, and motor skills.

She's seventeen years old and we still need to help her do, you know, certain daily, you know, daily activities like brushing her teeth.

She can’t tie her own shoe.

She can’t, uh, put her hair up herself.

She can’t ride a bike.

From a social aspect, and she's been shunned.

You know, it makes me sad then growing up that you know, people would recognize your disability, and as a parent, you know, you know, it's sad to see that.

Helping her overcome her past, the Special Olympics Program provided Britney with a new family and a place of belonging.

Get to have a, like, my own, like, place in the school.

And Special Olympics, like, is one of my highlights so far in my high school career.

Maui High’s Special Olympics is an inclusion program where students with and without disabilities come together to participate in sports, socials, and other extracurricular activities.

This acceptance and family-like bond is something Britney has been searching for her entire life.

I received many opportunities from, from Special Olympics.

I get to embrace my disability and I get to compete in sports with my other classmates.

As one of only twelve United States Youth Ambassadors, Britney’s sports career is not quite over.

She will be using her experience and voice to advocate for Special Olympics, Unified Champion Schools, and the advancement of inclusive youth leadership.

My goal is to introduce Special Olympics to the younger generation, and I want them to learn that everybody is the same and nobody should, nobody should judge on, on what their physical characteristics look like.

In the future, Britney will be traveling to California and hopefully to Abu Dhabi for the World Olympic Games.

And more opportunities are sure to come her way, especially with her persistent attitude and headstrong approach to life.

With Britney being at the forefront and, you know, we recognizing the fact she's bringing more awareness.

We're all human beings, and we should all be treated equally.

No matter, you know, what our disabilities are, if we have some are not, let's be kind to each other.

This is Hannah Okamoto from Maui High School for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of an ocean wave] Let's travel back to O‘ahu to meet Miss Amy Wada, a teacher at Waikiki Elementary School, who embraced HIKI NŌ projects in her English language arts class.

Then we'll get to meet two of her students and watch their student reflections.

So, my fourth graders, uh, worked on the HIKI NŌ projects in our language arts class as a writing assignment.

The prompt for their writing assignment was to think about something challenging that was going on in their lives.

Um, we started with our whole language arts class, and each student was, uh, producing their own stories and reflections.

But coming together as a class, uh, on Zoom, uh, just because of things with the pandemic and everything, uh, and not being able to maybe sit in a circle like we normally would.

Uh, so using that technology to help us collaborate together in a safe way.

Um, and then it kind of made things a little bit easier, too, because if one of the students needed to share something, they could share their screen right away, or, um, type something in the chat.

So, it kind of, um, opened up new and different ways that we could have class discussions.

I’m, actually, like, I'm really happy, because then I know that there's actually many ways that you can stay safe.

Our class practices P for C, which is Philosophy for Children, uh, which kind of just gives a really safe forum for our students to pursue different inquiries that they're interested in.

Um, so it kind of just provided them with a place to brainstorm with each other and reflect with each other in a safe environment to talk and reflect about the, uh, pandemic and the different challenges they face.

I think the HIKI NŌ process really fits well with, uh, what we're having to do in language arts.

Um, in the beginning, there were certain standards that we were trying to hit but as we were going along, uh, we were finding that, um, it involves a lot of speaking and listening skills that we had to tie in.

Um, we also looked a lot and spent a lot of time at editing their work when we were doing the writing process, and I think the iterative process of, um, HIKI NŌ and looking back on your work and improving it multiple times, uh, kind of helped them to learn a little bit more resilience when they were looking back at their work to try and edit and improve it.

And I think because I had gone in thinking that we were going to do this unit and, um, mostly fulfilling these writing standards, but along the way, they were picking up a lot of other skills, too, and I think it was really great because it was a real-world, hands-on way of exposing them to the things that they were supposed to be learning.

But for them, uh, it was just being able to, uh, tell their own stories in their own voices.

Um, so they weren't really worried so much about, um, uh, accomplishing certain, um, goals or, uh, benchmarks.

Even though the main goal of going through the HIKI NŌ process with the whole class wasn't them, wasn't for them all to air on TV, two of them are going to.

Um, one of the students, Rae, um, was new to our school and I think, um, for her being able to tell her story, uh, was a way for her to process this big event that happened in her life.

Hi, my name is Rae Sugimoto.

I'm a fourth grader in Waikiki Elementary School in Honolulu on the island of O‘ahu.

December 2021, there was a big rainstorm, and the landslide disrupted our peaceful Palolo home life.

It happened on a late Monday night at about 8:34 p.m. My sister was doing her homework and I was listening to music and drawing.

Suddenly, my sister and I heard a giant boom bang.

We went outside our room, and there was a giant tree branch coming through a window.

I was shocked to see it break our window, and glass was everywhere.

My dad came out of his room to see what happened.

You could see a lot of dirt and mud and dirty water coming through our house.

I realized that Bunny was missing.

Bunny was my year old floppy rabbit.

We searched for him everywhere.

The worst part was that Bunny’s fur was brown, and it blended in with the dirty water.

Our neighbor came over to help us search and clean our house and push the dirty water out.

But we didn't find Bunny.

The next day we went to the house, which was covered in caution tape.

It felt really weird.

I looked through the window and there were still leaves and branches scattered everywhere.

My dad and I went to the lanai and saw a lot of glass pieces.

So, we had to wear our shoes.

We looked at the steep damage caused by the landslide.

My dad surprised me.

He had found bunny.

I ran to see Bunny and gave him lots of hugs and kisses.

I was so happy my dad found him.

My dad found him floating on a boogie board in the muddy water.

We were so lucky.

I'm so grateful for Bunny and I realized how much he means to me and my family.

I realized that he is such a great pet and we're so lucky to have him.

The other student that, uh, was selected for her story to be aired on TV was Olive Santos.

I think for Olive, um, in the beginning when she tells her story, uh, she says, “I want to tell you about some tragedy that happened in my life,” and for her, it was a really big deal.

Hi, my name is Olive Santos and I'm in the fourth grade and I'm in Waikiki Elementary on O‘ahu.

Today I'm going to talk about a tragedy that happened during the pandemic, which affected four to six weeks that were greatly important.

During the pandemic, I broke my very right pinky toe, and it was all from anger.

It was a stressful time because of the pandemic, and I had ballet classes.

Also, to add on, it was time for rehearsing for the Nutcracker.

So, it was really hard.

I wasn't able to do ballet for four to six weeks.

I was upset and disappointed and I wished that it hadn't happened to me.

After I went to the doctor's office to find out if my toe was broken, the doctor said I was probably going to have to go to the ER near my house.

I was terrified, scared, and worried of what could happen.

Turns out that I had to get crutches.

I was excited and sad at the same time.

I was excited because crutches seemed fun, but I was also sad because it wouldn't be able to walk without them.

I wouldn't be able to do ballet as well.

After a few weeks, my toe started to get better.

And I eventually started walking without my crutches slowly.

I was relieved and happy because if this toe didn't heal, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do ballet again.

I was afraid I wouldn't be able to be in the Nutcracker.

In the end, luckily, I was able to walk normally again, and I got to perform as an Arabian girl with my friends.

I was so and I am still very grateful for the support from our family and friends when that happened.

I learned to always stay positive and never give up.

I think the main thing that, uh, our fourth graders learned through this process was, uh, being able to tell their own stories and listen to each other and really, um, practice that listening with empathy and being able to put themselves in someone else's shoes when they were telling their reflections and their stories.

[sound of an ocean wave] Thank you for watching this episode of HIKI NŌ.

We hope you've enjoyed the work of Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

We sure enjoyed sharing these stories with you.

Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram and TikTok.

You'll see some bonus behind the scenes content and keep up to date with the latest and best stories from Hawai‘i youth.

See you next week for more proof that Hawai‘i students HIKI NŌ, can do!

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