HIKI NŌ 1216 [intro music plays] [sound of beach waves] HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i’s new wave of storytellers.

Aloha and welcome to this week's episode of HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i’s new wave of storytellers.

I'm Katelyn Lopes, an eighth grader at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Kaua‘i, coming to you from our campus.

In this episode of HIKI NŌ, we'll be wrapping up our series of Student Reflections on life and school during the pandemic as we near the end of the 2020-2021 school year.

We will meet two budding young scientists who are doing their best to repair the damage to the environment caused by previous generations.

We'll see how a community on Maui is brightening an intersection that has had a dark history.

We'll find out how a driver's ed instructor figured out how to teach his course during school lockdown, and we'll meet a Maui woman who is helping people acquire the most basic of all human needs.

But first, it is with great pride that I introduce a story created by my fellow students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Kaua‘i about an amazing accomplishment by two of Hawai‘i’s brightest young scientists.

For Kaua‘i High seniors Robert Abigania and Gen Hew, the search for the perfect science fair project turned into a mission of sustainability.

As the generation that kind of has to fix the last generation's air quality, we tried to figure out a way to do that.

Our project is taking a leaf, deconstructing it and using that parts with a little bit of flair to it to make a new leaf that's much better.

They worked with their advisor to order special chemicals, then they spent hours in the lab figuring out how to extract the oxygen-producing parts of a leaf and infuse them into new artificial ones.

To make the leaf, we essentially take chloroplasts from unwanted leaves.

So, this would be like weeds or just the foliage that nobody wants in general.

Then we create a type of shell out of silk proteins, which is basically turning the proteins into a gel, kind of like how Jell-O works, but at a much harder scale.

So, what we do is we take the green parts from a leaf and inject it into the shell, and that's what makes a leaf.

Robert and Gen entered their work into Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, a competition that challenges students useing STEM-based research to solve real-world problems.

They finished as semifinalists, but the challenge inspired them to expand their work even further.

They are now streamlining the leaf-making process and hope to make it more accessible to the science community.

So, you can find us at our site where we document our process, and basically show any of our research that we've done in the past.

While the work is challenging, they're not just doing it for a grade.

They love using their skills in science to make a difference in the world.

I learned how, um, to 3D model, and my partner learned how to take statistical data and kind of format it into a medium that people can read.

What we learned was how to be able to work in a setting that's both difficult and stressful for us to both learn and be able to be happy in what we're doing.

And in this process, yes, it was difficult and, yes, it was stressful, but we had fun doing it and we learned a lot from doing it.

This is Amalia Abigania from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of beach waves] This is Jayanie Kakutani, a seventh grader at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Kaua‘i.

I am recording this at my home on April 30, 2021 Due to COVID-19, schools went completely online, which meant no student and their peers were together emotionally and physically.

Mr. Matsunaga, or Mr. M, is my media teacher and advisory teacher.

Every morning he would say things like, "How are you guys feeling today?"

and no one would respond, so it'd be really silent.

So, he discovered that it was more fun to do scavenger hunts every morning on the call.

Over the next few months, my teacher, Mr. M, has picked up on more modern sayings like Spilling Tea.

Spilling the Tea means to basically share drama to other people that you just found out.

And mostly every morning my classmate had really wanted to Spill Tea, and Mr. M had no idea what that meant.

So obviously, he said no because he thought it was something bad.

But she has done that ever since, and it has made our advisory calls longer.

And so that has really extended our conversations during class so that it's not just based off of school.

This pandemic has socially and physically affected everybody, from children all the way to adults.

People like Mr. M are really trying hard to make it seem ordinary for teens in his class.

Although this pandemic has hit hard through all the islands, we are still working through it.

[sound of beach waves] We take you now to the island of Maui, where students at Maui Waena Intermediate School show us how a little paint and a lot of tender loving care can do wonders for an intersection with a dark past.

I was three years old, and I think I just heard a bunch of sirens and, and it was crazy, and my grand, my, my dad got out of the house and he looked down the road and there was like, uh, a student got run over by a giant bus, and probably that's one of my first encounters with those kind of tragedies.

This intersection has also experienced a number of, um, um, collisions in the past.

Not just vehicles, but we've also encountered pedestrian collisions with, with vehicles.

And Matt is not the only one who experienced this kind of trauma.

Between 2014 and 2018, within a half-mile radius of Lihikai School in Kahului, Maui, there were nine accidents, with one resulting in death.

Kind of tied me into like, oh, I want to make this street better.

But I never, you know, I never knew at the time as a kid.

So the county sprung into action by making multiple improvements to the road.

What we have done with this quick-build project was choke down the intersection a little bit to create these bulb-outs to narrow down the intersection and also make traffic a lot calmer as they approach the intersection.

But that is not the only part of the project.

They are also painting murals on the street to spread awareness towards turning and to create a more beautiful environment.

We have the sugar cane, the taro, and the pineapple sort of representing our cultural diversity and who we are as people in Kahului, and definitely all throughout Hawai‘i.

It gives students and the community a visual history of where we've been, our past, our present, and where we're going.

I think it helps everyone feel a little bit more connected to each other, feel a little bit more connected to the spot, and it brings people together.

And that, to me, is most important, that this is our community, regardless of who you are and what you do.

This is still our home.

One of my biggest goals as, um, director of Public Works is ensuring that people are safe.

And you know, I think about the kids that walk every day.

I think, I think about the people that walk and bike in the area.

And knowing that, that they feel safe, that they feel comfortable, it gives me a great sense of accomplishment in, in the work that we do.

Just doing this work will maybe save, you know, who knows, and maybe create more awareness for the drivers and show that there is a presence in the area.

And thanks to the actions of Matt, the county, Principal Oura and all the volunteers who participated, the streets will eventually be safer.

This is Alyza Sitts-Levya from Maui Waena Intermediate School for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of beach waves] Hello there.

My name is Dylan Koch.

I'm a junior at Kalāheo High School and I'm filming this from my home on Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i on May 2, 2021.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first canceled school, I wasn't in Hawai‘i.

I was in Chesapeake, Virginia.

However, my father had orders.

So in July, we moved out here.

At first I was very eager to go around and try the activities Hawai‘i has to offer and meet new people.

But I soon learned that the COVID situation here was a lot more strict than in Virginia.

I would try to talk and play games with my friends from Virginia online, but they were six hours ahead of me now, which made scheduling awkward.

With no way to really get out and make new friends because of COVID, I essentially became a hermit for the remainder of the summer and the first semester of school.

I would try to fill the void with exercise and other activities that I enjoy, but the lack of social interaction with other people in person was starting to get to me.

Luckily, things began to look up when school returned to in-person two days a week.

I never thought I'd miss going to school so much.

My entire demeanor improved immensely, and it only got better when the MCBH Boy Scout Troop began meeting more regularly, and when I was able to join the Kalāheo track team.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught me to appreciate the time I spend with my friends even more, because without them, I would personally be in a mental downward spiral.

So, I want to thank them for being there when they can.

[sound of beach waves] We return to the island of Maui where students at Lahainaluna High School tell the story of how the teacher of a very hands-on course, adapted to distance learning during school lockdowns.

The pandemic has been hurtful for everyone on Earth.

But today, we're going to get an upclose and personal look at how it has affected a local driver's ed school in Lahaina.

My name is David Hufalar, owner/operator of Ace-It Driving School, and I teach driver's education to adults and teen drivers.

Before we can fully understand how the pandemic affected Mr. Hufalar and Ace-It Driving, we need to understand what driver’s ed is and why it's important.

And knowledge is power when you teach people how to drive, so it's very important.

It's a lifetime skill.

That's what I always tell my students.

This is one of those courses that you take in life in like, high school that you'll remember for the rest of your life because five, 10 years from now, you'll be still using the same skills.

As you can imagine, the lockdowns must have been very difficult for Mr. Hufalar to deal with.

I had a classroom going on.

It was during my spring session.

I had, like, 40 kids in the classroom, and we knew COVID was happening because it was in the news.

I had a feeling they was gonna close it.

So on the third day, we all showed up at Lahaina Intermediate, all my students was ready to go into class, administration told me, "Sorry Dave, Governor Ige closed all public facilities, including the school."

So I wasn't able to go in.

At first it was very uncomfortable.

Uncertainty is not a good feeling, not knowing, you know, what's going to happen.

It's been tough.

You know, I had to close for four months, where I wasn't able to do any driving, no classrooms.

We were in limbo for four months.

I think that's the hardest part, not being able to communicate with anyone, you know, cuz I didn't know what was going to happen.

Through all of this struggle, Mr. Hufalar has found a way to keep his business alive.

It was a difficult transition at first because I've been doing classroom, in-classroom for, like, 20 years.

When COVID happened, given an option, the state said that we could do virtual, but they didn't really give me much time to prepare.

And I think like everyone else for all the schools, we weren't given much resources or guidance.

So what was available was Zoom, and I was very lucky because my wife was already doing Zoom classes.

So she gave me a lot of good ideas.

In classroom, I could talk to them face to face, see their reaction, versus online, there is no reaction.

It's muted, and it's like I'm talking to myself.

The learning is not as good.

Classroom is hundred percent better.

Yeah, I wish I was with my classroom.

I miss my students, hey.

But it is what it is.

It's still cool.

I can still see them.

Although he is separated from his students and there was a lot of hurt, he found it as a good learning experience.

I think like everyone else, you cannot take anything for granted.

You cannot just feel that tomorrow is promised.

It made me realize that I need to slow down, because I was going 100 miles an hour for, like, too many years, and I realized that I miss a lot of time with my kids, you know, my family time.

My kids are not in school so I can spend time with them at home.

So I'm glad we're on the verge of making, breaking through this whole thing, hopefully.

With Mr. Hufalar's high hopes for the future that he'll be able to go back to the classroom with his students, he knows that we should always be grateful for what we have and never take anything for granted.

This is Joa Navarro from Lahainaluna High School for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of beach waves] Hi, my name is Tania Araki.

And my name is Miracle Liufau.

We're both eighth graders at Kealakehe Intermediate on the island of Hawai‘i.

I am coming to you from my home.

And I'm coming to you from my school.

We're recording this on May 5, 2021.

There are those who are your friends, and those who are your best friends.

In this case, my best friend is Miracle.

And mine is Tania.

We're both eighth graders, and this might be our last year together before we go to high school.

But I didn't know if our friendship could really handle a pandemic.

After being home for most of the school year, we got used to the routine and how to make it through until we found out we were headed back to in-person learning.

I mean we were excited overall, but then we found out we were going to school on different days due to our blended schedule.

We were bummed to say the least.

We wouldn't be able to talk or help each other as much as we did before.

Yeah, we wouldn't be able to make memories like how we did in seventh grade.

So our friendship started to fade, and we didn't know how to handle it.

The one person who I thought I was the closest to seemed far and out of reach.

But as our eighth grade year went on, we decided to not let this get in our way.

Instead, we let it help us grow the unbreakable bond we know and love.

We got a lot closer, and now we can proudly say our friendship can survive anything that's thrown at us.

[sound of beach waves] Hi, this is Isaiah Matsunaga, and I'm recording this at Waikīkī Elementary School on April 22, 2021.

It's been an interesting year.

Now that we’re back in school, I've been thinking more and more about what class was like online, what it was like before the pandemic, and how things have changed since then.

One of the first things I noticed when we came back to school was how much taller my classmates was.

Some even look older, or just different than they do on Zoom.

I feel like I'm seeing the real version of themselves.

I wonder why that is.

When I first got back, everyone was pretty quiet and didn't say much.

Mr. Marvel would ask us something, and I was one of the only people to answer.

I think we’re all a little nervous and maybe surprised by how things have changed.

It's hard making friends online, so I didn't really have a friend in our class.

Most of my friends are in a different group in another class.

But this past week, we got pool noodles, so we can play tag during recess without touching one another.

It's been lots of fun, and sure enough, I've started making some new friends.

It's funny how friendships are made.

So being back in school has its pluses and minuses.

Yes, we can't play certain games like we used to, like the ones that involve touching one another, but we can think of new ways to play together, like the noodles.

It was nice not to wake up so early to get to school.

It was nicer not to look at a screen all day and be sitting down for so long.

Now we're standing up and moving around more often, doing Zumba, and P.E., and working in the garden.

Being back in school has been, well, different, but I'm grateful.

I'm grateful to get a chance to come back to Waikīkī Elementary School and have one last time with my friends and teachers before I graduate onto middle school and begin the next part of my life.

Things change.

Change is good.

If you hope, let it be.

[sound of beach waves] Hi, I'm Mia Ruhaak, and I'm recording this at Waikīkī Elementary School, April 21, 2021.

My mom is a busy person.

She's a teacher.

Well, she teaches teachers how to become better teachers.

She's always been busy with her job, but recently she's been even busier.

She's been working nonstop for weeks, and she spends all day typing away on her computer, on phone calls and many meetings.

She's trying to get this grant which will then give her money so she can give to the schools to make them a better place.

It's 85-pages long, and I know my mom.

She won't stop until the thing she wants done is done.

The amazing thing about my mom is no matter how busy she is, she still finds time to spend with me and my family.

I feel like she's always trying to make me and my brother happy, but the thought of that makes me happy.

Today, my mom's grant is due and she finished it on time.

We're all very proud.

We'll celebrate, of course, but over the weeks as she's been working, I've realized something.

It's important to not give up, to be persistent, and to keep on going.

Hope is always in the air.

All you have to do is breathe it in.

[sound of beach waves] Now we turn to Maui for a story about a woman who helps to fill a big need with a big heart.

Please, come in.

This is not a handout.

This is a hand up.

My name is Jacqueline Cano, and I'd like to tell you about a much-needed service my mother, Julia Paschoal, provides for the Maui community.

She works at the Department of Human Services SNAP office.

SNAP, S-N-A-P, stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

I started working for, um, Department of Human Services, um, SNAP office here in Wailuku, uh, January 14, 2014.

The heart of my job is basically to interview people and determine if they're eligible for benefits from the State of Hawai‘i, such as SNAP, which is food stamps, uh, TANF, Temporary needy, uh, Assistance for Needy Families, and other financial, uh, aid programs.

Before COVID, uh, I personally was processing anywhere from six to maybe eight or nine people a day, you know, depending on the type of case and how complex it was.

Now with COVID, and the fact that we've set up the call center, probably anywhere from, uh, 10 to 15 people a day now.

My mother hopes to erase the stigma around SNAP benefits.

Most people don't realize that 65 percent of families that are on SNAP or food stamps are working people.

They have jobs.

But because it's so expensive in Hawai‘i, uh, rents are so high, everything costs so much money, um, that a lot of times even having these jobs, you know, after you pay your rent, electricity, water, garbage, you don't have a lot of money left over for food.

And that's where SNAP comes in because you shouldn't have to decide between paying rent and feeding your kid.

This is something for everyone.

It's paid for by your taxes.

So especially if you're a working-class family, you just need a little help right now because COVID is taking your job, slowed your hours.

You've paid for this already.

So please, come in.

This is not a handout.

This is a hand up.

This is just to help you get through the rough patches.

There are people who need more help, are more desperate, and it's for them as well.

No one should ever feel shame to come and get the help that we offer.

The shame is in not coming to ask for it when it's there.

She will continue to help those who truly need it.

I love my job.

I get paid to help people all day long.

I get paid to help families feed their kids, for elderly to get extra money for food.

It just makes me feel really good to know all of the good that our department does.

We help hundreds of thousands of families in the State of Hawai‘i, and that, that's something to be proud of.

This is Jacqueline Cano from H.P.

Baldwin High School for HIKI NŌ.

[sound of beach waves] Hi, my name is Mackenzie-Jade Arthur, a junior at Hilo High School.

I'm recording this at the Hilo Bay on the Big Island of Hawai‘i.

Today is April 28, 2021.

Growing up, I was somewhat of a troubled child.

I didn't get along with people very well, but I was very close with my tutu, and I felt I could rely on her whenever I needed help or guidance.

She often told me stories about a horse she had when she was younger.

She felt so free and at peace riding throughout her neighborhood.

When my tutu passed away, her death hit me very hard.

Thinking about her stories and her horse brought me comfort, and I knew this was something I wanted to do.

I started watching horseback riding competitions in Pana‘ewa.

There, I met my first trainer who taught me how to ride.

As the years went on, I started going to other trainers and eventually ended up at Seahorse Stables.

A few years ago, a new horse was brought in.

His name was Nui.

When he started, he wouldn't let anyone touch him.

He would back away from me, try to bite me, and even run off with me on his back.

At first I was frustrated with him, but I saw myself in him, and I wanted to make that connection with Nui.

So I decided to help him.

Kenzie put in a lot of hard work into Nui, and now we see a lot of benefits.

We don't struggle to bridle him.

He's a happier horse.

He's so much more relaxed when you ride him.

I'm very proud of Kenzie and what she's done with Nui and the patience she's had with him, as well as humbled by it, because it takes a special person to be able to gain the trust of the horse.

After putting in all this work and effort, I realized that this ranch is our home.

No matter how difficult things get, or how much days I just want to stay in bed, my heart belongs with horses.

When Nui and I are together, we are home.

Thank you for watching this episode of HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i’s new wave of storytellers.

We hope you've enjoyed watching these highly personal views on life as much as we've enjoyed sharing them with you.

Be sure to tune in next week to see the winners of the 2021 HIKI NŌ Spring Challenge for more proof that Hawai‘i students HIKI NŌ, can do.

[outro music] [sound of beach waves and piano] [END]