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

and welcome to HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

I'm Kallysta Miguel, an 11th grader at Maui High School.

I'm delighted to host another show highlighting the work of Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

In this episode, we're celebrating the talents of Hawai‘i students as they are recognized on a national stage.

The Student Television Network hosts an annual competition called the STN challenge.

It's similar to HIKI NŌ's Challenges in that students are only given six days to produce video stories.

This past December, several schools in Hawai‘i entered their work and competed against their national counterparts from coast to coast on the continent.

They brought stories of their hometowns, from Waiʻanae to Kealakehe, to a national audience and won big.

HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i is proud to say, eight Hawai‘i schools took home a total of 18 awards for their cinematic and creative skills in contests ranging from traditional broadcast news stories to vlogs, short films, PSAs and music videos.

I'm excited to share a sampling of these winning entries from HIKI NŌ schools that impressed a national panel of judges from the television broadcast industry.

We are so proud that our HIKI NŌ students have represented the student voices of Hawai‘i on a national stage.

Let's dive in.

The first story I'd love to share was produced by Moanalua High School.

Their spotlight on a family's shave ice business took third place in the Arts and Culture story contest in the advanced division.

You know, it's a part of Hawai‘i's culture.

Ice has been built from the ground up, becoming a hot spot in the town of Haleiwa.

The history of Matsumoto started back in 1951 of February 13.

My parents, Mamoru and Helen Matsumoto, started as a grocery store.

This store previously was owned by Mr.

Tanaka, and he gave my dad the chance to open up his own business, and he was the one that really helped my dad a lot.

Mr.

Tanaka, that previously owned, told my dad what to try selling shave ice.

Mr.

Tanaka even went to Japan to buy the first shave ice machine.

shave ice would become one of Hawai‘i's most well-known desserts.

It was the local people that made Matsumoto what it is today.

So, I never forgot that, and so I just want to make my style of shave ice more like the old plantation days.

I just want to keep it the same and try to tell the tourists that come here that, you know, I just want to keep it the old style.

I don't want to make it like a little really fancy shave ice or something.

The business is kept alive by the smiles and support from people around the globe.

is important to the people of Hawai‘i because there's also a history with it.

It was brought over by the Japanese immigrants, and we have this whole plantation history, and I feel like the Japanese were able to turn this into a very iconic dessert here in Hawai‘i.

a lot of tourists and everything, but I just won't forget where I came from, or where my parents came from, or how they struggled and everything.

serving people that visit from all over the world and locals as well, and it really puts a smile on my face when we serve the shave ice, and they have, like, a really great reaction.

just go to the shrimp trucks and then go check out some of our friends that are at another little beach.

But then when we saw that there was no line, then we're like, okay, we should actually go by and check it out this time.

that Matsumoto Shave Ice is special compared to other businesses because we started close to 75 years ago.

We are still a family owned and operated business.

We have a very simple menu, but we also serve it for a very cheap price.

So, that's something that we take pride in.

you can get a shaved ice, but it's nothing as good as this, for sure.

Matsumoto Shave Ice is now a part of Hawai‘i's culture with every bowl served.

This is Kanna Nakagawa reporting for Now Loading News.

Let's visit a classroom that doubles as a kitchen at Kealakehe High School on Hawai‘i Island.

Students there took home second place in the School or Community Feature contest in the intermediate division.

the culinary classroom runs its own lunchtime operation, fresh meals, real skills and a steady line of hungry students, all supported by work most people never see.

At the center of it all, is culinary teacher Sarah Weir, whose goal goes far beyond serving food.

Part of my mission, and that we're like working as a team to accomplish this, I am trying to get real quality healthy food out to the kids and make it available.

And that mission includes finding creative ways to make healthier options appealing.

you can slide some things under the radar that people don't realize are healthy.

I'm trying to offer some healthier things.

Of course, everyone wants a brownie and a smoothie, but like, a deviled egg is kind of health food in disguise.

Some of the things that we're trying to get people used to snacking on instead of, maybe something that's deep fried or something out of a package.

The program works through FCCLA, giving students ownership over the fundraising process.

can't fundraise, you can fundraise as a club.

So, we work through FCCLA, which is our CTSO.

So, FCCLA stands for Family Community Leaders of America.

There is a group that travels that does the CTSO competitions, and they work a little bit extra.

They do all the catering events; they do the lunchtime sales.

So, it's kind of all in an effort to make sure that we get to cook as much as possible.

And while fundraising is key, the program also gives students real experience they can use far beyond the classroom.

is helping people get jobs.

Like, I think if you can work the register there at lunch, and you could easily pick up a job somewhere else.

Like, it's the same work experiences you would have out in the community, being able to make change and being able to talk to customers.

they need to be able to work with pace and handle some heat and handle some rude customers.

I think that's a piece that the lunch adds for them.

But behind all the success is the part few people ever notice, the hard work she takes on to make it all possible.

Responsibilities that I take on that people don't see; I want to preface it by saying that I'm choosing to do it.

When I go to conferences and things and talk to other culinary teachers, it is normal to not cook that muc,h to like, learn theoretically, how to cook, but not hands on.

I just don't think that's the best method.

There is an immense amount of cleaning, hours of shopping.

Basically, we're running a business inside of the classroom.

From healthier options to national competition, and all the behind the scenes work that keeps it running, this program strives because of dedication that often goes unnoticed but never unappreciated.

received an honorable mention in the school or community feature category for this touching story about a food distribution event for kupuna.

You guys are only making 150 plates today and tomorrow.

Waiʻanae High School Searider Culinary program is dishing out the hope.

Cooking meals for the kupuna, or elders of our community.

It makes me feel good that I'm impacting my community in different ways.

Food is a heartbeat to the community, the kind of food, the healthy food, letting people know that you're worthy of this.

It's going to take 15 minutes to bake.

So, I'd say 15 to 30.

Department of Agriculture, Waianae is considered a food desert due to the limited number of grocery stores and overwhelming presence of fast-food restaurants on the coast.

Should I just put more soy sauce?

We're providing that means to solve the food sustainability issue we're having here.

So, we're kind of patching that through to our partnership with ʻElepaio.

Social Services is a local nonprofit that focuses on providing social support to promote food access in Waiʻanae.

At our kupuna pantries, we serve 1,200 a week.

And during our keiki pantries, we service all 11 schools, that's about 5,000 to 6,000 kids every week.

You're gonna pack the second box and the second box, you'll do the chicken and the meals.

We started working with them to provide meals for our community and make an impact across the Leeward Coast.

culinary student meals.

Especially with the government shutdown and what happened with the SNAP benefits, our numbers doubled.

It increased over 50% per site.

One in three households is food insecure.

they see these meals as -   Even if we have food stamps, food stamp, food costs so much money, so we're blessed to have all these.

So, you can go in line.

Thank you.

they come every single day.

It is not for us to judge what your house is.

I'm going to feed you every day.

have so far proven to be a recipe for success in solving food insecurity in Waiʻanae.

you know, to know you come to work to feed people, to give people that peace of mind that they're going to eat or they're going to feed that children – their child.

It is very fulfilling.

[ocean wave] Let's take a brief moment to enjoy a PSA produced by Kamehameha Schools Maui Middle in Pukalani, Maui.

Their PSA received first place in the beginner division.

is a powerful gift that truly costs nothing, yet its value is immeasurable.

A simple smile or a few gentle words can lift someone's spirit and brighten days.

Science shows that acts of kindness boosts mood, lowers stress, and even improves physical health.

One small act can inspire another, building a chain of compassion that strengthens communities.

Kindness reminds us that the most meaningful impact often comes from what we give freely.

So, choose kindness.

It costs nothing.

This next short film is witty and engaging.

You will see why it took home second place in the advanced division of the short film contest.

The winners are from Pearl City High School on O‘ahu.

[suspenseful orchestral music] Here's another fun short film called Fishful Thinking, produced by my friends at Maui High School.

It received an honorable mention in the short film contest beginner division.

brah, fishing is so peaceful.

Makes me so relaxed and not stressed.

Yeah, sure.

It really is.

All you gotta do is, so first I'll hand it to you, and then, [overlapping mumbling].

Yeah, I think I got it.

and you're letting go your fingers.

I got this.

It's okay, hammah, that happens a lot.

Let's try it again.

Okay.

Wait, I see it.

Jaden, are you okay?

don't sweat it.

It's okay.

But brah, there goes our dinner.

Give it one more shot.

All right, then.

I got this.

Wait, this is big.

It's coming!

Oh, I've been looking for this buggah.

Well, a win is a win.

My alma mater, Maui Waena Intermediate School, also received an honorable mention in the middle school news story category for this report on a medical career field trip.

Here at the Maui Kaiser Permanente facility, where students from our school and many others are getting a change of scenery by attending a career exploration day to give them opportunities that schools just can't provide.

that we're trying to make at our school is to give kids more opportunities to have more authentic experiences, but we're really not able to do that without having community partners.

I can't think of a more meaningful island… Our role within MEDB is that we connect with industry folks like Kaiser and all of the wonderful staff over there, for them to be able to create experiences within DOE students.

We made this event on a Saturday very purposefully, where anyone in eighth grade through high school that, you know, anyone that is interested in so many different careers that are in health care, that they have the opportunity for the public and for anyone to be able to learn in this setting.

And this event is important because of the shortage of nurses and doctors on Maui.

According to the report by Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i, the healthcare industry is projected to grow by about 15.3% by 2030, opening many jobs that could be filled by local students and allow them to stay on Maui.

And so, what we're trying to do is expose students, or future learners, to a broad array of different careers in health care.

This event seems to be the beginning of a new trend where schools provide out of the classroom experiences, and by judging today, they are heading in the right direction.

For Student Television Network, this is Keely Cabreros, reporting.

wave] where students can test out their online influencer muscles.

This one from Kealakehe High School in Kailua Kona received an honorable mention.

I'm Kiara.

And I'm Alohi, and today we're gonna be trying things, or tasting things as well, that we've never tried before.

Our first location is Island Time Boba Cafe.

Let's go.

Right now, we're here at Island Time Boba Cafe, and I'm here with Joe.

popular drinks here?

Dubai Chocolate is the number one selling thing on the menu.

Do you want?

Are you craving like a smoothie or boba?

You want to try the smoothie?

Guys, we're gonna try the smoothie.

Okay, yeah.

Oh, so here's our drinks.

you guys, this was not on the menu.

banana smoothie?

It’s a banana split.

Oh!

We are walking to our next location now.

We're not exactly sure where it's located, so we're kind of just winging it.

Oh, my God, it's so cute.

Trinity is going to tell us what's the most famous item on this menu.

like to order the feisty tacos.

Yeah, maybe we should try that.

for the first time ever.

Come with me, and let's see how this goes.

We are here.

I'm excited.

It's really hot.

Surprisingly, we wore, like, long sleeves and pants, thinking that it might be cold, because I was told that it was gonna be cold.

But walking to see this event and then the creator of the volcano of Kilauea.

Kilauea, where we at right now, has actually erupted 31 times, yeah 31 times in the past year, which is crazy, because that's the most I think it has ever in a year.

It's pretty much like a straight drop after this.

Oh, my goodness.

I'm gonna go photo bomb.

Oh, my God, look, it's like, right here.

It's hot.

All right, guys, that's it for today's vlog.

Thanks for coming with us to try new things.

forget to live with aloha.

That's it for our show.

Thank you to the Student Television Network for sharing these videos with us.

We are so proud of our HIKI NŌ students and how they represented Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers on a national stage.

Don't forget to follow 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.

So we started going to these conventions from, you know, 2004 when it started, but you would see the same schools, you know, you would see the same type of media programs that went and then once we hit, you know, that era of HIKI NŌ, that PBS Hawaii program in which students are getting hands on training.

You know, teachers are getting trained to produce quality work, quality journalism.

That's when we really started to see sort of like the boom in Hawaiʻi.

As far as, you know, how well the Hawaiʻi students were doing, I don't think I would have done as good as I done at STN without the training HIKI NŌ has given me.

It may be hard training, but it's it's worth it at the end.

Hitting the HIKI NŌ standards really helps with hitting the STN standards, because with HIKI NŌ, they expect you to put out your best, and whatever you do, you can learn from HIKI NŌ and that whole process and take it out to what you do at STN, and you putting, you're putting your best foot forward, and you're doing all you can to make that video as great as you possibly can so it can place.

And I think we all kind of share that vision that we want to show that ‘Hey,’ you know, we're this tiny, you know, group of islands in the middle of the Pacific, but we can do just as well, and sometimes even better than our counterparts on the mainland, that might have more opportunities or resources, but it's a special thing that we have here in Hawaiʻi.

Well, I'm proud of the other Hawaiʻi schools for placing, because I think the main thing during the closing ceremony was just showing the Aloha spirit, because when we were there, all we were doing was rooting for our state, and we were clapping loudly whenever a Hawaiʻi school won.

And I think it wasn't more so about winning, more, what was it for, just sharing the aloha spirit.

and that is definitely, that's one of the reasons we go.

But that's not the main reason that we go.

It's not for winning, it's not for placing.

It's many wonderful life lessons that you can learn from this challenge and everything you do in the competition, because you learn how to handle stress, you learn how to work with others and cooperate with them.

You also learn how to kind of take control and act like how you're supposed to act.

that we've had with, with PBS Hawaiʻi, our teachers are very passionate teachers, has given us opportunities that not a lot of kids can have.