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

Hi, welcome to HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

I'm Litz  Nachname, and I'm a senior at Hawai‘i Technology   Academy on O‘ahu.

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

In this episode, we're highlighting impressive  production teams at schools statewide,   from the elementary to the high school level.

We'll also meet special media teachers who   make this HIKI NŌ program possible.

Then students from O‘ahu will take us   along on a visit to Japan to learn about their  cultural exchange.

We'll also take a dip into   our archives to watch some memorable pieces, such  as one about traditional Hawaiian hale building.

Starting off with a piece from some of our  youngest contributors, let's meet students at   Honowai Elementary School on O‘ahu who take  us behind the scenes at their new recording   studio.

Check it out.

Hi, I'm Lyhanna Corpuz.

Hi, I'm Jazlyn Saloricman.

I'm Jaylene Tenoso.

And we're sixth graders from  Honowai Elementary School.

Speaking of which, did you know that our  school, Honowai, has a recording studio?

It's in a new building that was finished in  2023 after almost six years of construction.

The building has classrooms for media,  special education, music, and arts.

Now that we've been filming in the  studio for a year, we’d love to   share some facts about this studio.

Fun fact, this studio is used for   our weekly boarding message production.

In our morning message, we share important   announcements, such as the lunch and breakfast  schedule, weekly highlights, seasonal activities,   our core values, and many more.

Before we got this recording studio,   we filmed in the STC.

STC stands  for Science Technology Center.

This is where we used to film the morning  message.

As you can see, we had very little   to work with.

Instead of a green screen,  we had a giant sheet of green paper.

We had to work with what we had.

We built our  way up this steep mountain, and we are very   thankful for what we have now.

We believe that this studio   has been the reason for our success.

What success do you say?

To clarify, we have   won three awards at ‘ōlelo Youth Exchange 2024.

Furthermore, in this studio, we learn how to   direct, how to record audio, how to  create graphics, and do many jobs   to film our school's morning message.

We've  learned a lot about filming in the studio.

This is Lyhanna, Jazlyn, and Jaylene from Honowai  Elementary School from HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Now we're going to the west side of   O‘ahu, where Wai‘anae High School is celebrating  three decades of its exceptional media program,   Searider Productions.

First, we'll hear about what  it was like to produce a short documentary about   the amazing legacy from Denise Cabrera, who  is in the graduating HIKI NŌ class of 2024.

[ocean wave] I got to recently work on a documentary for SP,   Searider Productions’ 30th anniversary, and I  got to talk to all of the teachers like, who are   still working there, Mrs. Suiso, who started the  program, and then learn about John when he was a   student and when he started becoming as a teacher.

And I think it's just really cool seeing how much   passion he has for the program, knowing that he  stayed there pretty much all 30 years of it.

I think it's so amazing being part of that whole  legacy, the whole Searider Productions legacy,   and how it's been up for 30 years, and how the  community has been supporting it for 30 years,   and that they're gonna continue to support it.

Even if people weren't from SP, people came to   the 30th reunion and were always surprised by the  new buildings, and like, all the new equipment and   all the work that the students were doing.

Being  a part of all of that and knowing that we're   kind of helping change this community's reputation  too, it's like, it's a different feeling.

[ocean wave] Without further ado, let's learn   more about Wai‘anae High School's impressive,  award-winning program, Searider Productions.

We know we thought big.

Norman and I  thought big, but I don't think this big.

[slow piano music] The idea to start this media program over 30 years   ago was, actually I was a former Spanish teacher  that used the camera as a tool to teach the   language.

And after three years of doing Spanish  with the camera, I realized this is an amazing   tool, and if students could do it in English,  they would be really good, because they were   so creative.

When I first started, it was really  hard, because I'm not a technology person, but I   teamed up with another teacher, Norman Chock, so  both of us are the co-founders of this program.

He knew video production, and he knew how to  edit really well, and I was just, “Okay, guys,   let's do this.” You know, once a cheerleader,  always a cheerleader, right?

My hopes for the   program at the time was to just have something  that students can learn and have fun, something   that will make them want to come to school, want  to stay in school, and make projects that would   make them proud and make the community proud.

[keyboard clicks]  I used to love editing.

That's what I loved  doing the best when I first started.

I would   film it, and I loved editing.

But when the  computers came, I just couldn't keep up.

So,   when you have students like John Allen who came  in, who was very creative and very technical;   when you get that kind of students that come  and you show them this tool, they just take   off.

And I just had to step back and watch.

I came into the program in the third year, and for   me, it was still very brand new.

You know, it was  super fun.

It was a lot of, for a lot of us, it   was just like the fun thing to do on campus.

So,  Mrs. Suiso just said, “Here, teach your friends,   teach your peers.” It really just put me on a  path, you know.

Once I got out of high school   and then started working, I came back right  away.

I started, you know, just helping out.

And then when Michael O’Connor came along -  we hired him, I believe, in 2005 or six - he   bumped up our graphic arts department and branded  another side of Searider Productions to Searider   Digital.

When Mr. Furumoto came on board,  right around the same time as Mr. O'Connor,   his expertise was 2D and 3D animation.

Again, when I first started, it was kind   of siloed off.

Seeing that growth of like, the  video, the graphic design, even photography, 3D,   like, everything kind of coming together  and like, seeing students like, kind of   cross over and work together, that's always been  like, really, really, like, rewarding to see.

And so, the evolution of Searider Digital just  really brought our program to a whole ‘nother   level, because now our students who were not just  doing video production, but they were integrating   with graphic arts.

[keyboard clicks]   I never imagined that that level of success.

It's two things, two key things.

It's, of course,   the students from ‘93 to 2024, every single  student who has ever come through, it's because   of them.

And it's these dedicated teachers that  never gave up.

And I always knew this is where I   wanted to teach, because this is where I can  make the biggest difference.

And I know that   John felt the same way.

And somehow, we pass it  on, I think not by saying it, but by showing it.

Ever since I was in elementary school, like  I really, really knew that I wanted to be in   Searider Productions, looking up to all of the  older students who came before me.

It was really   empowering, especially coming from Wai‘anae.

And this was like, I was doing it completely,   just on my free time.

I wasn't getting paid  at during this time; I was just coming in,   like, whenever I could, for like, an hour  to help him lesson plan over the summer   and everything.

And then eventually it turned  into a conversation of John asking me, like,   “Is this actually something you want to do?” And  it kind of turned into something like, the more   that I was here, the more that I was around the  students, the more that I saw the growth and like,   the ability to, like, help future generations.

It  just kind of clicked for me, and it was just a no   brainer from there, as I was like, this is kind  of what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Like it was, it just matched perfectly.

Decided to join SP as a student, because   my dad has been a graphic designer  for about like 45 odd some years,   and it seemed like just a place that felt very  much like home.

I was blessed and privileged to   have really good mentors here, whether that be  Mr. O'Connor, whether that be Curtis Furumoto,   whether that be John Allen or Aunty Candy.

And  I figured like if I could do even a fraction of   what they did for me as a student and provide that  same kind of help and support for other students,   then I think I can sleep easy at night.

I came in in 2001 and took mass media and   kind of fell in love with the program.

I think the  factor that made me really fall in love with it   was the intrinsic reward I got from teaching kids  that were basically like me.

It's the personal   connections that you build.

You're so much more  than a teacher.

When you are a teacher, there's a   lot of personal connections that take place, and  the first few, I think kind of really sink in.

It is really awesome to see.

I think it  also speaks to the strength of the program,   I think because of the fact that, like, it is  always going to be student driven, and like,   the fact that there are teachers who come back,  they want to, like, continue that legacy of SP,   I feel like that's something that  really does kind of even impact.

I'm happy to turn it over, finally.

You  know, I think I'm ready to.

I think I've   done everything I could possibly do to set  people up for what I believe, you know,   will be successful.

I'm excited to see where they  take it.

I'm excited to see what they do with it.

To see the students come back, I think, to see the  students that have come back and are now teaching,   to see students like you two, who are so into it,  and just, you love it.

I can tell you love it,   and you're so good at it; it just It validates  that the idea back in ‘93 was the right idea.

[inspirational music] [ocean wave]   Wai‘anae Intermediate School also has a strong  media program, which helps serve as a pipeline   to see writer productions at Wai‘anae High  School.

Let's meet one of the media teachers   there, who happens to be a Wai‘anae High  School grad in this HIKI NŌ archive story   from Wai‘anae Intermediate on O‘ahu.

I got started in media in eighth grade,   joining Mrs. Higuchi’s media class.

For some reason I was put in the   class in the first place.

I didn't know why.

Although Timothy Bradley felt uncertain about   his placement in this class, one award was all it  took to encourage him to continue his journey.

I made a funny, not so serious video, and it  won an award, and that just kind of started   me on my path.

When I won that award, I was kind  of embarrassed but surprised at the same time.

I remember Tim being really shy back  then.

I wasn't sure if he enjoyed   being in my class or not, so I was really  surprised to see him continue taking media   at Wai‘anae High School Searider Productions.

In high school, I had the opportunity to teach   other kids media, other elementary school  kids, other high school kids, about media,   how to take the basic shots and all  of that stuff.

And from high school,   that's when I found out that I really  wanted to just teach other kids.

Second S. After I graduated from high school   from the Searider Productions program, I was able  to have an opportunity to join Makaha Studios,   so I was getting an education while I was still  doing what I wanted to do, which was media.

When the Wai‘anae Boys and Girls Club  began looking for a media teacher,   I thought of Tim.

I had no hesitation  in recommending Tim for the job.

I was really, really excited because I wanted  to really share my skill set and what I had   with the kids that were interested in  it here at the Boys and Girls Club.

Bradley hopes the work students create in his  program will not only impact their own future,   but the future of the community.

The thing about the Boys and Girls   Club like, we're trying to inspire these kids  to continue on and just stick on kind of a good   path in life.

Running a media program and  being the person in charge of it is pretty   hard.

It's pretty fun.

These kids are able  to express themselves, are able to start   themselves on their path to their future.

Whatever they want to be, this media camp is   something that'll help them with maybe planning  out their future, or even having them start   setting their goals for the future.

And using  all these technical skills that they learned,   they could take it home, show their parents,  they could take it back into the community and   really showcase what Wai‘anae can do.

This is Jahn Muliagatele from Wai‘anae   Intermediate School for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave]   There's another impressive middle school  media program that has a history of its   own.

Let's visit Chiefess Kamakahelei  Middle School on Kaua‘i to find out more.

Hi, I'm a student of the CKTV media class  at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School.

Our   advanced media class produces informational  and entertaining morning announcements for   the entire school to view each day.

The morning announcements are a huge,   huge part of my morning routines, because one  thing I love about it is it answers all those   frequently asked questions every single day.

What rotation is it?

What day of the week is   it?

What's for lunch today?

And those questions  are answered throughout the whole video.

So,   I make it a huge part of my morning.

We know the morning announcements are   very tech savvy and up to date, but what were  they like before this modern day of technology?

So, we started with live morning announcement  shows, and we did that for about 19 years,   actually.

I always felt that I wanted our  students to have that live television production,   and that's why we’ve kept with it for so long.

But  once we made that switch into doing a tape show,   what it did for our students was it forced them  to shoot and edit every single day.

And so, their   skills got really, really good, and the students  in that first group that did our initial taped   versions got so good that they were just winning  all the contests, and we've stuck with it since.

That's why the morning announcements are  unique and individual to our school, and   CKMS is very proud to have them.

This is Stella  Fornari reporting for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Now let's learn   how to play the ancient Hawaiian game of kōnane  from students at Kamehameha Schools Maui Middle   in this fun and educational how-to video.

Strategies were vital to the warriors who   fought in battle.

Kōnane is a Hawaiian game  that has been played for hundreds of years,   and it's still played today.

It is a two-player  game.

You will need a kōnane board and an equal   amount of white and black pieces to fill the  board spaces.

The number of the spaces will   decide the difficulty of the game.

To set up  your board, a black or white piece must be in   the bottom left corner of the board.

We mix up the  colors and see who gets what so that it's fair,   but you and your opponent can agree on who's  going to be which color.

Kōnane is a little bit   like checkers.

Black will move first, and  you can move horizontally and vertically,   just you can't move diagonally.

If you are  able to, you can double or triple jump,   but it must be in a straight line.

To play, you  take turns jumping over the opponent's pieces to   take them.

To win, it's not how many pieces  you have left on the board, it's if you can   make the last move.

Being creative by focusing and  being ahead is the key to winning.

Don't forget,   maikaʻi Hawai‘i, that means good sportsmanship.

This is Jayna Kanoholani from Kamehameha Schools,   Maui Middle School for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave]   We'd like to revisit this memorable story from  2013.

It's a special bilingual piece spoken in the   Ni‘ihau dialect of Hawaiian.

Students at Ke Kula  Ni‘ihau O Kekaha Public Charter School on Kaua‘i   share their experience about learning traditional  laulima method of Hawaiian hale building.

[speaks Niʻihau Hawaiian] That's the outer bark.

That's all we want to take   out is the outer bark.

Gotta go slow and steady.

[continues Niʻihau Hawaiian]   When we were talking about developing the  hale project and using a lot of volunteers,   the laulima concept of many hands to help build,  first thought for me was to try reach out to our   community, and in particular, students of the  Hawaiian language.

So, the charter schools were   the logical place to go.

And in any language,  unless you utilize the language in a particular   field a lot, you tend to lose the vocabulary.

And  since no traditional style hale have been built   in a very long time, I thought it'd be a really  good way to sort of resurrect the vocabulary.

[narrator speaks Hawaiian] [man speaks Hawaiian]   [girl speaks Hawaiian] [narrator speaks Hawaiian]   So, now if you want to build a hale, you got to  have a reason and a purpose.

Then you got to go   out and you got to look for your resources.

Then you kukuli your paepae.

Then you got   to cut all of your poles.

It's better to have all  your poles already cut, all the notches, put them   all together inside.

And you gotta put the olokea  inside.

And then you gotta work from the olokea,   and then you put your thatching on.

[narrator continues in Hawaiian]   He expects us to retain his knowledge, take  forth his knowledge, and it's in my complete   intention to do that.

I love hale building.

It's been a passion of mine since I was a child,   and no matter what, I always come back to it.

It's  a root for me.

It's a place of center, and I could   never stop this, no matter what.

It's part of my  culture, my history, and the more I perpetuate it,   the more I know my children will perpetuate and it  will never die, as long as we keep [inaudible].

[speaks Hawaiian] [ocean wave]   For our next story, we'll travel across the  ocean to Japan.

Āliamanu Middle School on O‘ahu   has a special sister program there, and student  Daniel Padhi tells us all about his experience.

When Āliamanu Middle school let out for  spring break, one group of students started   a new adventure.

All of this wouldn't be  possible without the special partnership that   Āliamanu Middle School has with Sakaimachi.

This partnership allows for students to go   to Japan, and for the Japanese  students to come to Hawai‘i.

But before students can go on this trip, there  are a bunch of steps students have to undergo.

Students have to first construct essays  and then get interviewed by the admin to   see if they are the right fit.

Then a  few days later, they announce who got   in.

And last year, I was one of the lucky ones.

We took classes on the language, learning hula,   and learning basic Japanese etiquette and the  common currency.

After months of preparation,   we were ready for action.

At the Honolulu airport,  teary eyed parents said their farewells and   wished us good luck as our Japan trek began.

After a long plane and bus ride and our first   Japanese dinner, we were finally able to meet  with the host families.

They welcomed me with open   arms, letting me settle into my room, which was  very unique, and even bought me Baskin Robbins.

Once we arrived at the school, my peers and I  received a warm welcome from the Sakai school   students and teachers, and we were greeted by an  assembly where they danced, their band played,   and we performed our hula dance in front of them.

The next few days, we learned kendo,   a martial art, the koto, a traditional Japanese  instrument, and a variety of Japanese games.

One   of my favorite activities we participated in was  playing volleyball and badminton with the kids.

I got to make great connections with the boys and  girls, despite any language barriers.

All in all,   Japan was an amazing experience.

Japanese  culture shocked me in so many ways.

For example,   I was surprised at how the kids were.

The common  stereotype is that Japanese kids are disciplined   and very well mannered.

Now, they were very  disciplined, but they were also a lot like us   in many ways.

They love to have fun.

The kids, I  find that they have drama just like us.

Though the   language barriers, our cultures are very alike  in many ways that I have never thought before.

This was a once in a lifetime trip that I'm  glad other Āliamanu students will be able to   experience.

This is Daniel Padhi from Āliamanu  Middle School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] That's it for our show.

Thank you for watching   the 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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