HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

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

My name is Issac Liu.

And I’m Janal Baron.

We’re juniors at Farrington High School and we’re excited to host this special episode of the 2022 HIKI NŌ Spring Challenge and share the winning entries with you.

For this Spring Challenge, HIKI NŌ asked students to submit videos based on the prompt, 'Did You Know?

Hidden Gems in Our Own Backyard.'

There was an outpouring of entries, each with a special treasure in their community to share.

For this challenge, teams had seven days to complete a video that told us about a cool place, person, or historical event that makes their community and culture in Hawai‘i special.

Tonight, we'll reveal the winners of the Middle and High School Divisions.

Scoring was based on how well students met the prompt, along with production quality and storytelling finesse.

Now without further ado, let's watch the pieces that wowed the judges.

[sound of an ocean wave] In the High School Division of the 2022 HIKI NŌ Spring Challenge receiving an honorable mention is Hawai‘i Technology Academy.

Congratulations.

The students of HTA take us to a serene garden in Mililani that has a lot to offer to its neighbors.

Fresh grown fruits and vegetables are always preferred over store-bought ones, especially with how the costs are nowadays.

So, what if you could take a nice stroll picking all your favorite fruits and vegetables as you went along?

In the depths of Mililani there's a hidden gem that you can visit for free fruits and vegetables.

This gem is the Milani Community Orchard.

The Orchard is a group of fruit trees and, uh, vegetables that line the walkway through Ravine Park.

We've got some plantings, fruits and vegetables along the pathway for the community.

Established in 2018, this Orchard has been open to the public and has been loved by the community ever since.

Every year, our board has a strategic planning session, and this came out of the planning session, and we thought about it, we planned it out, and it seemed like a really good idea, and a great way for us to give back to the community and provide them with, uh, fresh fruits and vegetables and something different to taste.

Not only is the Orchard giving back to the community, but it's also giving back to the land and continuing to nourish it as the plants grow.

Well, as a part Hawaiian, I, you know, like to think that we want to take care of the ‘āina also, and, um, taking care of the ‘āina we planted, uh, trees that are going to be good for the land.

Everyone who has been to this orchard especially loves the opportunity to pick their own fruits and vegetables that are fresh from actual plants.

For an opportunity for the, um, residents to try fresh fruits literally right off the tree and vegetables out of the ground, uh, especially nowadays with the cost of things, it's, uh, certainly nice to come through and pick your own fruits and take them home and try them.

Unfortunately, not many people know about the community orchard, as it doesn't get many visitors.

The orchard is a great place to visit with your friends and family.

So, consider taking a stroll down Ravine Park Walkway and take in the true essence of nature and what it provides us.

It's just a nice place to visit.

It's serene, uh, you might see people that you know walking past here, or you can walk your dogs and, um, just feel like you're part of a really nice community, which I think Mililani is.

[sound of an ocean wave] And now, in the Middle School Division of the 2022 HIKI NŌ Spring Challenge, coming in third place: it's an elementary school that competed in the Middle School Division, Ernest Bowen de Silva Elementary School on Hawai‘i Island.

Congratulations.

Unexpected pandemic-related circumstances, but a gift of a new teacher to their school, according to the students.

When COVID hit, schools closed and we couldn't see our friends.

Some people even lost their jobs.

This happened to Punawai Rice.

Rice was the School Field Trip Coordinator at a science center.

That was fun, working with children.

My favorite school, um, was the elementary level.

And then after about eight years of, um, doing that, we entered the pandemic.

And at that point, I didn't have any school.

No schools are doing field trips.

And so, I was laid off, unfortunately.

But for E.B.

de Silva Elementary School, this was a blessing.

Rice was willing to help any way he could.

This school year, he has been a substitute custodian, tutor, educational assistant, and now he helps every class as our Hawaiian studies teacher.

When he comes in the classroom and he greets everybody, uh, he just has a very calming influence on our school.

My favorite thing at E.B.

deSilva is the excitement that the children come, and I want to make sure that learning is fun for all of you.

Mr. Punawai is interesting and teaches us about Hawaiian culture.

Every week, 460 students are lucky to learn from Rice.

If it wasn't for COVID, we wouldn't have met thIs shining gem.

This is Kairi Rodero from E.B.

de Silva Elementary School for HIKI NŌ.

And now in the High School Division of the 2022 HIKI NŌ Spring Challenge coming in third place is Kalaheo High School on O‘ahu.

Congratulations.

[sound of an ocean wave] Here's their behind the scenes look at a unique cheerleading school that takes a different approach.

Cheerleading: a staple extracurricular activity in almost every high school in America.

But here, on the Windward side of O‘ahu in Kailua, it means so much more to Coach Pualani Dowling, lead coach and founder of Hawaiian Island Cheer.

Hawaiian Island Cheer is a nonprofit.

Um, we're located in Kailua, and, um, we have our athletes advance in their cheerleading and tumbling skills, and we help them try to make their high school team, future Allstar squads and college teams.

I just help them advance in their skills.

So, if they need help with their tumbling, then I help them with their tumbling.

If they need help with stunting, then we put together stunts.

If they're in high school, and they're trying to get to a college, and they know what college they want to go to, I have them get their requirements and send it to me, and then we work on the skills that they need in order to make it into that cheer or acro program.

What makes Hawaiian Islands here unique and different from other cheer companies is that rather than focusing on competitions, they choose to help their athletes prepare for their high school or college teams by developing the skills.

Well, HIC is Hawaiian Island Cheer, and what started as a, it’s a really great little cheer program that was designed to push people to the next level without having to have all the complexities of normal competition cheer.

And for high school senior Emma Bredeman, HIC also provided her with the necessary skillset she needed as she graduates and heads into college.

I’m going to be going to college in the fall, and I'm trying out for the cheer team.

And so, I needed more of that, uh, skill advancement.

Since cheer in Kalaheo ended, it was more of a perfect time to just start the program and be able to advance my skills and have fun with the team.

Through Hawaiian Island Cheer, these young girls have the opportunity to achieve otherwise unattainable accomplishments.

These kids are at an elementary, middle school, high school level throwing up college pyramids.

And if they're a part of any other program, that would be what's considered illegal because in All Star and Pop Warner and normal high school competitive cheer, they have rules and regulations, but for us, we're prepping them for the next level.

So now, we have current rostered University of Hawai‘i cheerleaders as coaches, you have alumni and me and, um, helping out these athletes just to get them the experience of what it's going to be like when they make it to the college level.

This hidden gem has put smiles on the faces of O‘ahu’s young keiki and hopes to continue doing so as they push for the resurgence of their program as we emerge from the long quarantine era.

And while this obscure program may be small, it is certainly strong.

This is Christina Uchibori from Kalaheo High School for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of cheers] [sound of an ocean wave] Coming in second place of the Middle School Division is Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Kaua‘i.

Congratulations.

The HIKI NŌ students there wanted to profile a neighbor unlike any other.

Jack Yatsko, a 59-year-old man, sees himself as a normal, ordinary human being.

Oh, I'm just a regular guy working and trying to help my community and raising our kids and trying to be a good husband, father and person in the community.

But the things he does for his community are anything but ordinary.

Um, I feel like, uh, being a part of the neighborhood and helping is something that I enjoy doing and I feel a sense of, um, responsibility to do that.

I just help with some neighbors cut their grass, power wash their driveways.

We have a lime tree out back.

We deliver limes almost every Saturday.

Not long after I moved to the neighborhood, I saw him painting our school bus stop, which is right near my house, and he just does that, I mean, he just volunteered to do that, because he wanted the kids to have a, a freshly painted bus stop every year as they started school.

Jack's willingness for doing these kinds of things is one of a kind, a hidden gem in our backyard.

Um, he is a, he's an amazing human, and he does it, um, he does it so selflessly.

He's, he's that kind of person that will offer to help any of his neighbors if he sees a need for that.

He doesn't need to be asked, he will just offer and it's, um, it's a really rare quality to see in somebody.

Most people don't do that, you know, they wait to be asked, and then maybe they'll, maybe they'll, you know, think about it.

He will be the one; he sees a need that needs to be met.

And he goes for it.

Though, in Jack's eyes, all he's doing is trying to be a good person to others.

They, some of these neighbors tried to give me money and I refuse to do that.

I feel like I just kokua back, you know.

It's a great neighborhood, we care about each other.

And, um, it's one small part of what I tried to do in the neighborhood to be a good citizen and a, a good neighbor, though, to people.

Jack takes the phrase 'it takes a whole village to make a difference' very seriously.

So, I think on a day-to-day basis, every one of us, whether you're a student, an adult, um, you have an opportunity to make somebody's day better.

Even letting somebody in traffic, um, holding a door open for somebody picking up that, that litter that's on the ground that no one else wants to, to pick up.

Um, somebody dropping their backpack and you pick it up at school and you hand it to them.

Um, those are kind gestures, and those gestures I think, have an impact on the recipient of that, and so you're not doing good just so you get a compliment or you, you get some reward, external award for that.

The reward for that is intrinsic.

You feel better as a person and, and you're making the world a better place.

Jack helps his neighbors without expecting a prize.

In other words, he has perseverance to impact his community positively.

That is what makes him a hidden gem.

This is Emma Badua from CKTV Media Productions reporting for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of an ocean wave] Coming in second place in the High School Division is Hilo High School on Hawai‘i Island.

Congratulations.

This piece shares a little-known mo‘olelo, or legend, from their backyard.

Hidden in Hilo’s back yard is the Wailuku River.

This river holds many stories and tales that become part of Hawaiian culture, one of which is the mo‘olelo of Boiling Pots.

Here we are at Boiling Pots, where the Battle of the Wailuku River took place.

This story contains Hina, Maui, Pele and the giant Mo‘o, or lizard, Kuna.

So basically, Hina was living in the cave behind Rainbow Falls.

And the Mo‘o Kuna came in and tried to take her over.

So, Hina asked her son, Maui, to ask, or to get rid of the Mo‘o.

So, one way that Maui got rid of him was to ask Pele.

Pele, let's throw some lava in the water and let's get him out.

So that's kind of how the story of the Boiling Pots took place.

The story of Boiling Pots carries a special meaning for our community and to Hilo High School.

Ms. Kristin Aiona, a Hilo High School teacher, tells us the significance and the lesson that we can learn from the mo‘olelo of Boiling Pots.

Boiling Pots and Wailuku River and Mo‘o Kuna is just one of the stories that's represented on our mural.

We weave together lots of different peoples and characters and lessons.

It was just, it just happened to be one of the lessons, or one of the mo‘olelo that we used in our mural.

If you see the lizard eye, it, to me it's a reflection of how we can learn from it, from the ideas of forgiveness, loyalty, so much more, friendship, but also communication.

Looking at it by not seeing who's the bad person, is there a bad person.

If we could see it from all sides of the story, we can learn from it, and I think that's a very important lesson for all of us.

We are always learning from the lesson of, uh, Wailuku River and Boiling Pots and Mo‘o Kuna and Hina and Maui.

They are all teaching us, all the time.

We have to just connect back to it and realize the story is there for us.

Boiling Pots basically starts a very big hidden gem because the water provides so much life, so much culture and stories that it starts, and the Boiling Pots Battle of Wailuku River, it started so many legends, mo‘olelos, of the Hawaiian culture, and it kind of just went all through Hilo.

So that's a big hidden gem of this part.

Boiling Pots may be known as a tourist spot to many, but its culture of significance will remain an important part of our identity for years to come.

This is Nathan Ragasa from Hilo High School for HIKI NŌ.

Coming in first place in the Middle School Division is Maui Waena Intermediate School.

Congratulations.

[sound of an ocean wave] The judges were impressed by the students’ storytelling of this community garden on Maui.

We did harvest one full row of a seed crop, which was carrots, beets, and radish.

And just from that one row, we got over 400 pounds of food.

And all this food is grown by Common Ground Collective, a local nonprofit that started off by collecting discarded food.

Their garden is tucked away on the acreage of the historic Baldwin Estate.

This is the first physical garden for this group and is run with just two employees and a handful of volunteers.

You know, in the year, one year that I've been with Common Ground Collective, I've seen it grow tenfold.

And that just shows how amazing and how needed and necessary it is.

Easy statistic, everybody, you probably heard, is over 90% of our food is imported.

You know, what's going to happen, you know, one day and one day might be any day, what will happen?

The boats stop coming, what do we do, are we going to eat each other?

Her solution is to give all the food they grow back into their community.

We also harvest produce and, and bring that to other community organizations, but it's always just feel-good work, wherever we go.

Whether it's Maui Food Bank, or Feed My Sheep, or you know, Ka Hale A Ke Ola, the homeless shelter, you know, it's always happiness, you know, smiles.

So, we're actually starting to see, you know, what we've planted come to fruition and then be able to, you know, donate it to those in need.

So just coming full circle, it's just been really fulfilling.

Food is connected to so many different things, including like, mental illness and overall physical health and well-being.

So, I think that providing healthy and nutritious locally grown food that's like, you know, just a basic right for humans is really important.

And not only are they ensuring the community's health with the food they grow, but they're also ensuring that they keep the culture of Hawai‘i alive.

One thing that always stood out the most to me is how we care for our land, how we care for our ‘āina.

In Hawaiian culture, first and foremost, the most important thing is the '‘āina, the land.

I'm blessed to be here on Maui.

So, I need to give back to Maui because Maui is giving me Maui.

So, you know, and, and that should really apply to wherever you live.

For me, the purpose of life is like serving other people and making a difference.

We're only here on this earth for like, you know, like a short period of time.

So, it's important to do the best you can and help as many people as you can to make a positive impact.

I do feel like I'm living my life's purpose.

Tenacious.

Although few know about this garden, the impact it creates allows the community and the culture of Hawai‘i to flourish.

This is Capriana Nozaki from Maui Waena Intermediate School for HIKI NŌ.

And now the first-place winner of the High School Division of the 2022 HIKI NŌ Spring Challenge is - it's a tie.

The first-place winners are Kapa‘a High School and H.P.

Baldwin High School.

Congratulations.

[sound of an ocean wave] The scores from these two schools were so close that judges simply could not choose one over the other.

This has happened only once before in the history of HIKI NŌ challenges.

Let's first take a look at H.P.

Baldwin’s story, which sweeps us off to a beloved local coffee shop on Maui.

This is a great place to come.

Located in Wailuku, the Coffee Attic is a family-owned business that hides just beneath the heart of Wailuku town.

Coffee Attic is perfectly located, like central, but also John, Glen, Jess and the whole gang.

They're super, super friendly.

John, the owner is a great, great guy.

Um, he's, you know, he's not just a businessperson.

He's a personable person.

Um, it's, it there's great communication here.

There's great relationship building here.

Although the Coffee Attic is home to many people, it wasn't always part of the community.

We were about to lose the building because of finances and the realtor suggested either a coffee shop or a hair salon.

So, in two weeks we opened a coffee shop without any experience.

When you're going through a drive thru or, uh, another franchise business, you know, it's passing by.

You're, you're in a rush most times, you're just there to pick up your coffee and go.

You're not there to build rapport with anybody, you're not there to enjoy your coffee or your pastry.

Um, so that's definitely the mood that John sets here.

You know, he wants everybody to come here, sit down, enjoy their breakfast, enjoy their coffee and enjoy having conversations with people.

Oh, I like the atmosphere.

It's very eclectic.

The coffee is really good.

It's just a wonderful kind of home place to be.

Aside from the many other positive attributes that the Coffee Attic possesses, the mood is not the only aspect that sets it apart from other coffee shops.

John uses coffee cubes, so he makes his ice cubes out of coffee, which is amazing and very thoughtful because the coffee never gets watered down.

What you want in a good iced coffee?

You want them to freeze coffee and give you frozen ice cubes.

So then when you're done with your iced coffee, it melts into more coffee.

Everyone in the world should do that, but they do it right here.

While the coffee attracts people from many different areas, the entertainment and music that was recently added creates another form of characteristics for the Coffee Attic.

Uh, one morning this guy that came in, I'm pretty certain he was drunk.

He played the guitar, played blues music on it and sang and it sounded really good.

And that was our very first performance we had, but then it's evolved where we had some world-famous musicians come in and a lot of local artists performing.

So, the music side of it has grown tremendously.

I just love the music.

It just like, it really, it’s really a great place.

I, I feel very comfortable being here.

I don't live here, I live in Kihei, but when I come like once a month or twice a month, I always come here for my coffee.

Before I, I even come in here, they, they know what I got.

And they do that for everybody.

They kind of know everybody as if that was their family, you know.

So, definitely a hidden gem for sure.

This is Emma Roy from Baldwin High School for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of an ocean wave] And now, the first-place story from Kapa‘a High School on Kaua‘i.

Congratulations.

[sound of an ocean wave] In this story, students masterfully tell the story of a thrift store that is making a major difference in the Kaua‘i community.

They come out, they get a hot meal.

So, today our special is loco moco.

And people in the community volunteer and contribute to us.

Located next to the Wailua bridge on Kaua‘i, the Ho‘omana Thrift Store is more than a place to buy used items.

It is a resource providing assistance to the houseless.

They get, um, sheets, blankets, whatever just to keep them clean and warm.

We also have hot showers.

It's Rowena.

It's her dream, her vision.

She opened the thrift shop, you know, now they have hot showers, now they have hot food, now they have the Grocery Assistance Program.

It's her hard work and the people that she's gathered around her.

We wanted to help the Native Hawaiian people to become self-sustainable and be able to say that, due to the fact that they have support, that they could continue to reach their maximum dreams and their maximum potential.

The blessings and just, all, all their help they have done for us and just everybody in general, you know.

Growing its community with the help of volunteers, the Ho‘omana Thrift Store impacts the lives of those needs.

We have my hanai dads, they're doing GAP, Ho‘omana’s Groceries Assistant Project.

We have Auntie Pat Coon, who's our nurse, she does bandage and wound care.

We have a wide variety of people that come in and help our houseless people to get care as well as services that are available here.

We used to stay at the Lydgate Homeless Camp for the pandemic, and Aunty Rowena used to come down there and, um, you know, bring food.

When getting back to the less fortunate, relationships are built.

And upon those relationships, community bonds grow stronger.

We're here every week.

We get most of our food from the food banks.

We need to know if they're Hawaiian, we need to know if they’re a veteran, just a few basic questions.

Do they have a refrigerator?

Do they have a stove?

Do they have a freezer?

So that we can kind of tailor what they get to their needs.

And people are very honest and open with it so we know what we can do to serve them better.

We are their families away from their families.

A lot of them have been disowned because of their choice, drug addiction, alcoholism, and just don't want to follow the rules that mom and dad has put before them or their family members.

So, this is their choice to live out in the community.

Striving to understand and provide for each individual that comes their way is true Ho‘omana, creating empowerment and purpose.

Here, you really get to know them, you get their personality, and they’re people just like us, you know.

And that's what a lot of people forget because they don't interact with them.

I'm not here to judge anybody.

I'm just here to love upon them.

This is Gavin Leines from Kapa‘a High School for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of an ocean wave] Wow.

We can really learn a lot about our own community by just taking a closer look in our own backyards.

I'm feeling inspired.

How about you, Isaac?

Most definitely.

And I know there are so many more stories to share from our own neighborhood here.

We'll just have to dive in and tell them.

That concludes our special showcase.

Mahalo for watching the results of the 2022 HIKI NŌ Spring Challenge.

We hope you've enjoyed the work of Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers as much as we've enjoyed sharing it 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.

That's it for our show.

We'll see you next week for more proof that Hawai‘i students HIKI NŌ, can do.

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