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

Aloha and welcome to this episode of HIKI NŌ on  PBS Hawai‘i.

My name is Jett Jarrett, and I am a   sophomore at Kalāheo High School on O‘ahu.

We have  a packed show for you tonight, as I get to reveal   the winning entries of HIKI NŌ's 2025 Winter  Challenge competition.

Each season during the   school year, HIKI NŌ challenges student reporters  to produce stories in the span of a few days.

These contests are called Challenges.

For  2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Winter Challenge,   the call was for videos based on the  prompt, Small Actions, Big impact.

Usually, students have weeks to work  on projects for HIKI NŌ and lots of   help from our teachers and industry mentors.

During this competition, students had just under   a week to search for story ideas and people  to interview, film, and edit their videos.

In these competitions, HIKI NŌ judges  look for stories produced with technical   skill and storytelling finesse.

They also have to meet the prompt.

Now,   it is my pleasure to share the winning entries  with you.

Let's start with an honorable mention   in our high school division.

In the high school division of   the 2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Winter  Challenge, receiving honorable mention   is Maryknoll School on O‘ahu.

Congratulations.

Student reporters interviewed their student body   president at Maryknoll School on O‘ahu, one  of the busiest students on campus, who had a   story to share about how small acts of kindness  can help someone pull through a tough time.

Hello.

This is Jaina Higuchi, reporting  for HIKI NŌ.

Today we are catching up   with Maryknoll student Zander Torres, and how  a small act made a big difference in his life.

Aloha.

My name is Xander Gabriel Torres.

I  am a senior at Maryknoll High School.

I am   the student body president; at Maryknoll, we  call it Senate.

And like I said, Senate is the   student governing body for the entire school.

I'm also president of the Hawaiian Club.

I'm   involved in the Filipino Club, Samoan Club,  and Spartan Spirit Club.

In addition to that,   I serve at Sacred Hearts Parish, the school's  church.

I am an altar server and a Eucharistic   minister.

After school, I work for Maryknoll at  the Extended Learning Office as an after-school   care aide, and it's basically daycare.

Xander was a normal and thriving student   until a tragic event changed it all.

Last year, in August, my grandpa passed away,   and that really took a toll on me,  especially as one of his caregivers,   and it was completely unexpected.

And it wasn't until when in English   class my teacher, Mrs. McGivern, she had  asked me, "Xander, this is not like you.

Why are you failing English?"

And I talked to her after class,   and that was like, really, the first time  I opened up to anyone, because I bottled up   all of these feelings, because I didn't want  to talk to my cousins, my brother, my mom or   dad about the passing of my grandfather.

And she truly understood what I was going   through and how, you know, her just talking  story with me and asking how I was doing,   and just telling me that I'll be able to get  through this really, you know, it turned me   around because I was failing class.

It wasn't just her class.

I   was failing all my classes.

That small act by Ms. McGivern   got me out of a really dark spot in my life,  and I'm very grateful for her.

So, we shouldn't   be afraid to ask someone how they're doing.

Don't be afraid to be that shoulder to cry on,   or that ear to listen, because one small act of  kindness can go a real long way for that person.

This is Jaina Higuchi from Maryknoll  High School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

In the high school division of the 2025  HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Winter Challenge,   receiving third place from the island of Maui  is H.P.

Baldwin High School.

Congratulations.

This story features a women-owned  thrift store on Maui that has a   mission of helping victims of domestic violence.

You know, on Maui, it's two degrees separation,   yeah, not six.

Somebody you know,  I probably know, and just by that,   it's a place of welcoming, I think.

Aloha.

My name is Lei Lee,   and I'm the store manager here at the  Women Helping Women Revive Boutique.

Revive Boutique, a secondhand shop located  in Kahului, Maui, works with Women Helping   Women to end domestic violence through  educational outreach, awareness and donations.

The way we serve those affected  by domestic violence is really,   we're in the back end.

We're behind the  scenes.

The funds that we raise actually   go directly to our programs and, you know, to  Women Helping Women.

So that, to me, is huge.

Women Helping Women's mission is to prevent  gender-based violence and to empower all survivors   while driving social change that promotes justice  and centrist communities impacted by oppression.

Yeah.

So, again, it's such a community-based  business that without the donors, without   the customers, without volunteers,  we wouldn't be able to do that.

Like Women Helping Women, Revive  relies heavily on volunteers.

The County of Maui provides us with volunteers,  as well as we have a Back to Work program that   we partner with, aside from people who just  walk in and want to be a part of what we do.

My name is Mieko Arakawa.

I don't directly work with the shelter,   but what we do here will actually benefit and  contribute to the shelter.

So, I feel useful.

I feel like I'm doing something.

So, what we are doing is just taking   our donations, right, from anybody  who can donate, and whatever we do,   the proceeds goes to shelter, right?

So, it's a small individual action that   you guys do, and I just work as a cashier, but  if you look at the big picture, you're probably   helping people we don't even know, but who needs  help, not by giving those clothing, but by helping   their shelter or the program they offer.

So that's how I see it.

There were a lot of customers who repeat,  come through quite often, and they do shop,   but they also talk about their lives sometimes.

I talk about my life to them sometimes.

So,   it's kind of like, you know, the vibe you  get, like in beauty salon when you go,   you don't just get a haircut, the same thing.

We  sort of like, the relationship with the customers,   and we know there are so many customers who  actually, we kind of know them really well.

You know, you never really know who  you gonna meet.

And we're almost like   a gathering place honestly.

You come in  and it's about talking story and "Oh,   you know," You wouldn't know the  impact that we have till you come in.

This is Ali Benigno from H.P.

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

Taking third place in the middle school division  in the 2025 HIKI NŌ Winter Challenge is Maui Waena   Intermediate School on Maui.

Congratulations.

These students went behind the scenes at a   community health and fitness event  organized by the Maui Family YMCA   and Maui Scouting Unit 49.

They tie in heart  awareness just in time for Valentine's Day.

Everything doesn't have to be done on a grand  scale to make a positive impact on the community.

Here at the YMCA is the annual HeartFest  Event.

This event hopes to bring a   great positive impact on the community.

So, HeartFest is an event that the YMCA and   the Scout Troops put together to promote healthy  living and fun for families and the community.

So,   we have vendors that are selling everything from  jewelry to clothing to handmade items.

And then,   of course, you have food trucks and other  types of food that's being produced.

And   then you have a great kid zone where kids  can go and play games and win prizes.

We   have a bounce house.

It's really cool.

So to me, HeartFest is a great time for   families to get together, to enjoy the their  company, to enjoy the company of their neighbors,   members of the community, to play games,  to get together and look at all the great   vendor crafts and other items that are  available, and enjoy some terrific food.

And Steve, the CEO of the YMCA, believes that even  the smallest acts are important to our community.

I think the most important thing  is that everybody can be involved,   and everybody can have fun and have a good time.

Everyone that comes in here has a different need,   do different things, but from our staff to  other members of the community are here,   we just help one another, and sometimes,  like I said, it's just one member encouraging   another member that they're doing a  good job with their healthy living,   or just shaking someone's hand or  saying good morning, or mahalo.

With all these small actions, this event  hopes to grow bigger in the future,   having a greater impact to our community.

For Maui Waena Intermediate School for HIKI NŌ   on PBS Hawai‘i, this is Layla Magsayo reporting.

And now in the high school division of the 2025   HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Winter Challenge,  receiving second place is Hilo High School   on Hawai‘i Island.

Congratulations.

These student reporters share the rich   history of a popular public park and  pond in Hilo, on the Big Island.

A   small intervention is making a big change to  the health of the water and wildlife there.

In the middle of Lili‘uokalani Gardens  in Hilo, Hawai‘i, lies Waihonu,   a five-acre pond led by freshwater springs  and seawater.

It hosts a sensitive ecosystem,   but throughout the centuries, toxic matter and  sediment have settled to the bottom of the pond,   disturbing the plants and animals with it.

Great efforts have been made to clean up the   pond by local volunteers, especially as it shares  a special relationship with Native Hawaiians.

The pond at the center of the garden Waihonu  is a traditional Hawaiian fishpond.

It was in   Ili Kūpono at the time of Kamehameha, when he was  here in Hilo building his war fleet to take over   the other islands, unite them into a kingdom.

This pond was set aside to feed his chiefs.

Centuries of waste, sediments, and  falling leaves have fallen into the pond,   creating a toxic sludge.

Tsunamis kept  pushing that sludge deeper into the pond.

So, with that accumulation, over time,  the pond became sick.

It's smelly.

The oxygen level is low.

There would be  fish die offs.

There would be 32 fish   dead on one shore of the pond.

An organization of fishpond caretakers   on this island called Hui Loko, one of  the members mentioned to me having used   Genki balls in their pond on the Kohala side.

Genki balls are mud balls made of soil, rice,   bran, molasses, water and EM1 solution.

EM1 solution introduces healthy bacteria   that can help break down the sludge.

Over 7,000 Genki balls have been made and   thrown into the pond by schools and community  groups.

The results came back astonishing.

We need oxygen in the pond.

That's one  of the roles that Genki balls play in   the pond.

One of the figures that sticks in  my head is we've seen a 60% increase in the   oxygen levels in the pond.

We've seen the  levels of certain toxins start to decline.

We've seen the depth of the mud start  to decline inch by inch.

We've seen the   clarity of the water improve because the  suspended particles aren't there anymore.

Genki balls are the small change to create the  big impact it has in the Waihonu pond.

It is our   responsibility to help clean and maintain  its beauty.

This is Nevaeh Mendoza from   Hilo High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

And now coming in second place of the middle   school division of the 2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS  Hawai‘i Winter Challenge is Chiefess Kamakahelei   Middle School on Kaua‘i.

Congratulations.

Students profile a teacher and counselor   on campus who is dedicated to changing student  lives and helping them avoid substance abuse.

I do what I do because I love what I do,  and I'm blessed to get to do what I do,   which is plant positive seeds to  help teenagers make positive lives.

When thinking of making a difference, you  often don't think of small actions or the   quiet moments of connection, but that's  what can create the biggest impact.

Here at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle  School, John Sotelo dedicates his time   to providing students with a safe space  to share and learn from their struggles.

What I do is, once again, plant positive  seeds, help students through their struggles,   help them to keep their head up and understand  the gift of life every day, how to count our   blessings, and how drugs and alcohol affect a  person's mind, body, spirit in negative ways,   and that they can overcome if they want  to, if they believe they can achieve.

Hey, good morning.

How are you?

I have the students let it out, especially   in this field, lot of pain, lot of rain.

The more  healing, the more they let out, the more healing   they do, the more they can move forward to make  better choices and move forward with their life.

Through one-on-one sessions, group talks and  everyday interactions, John creates a safe   space where students feel heard and supported.

For many students, he is the adult who helps   them build self-esteem, find purpose, and  avoid the pressures of substance abuse.

Mr. John's program has such a big impact on  students, because I think the kids really   have an easy time talking with him, and he  speaks to them at their level and in a way   where they know that he really cares  and that he is there to help them.

You know, Mr. John could be that piece that a  student needs here on campus that is going to   help them while they're here in middle school.

And hopefully, whatever he's teaching them,   he advice that he's giving them, that it is going  to make a huge impact later on in their lives,   where they're able to deal with their  stresses in another way and not depend   on some kind of substance to get them  through whatever they're dealing with.

With just a small conversation, whether it's  a group or one on one talk, the effect of   Mr. John's program has changed many of the  lives of the students on campus at Chiefess   Kamakahelei Middle School.

Daily conversations  at the program slowly plant seeds that will   continue to develop and grow in the future.

This is Jaqlyn Arruda from Chiefess Kamakahelei   Middle School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

Receiving first place in the high school division   of the 2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Winter  Challenge is Campbell High School on O‘ahu.

Students decided to profile one of their teachers  at James Campbell High School, who's breaking the   typical mold at lunchtime by offering a safe  space for students to hang out and connect.

I guess like, you can treat it as like a value  thing, like this is valuable for the kids.

Sometimes, the smallest actions can have  the biggest impact.

But for Corey Major,   a science teacher at James Campbell High School,  allowing students to stay in his classroom   during lunch isn't a small action at all.

I don't think it's a necessarily like small   action, but I think it like, helps with the sense  of belonging.

It helps kids feel like they have a   place where they can be.

I do know that, like some  kids probably don't have any teachers that like,   let them sit in their room for lunch,  so they kind of feel lost and stuff,   and that's never like a good feeling.

That's  not like, what I want for any of the kids here.

By opening his doors, Major creates more  than just a space to eat.

He creates a   sense of belonging for his students, a place  where they can feel seen, heard and valued.

I think the kids do like an adult being around.

They like, like, bouncing ideas, or they have,   like, if they need help with something, like,  they have me as a resource.

I do hope that,   like, by being here, they feel like, safe  and they feel like they're getting, like,   a good experience out of, like, hanging out here.

It's actually a pretty wide variety of kids that   hang out here.

I have a lot of old  students that are here, and a lot of   students that, like, have my next period here.

Major makes it a priority to connect with every   student, knowing that a simple conversation and  a welcoming space is important for his students.

I think, like, personally, I like to, like,  build a lot of relationships and connections   with my students that helps like, me  understand them, and it helps me like,   connect what I'm teaching to like, what they care  about and what they think is interesting.

So,   I always try to like, learn about my students  and get to know them, talking to them like,   casually at lunch is probably one of the  like, areas where I can do that the most.

But at the same time, Major understands  why some teachers choose to keep their   doors closed.

Everyone needs a break, but for  Major, the choice to keep it open is worth it.

Teachers also have to eat lunch and  like, sometimes, like, we just need like,   some peace.

It's not like we can all just handle  the chaos all the time.

I do think, like, if you   were to try and like, convince a teacher to do it,  you can say that it, like, helps the students feel   more connected to them, more connected to the  school, more connected to their like, peers.

The only time that like students are like,  interacting is like in the different classes.

So having like, another place where they  can like interact is like, valuable.

Major believes that creating a  space of inclusion for students   is crucial to shaping a more connected  and supportive environment for everyone.

I do think the school would be better if  it had like, spots for the kids to, like,   hang out for themselves.

If you have, like, a  higher sense of belonging, hopefully kids take   more pride in the school, so they'll like, try  harder in classes because they want to, like,   do well for the school, or they'll like, take care  of the school because, like, they care about it.

They feel like they belong here.

And I hope  that the kids here, like, appreciate that.

I do this for them.

And I do want to, like,  be a support for them.

I think this school,   you have, like, a lot of support, but like,  if I can be like, another piece of support,   I try to do that.

So, hopefully it helps them.

In the end, a supportive school culture isn't   built by grand gestures.

It's shaped by small,  everyday moments of kindness, inclusion and   connection.

This is Izzy Rodriguez from James  Campbell High School, for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawaiʻi.

Receiving first place in the middle  school division of the 2025 HIKI NŌ on   PBS Hawai‘i Winter Challenge is Highlands  Intermediate School on O‘ahu.

Congratulations.

Actions while driving can have significant  consequences.

These middle school students   decided to investigate the implementation  of red-light cameras on Honolulu roads.

It doesn't take a red-light camera to encourage  them to drive more safely and obey the laws,   but if it takes red light cameras and issuing  tickets to do that, then we'll need to do that.

Gregg Takayama, a Democratic politician serving  in the Hawai‘i House of Representatives,   is taking action in enhancing road safety and  reducing traffic violations, which include the   implementations of red-light camera systems.

Red light cameras are a program to encourage   people to drive safely, within the speed limits,  and to obey our traffic laws.

What we did several   years ago as a State Legislature was we passed  the law to try out cameras that are mounted on   traffic lights that can catch people when they go  through a red light.

The idea behind the cameras   is to have it automated.

But if worse comes to  worse, I suppose it could have going back to   police officers being stationed at intersections,  but the whole idea is to try and avoid that.

With us trying to avoid having  police come back, it may be hard,   but how do these simple accidents even start?

People are so much distracted inside their   vehicle, either talking on the phone, texting,  playing with the radio or music, but the traffic   lights are there to help mediate traffic flow.

And that's when-   We passed the law to suggest they try it in 10  locations.

We worked with the Honolulu Police,   and they chose 10 intersections to put the  red-light cameras in, and they're mostly in   roads on which there are the most accidents,  because there's lots of traffic on them.

With accidents happening every so often from busy  streets, sometimes you just have to think, what   if you were in that situation?

And that's why- I take every case personal, because if that was   my family member, my daughter, my loved  one, my friend, I want to investigate   the case to its fullest.

We have to make  laws that sometimes doesn't make sense,   but it has to take care of everything, the  totality of the circumstances or the incident.

Very often that creates accidents, not just car  accidents, but also those involving pedestrians,   which are the most dangerous, because in a  fight with a car, the pedestrian always loses.

Drivers tend to be impatient, especially during  rush hour, and the tendency is to speed through   intersections, run through red lights, and  the hope is that we can get drivers to drive   more carefully, obey the laws, drive more safely,  and that will benefit everyone in the community.

With red light cameras slowly improving, this  is definitely one of the smallest changes that   can change for the better good.

From Highlands  Intermediate School, this is Nai‘a Ka‘aikaula   reporting for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

Congratulations to all the student   teams who worked so hard under the  pressure of a professional deadline.

They really stepped up to the challenge.

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

Don't forget  to subscribe to 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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