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

and welcome to HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

I'm Kallysta Miguel.

I'm from the beautiful island of Maui, and I attend Maui High School.

I've been a HIKI NŌ student since I attended Maui Waena Intermediate School, and I'm super excited to host this show.

You're in for a great episode produced by Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

In this episode, we'll grow everything from bok choy to our minds and bodies.

There will be tutorials about hydroponics, setting personal goals and beating them, and other personal stories about beating the odds and pushing the limits of our strength.

We'll also explore the scientific benefits of being outdoors.

So, let's jump in.

The first story comes from our young contributors at Honowai Elementary School on O‘ahu.

They show us how easy it is to grow your own greens in just a matter of weeks.

Did you know you could grow a garden without soil?

Here we will show you how.

We will plant bok choy and water instead of soil.

It uses the Kratky hydroponic method of hydroponics, which doesn't use any pumps.

Instead, all you need is containers full of water and hydroponic nutrients.

Then your plants grow.

best for green leafy plants like bok choy, lettuce and cabbage.

Also, here's a quick fun fact for you.

The Kratky method was developed by a professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.

His name is Bernard Kratky, and he documented this concept in 2009.

The first step is to germinate your seed.

You will do this by getting some rockwool cubes and a germination tray with a vented dome.

Pull apart the rockwool so that you'll have 10 pieces.

Wet your rockwool under cool water.

Then you are going to get a little poker stick and open the hole in the rockwool.

Then you pour the seeds into a small plate.

Get around three seeds of bok choy and put it in the hole of the rockwool.

You can wet your poker stick to put the seeds in.

Pinch the rockwool closed so none of the seeds are exposed.

Then you put your rockwool in the container.

Make sure the container has a little bit of water on the bottom, enough to cover the bottom of the rockwool.

Then observe and once the seedlings start producing a second set of leaves, open the valves of the container.

Keep it open until you see that the roots have grown to about two to four inches.

While waiting for the roots to grow, ask an adult to help you prepare the next part.

Ask them to make holes in the cover of your water container.

Make five holes in each container, equally spaced apart.

Make sure that the holes can fit the neti pots in them.

Once your seeds have roots about four inches long, you take them out and put them in the neti pot and place them in the holes of the container.

You will need to add the water up to the halfway line on the neti cup.

You will need to check the water level and match it to the neti cup level.

After that, turn on the lights and you can observe and watch it grow.

Baby bok choy takes about a month to grow back, so you'll be able to eat it after you grow it.

After you grow your bok choy, you can have a ramen day with your friends.

wave] at another project that involves not only hydroponics, but aquaponics, composting and gardening.

It's a story from our archives by students at Mililani Middle School on O‘ahu.

Greenville is this idea of having a place where we can practice sustainable types of activities, for example, raising fish, doing aquaponics, hydroponics, growing plants in a vegetable garden, also taking a look at growing native plants and then out planting them in our watersheds, different places on the island.

Greenville is split into different groups such as aquaponics, hydroponics, composting, and gardening, in which students get to work on certain types of projects.

It's stationary systems.

For aquaponics, basically, we've been– we've gotten tanks to raise fish.

We're also looking at experimenting with just doing aquaponics with crayfish.

But the fishes that we have so far are tilapia, farm raised.

We have, also, a suggestion from one of the students was to see if we can use some wild fishes from Lake Wilson, some hybrid tilapia and some peacock bass and two canaries.

Those wild fishes.

For vegetable garden, we focus on different plants.

Now composting, we have two different types.

We have vermicomposting.

That's the composting with the worms.

The animal group, they basically watch over the animals in my class.

Their focus mostly is the fishes that we use for the aquaponics, some turtles, a couple of oscars and things like that, that they get to take care of.

It's just basically the idea of taking care of our land and the land taking care of us so that we can have it in the future.

To this day, Greenville has continued to grow.

Many plants grown in Greenville have started to flourish.

On the Mililani Middle School campus grounds, a greenhouse is to be set up, and the vegetable garden has been plotted with many various types of plants.

Students in the seventh-grade yellow track are still enjoying the work done in the garden, as it's a great way to get them outside, while still learning things about the environment.

From Mililani Middle School, this is Lorelei Miyamura reporting for HIKI NŌ.

from Kapa‘a Middle School on Kaua‘i, where students provide great tips on going green.

Here are five tips for living green.

Tip number one, having your own garden is a great way to be 100% sure you are not consuming any GMO products.

Also, the harvest is much fresher and you get better produce.

Tip number two, you should have separate containers for different types of things that you can recycle.

This would really help reduce trash in our island's systems.

Tip number three, minimizing car usage helps reduce pollution.

It keeps our island healthy and our air fresh.

You can always ride a bike or walk a reasonable distance.

Tip number four, when shopping at a farmers’ market, you can ask the vendors how they grow their produce, when it was picked, and how to cook it.

It does not leave a big carbon footprint.

Tip number five, by having your own composting system, you minimize the amount of waste going into landfills each year, and the soil from your compost makes healthy soil for your garden.

Remember, living green is not only good for your planet, but also for your health and local community.

If you've been outdoors lately, you may have noticed what a big shift it can have on your mindset.

This next ʻHIKI NŌ Did You Know’ from Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy on the Big Island takes a look at the science behind the benefits of being active outdoors.

Do you like playing sports or being outside with your friends?

Did you know that just being outside helps your physical and mental well-being?

In an article by U.C.

Davis Health, the researchers share that nature can help decrease your anxiety levels and can help lessen stress.

Just being outside makes you feel better and takes your mind off the things you find stressful, even something simple, like playing football with your friends or playing tag outside can help your brain relax.

Mayo Clinic says exercise improves your health and your sense of well-being.

Their research also shows it gives you more energy every day and helps relieve stress.

general is really good for mental health, not only physical well-being, but for your mind and emotional well-being.

You know, there are a lot of studies out there, just in general, when you move your body and you get your heart pumping, you know, you start breathing more heavy than normal, it actually moves.

There's blood flow, there's hormones that react, and it's a really good boost in your mental state.

If you want to have an easy stress reliever, you should think about just being outside, like playing with your dog or playing sports like tennis.

Just a little time outside can go a long way.

This is Aaron Keenan reporting from Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

In this next memorable profile story from our archives, meet a young woman with two unique hobbies, pageants and football.

It was produced by students at Waiʻanae Intermediate School on O‘ahu.

And when I win, I get excited and happy.

13-year-old Shardenei Luning has been competing in beauty pageants since she was four years old.

and I seen her on stage with her dresses and her mom doing her makeup, and I wanted to try putting on makeup and doing, putting on dresses.

Okay, so this process normally takes 30 minutes.

Since then, Shardenei has participated in 45 pageants and has won about 15 crowns.

But tiaras aren't the only type of crown this beauty queen wears.

Not all girls, like, they play a sport.

They play sports like basketball and baseball, but I don't think anyone would play a physical contact sport.

That sport is tackle football, and according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, less than 1% of girls play it.

We don't cut Shardenei any slack, even though she's a girl.

I mean, we work her hard just like any other boy on the team, and we treat her just like anybody else.

has played on the Waiʻanae Tigers Junior Midgets Pop Warner Football team for two years now as an offensive guard and cornerback.

Let's go.

But she didn't just learn the rules of the game.

As the only girl on the team, football has taught her how to tackle challenges both on and off the field.

didn't like me because I was a girl playing football, so he would pick on me when I got to practice, and during practice, he would push me, hit me, and say mean things to me.

Made me feel sad sometimes, but there were all the other people on the team that kept giving me positive advice.

One of those people was her coach, who taught her a valuable lesson.

Ignore the people that are mean to you and try your best to enjoy what you do because you enjoy doing it.

I really love her.

She's tough.

She really shaped the boys up on this team.

to tap into her pageant experience, a trick she learned from her mother.

The best advice my mom gave me was to never give up and try your best, to have fun at what you're doing, because in pageants, things don't go your way.

Football is the same.

There are times that you win and times that you lose.

the outcome, Shardenei knows the most important thing is to have fun.

You mess up, but if you try, try your best at what you're doing, then the outcomes are better.

Trying her best and handling problems with grace is what makes Shardenei a definite beauty on stage, movie star, This is Amee Neves from Wai‘anae Intermediate School for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] Committing to a sport you love can be a great outlet when going through life's challenges.

This next student reflection comes from a talented student at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy on Hawai‘i Island.

I was six the first time I saw someone perform a gymnastics routine on TV.

The way they were moving, flipping and the music of their floor routines, it may want to try doing the same.

My cousin found out I was going to start gymnastics, and she gave me my first ever hand me down leotard.

I started taking classes.

I was hooked.

I didn't realize that at the time, but making this my passion would be the best decision I could have ever made.

Because in the fifth grade, my parents separated, and everything changed for me.

I didn't know what to think of the situation, whether it be sad or mad, I was lost, overwhelmed, feeling all the emotions.

Gymnastics was a way out.

It was something I could focus on instead of all the stress and tension at home.

My gym became like my second home, and my teammates were like my second family.

They were very supportive of me.

They understood my situation and what I was going through.

The feeling of tumbling on the floor made me feel free, like nothing was holding me down.

The natural feeling of balancing on a beam was grounding for me, and I could find a peace of mind.

Gymnastics helped me accept my parents separation and allowed me to move on and process the big emotions I was feeling.

Now, with all the overwhelming emotions gone, I've grown to be a more independent and grounded person.

If you're going through the same thing I did, I suggest finding something you enjoy doing that can help you distract yourself from your problems.

And remember you're not the only one on this journey.

This is Savannah Sunahara from Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

It's amazing what we can accomplish when we persevere.

The teacher profiled in this next story produced by students at Island School on Kaua‘i takes us through the process of training for a triathlon.

Former UCLA soccer captain and current Island School science teacher, Mary Castelanelli, shares how goal setting has allowed her to successfully balance and manage her time between teaching and training for the 2013 Kona Iron Man.

I remember watching it at nine years, you know, I was nine years old, and I'm watching it on TV, and like, these guys just did what?

And they're on, like, mile 20 in the run.

I'm like, they just, I'm sorry, what?

they are truly Iron Man.

I was, like, convinced.

I was like, they're made of iron.

Yep, they're made of iron.

Because nobody can actually do that unless you're made of iron.

Training for the Iron Man and teaching is really challenging, of course, but I enjoy setting goals, and I enjoy being challenged, and I've always kind of filled my plate, probably a little bit too full, but that's how I've kind of always operated, and it keeps me very focused with what I'm doing.

gives me something to be working towards which I really enjoy, and I want to be challenged.

I'm really interested in limits and finding my own limits and trying to determine what they are.

And so with the Iron Man, it's really been a true test of what my limits are, as far as physical limits, and even, you know, emotional limits as well, because it does take an emotional toll on you.

People always ask me why I do these events, because I think morally, I'm actually against Iron Mans.

They don't even make sense when you think about it.

Who wants to go and do that for 11 hours?

And you pay to do it.

But I just to me, I think goal setting is so important, and having something to focus on, for me, it gives me my drive.

And you know that translates to other areas of my life.

So I've always been working towards a goal.

So, if I don't have something I'm working towards, then it's really hard for me.

Would I recommend an Iron Man?

Everyone has their own interests, passions, their own ideas of what's challenging for them.

I wouldn't say I'd recommend it.

I just think you should find something that you're passionate about, find something that's going to challenge you, set goals, and then take the necessary steps to reach those goals.

This is Chan Hsu from Island School on Kaua‘i for HIKI NŌ.

Let's continue with another story about finding your inner drive.

Students at H.P.

Baldwin High School on Maui shared this profile of a teacher who is also a professional bodybuilder.

I'm a teacher.

I've been here at Baldwin High School for the past 14 years, teaching in the travel Academy for the past 10 or 11 years.

And lastly, I got back into body building.

Sometimes the most inspiring people come from unexpected places.

Being the academy teacher here at Baldwin High School, that requires a lot of time for me outside of class, as well as planning trips, fundraisers, activities.

Being a single parent, one of the obstacles I had to overcome was making the time commitment that you need to have in order to be successful at bodybuilding.

In high school, I was super skinny.

I graduated in ʻ98 at 135 pounds.

So, when I got to that age where I could start lifting and seeing the difference it could make in my life, it was more for, I guess, my protection.

So, I just tried it and kind of fell in love with the sport.

So, off season is when you train, and you try to do heavy and you're trying to build more muscle.

So, you're not worried about the cuts, you're not worried about how you look in front of a mirror, necessarily.

You're just trying to put on as much muscle as you can where you need it.

And then when you're in season, that's when you start dieting.

You start doing more cardio, and then you can start seeing the shape come in.

My meals consist of chicken, tuna, eggs, brown rice, vegetables, protein drinks.

For the mental aspect of bodybuilding, going in for a workout, you know, you got to mentally prepare what you're going to get done.

But then, when you're on a diet, you have no energy.

But yet, you're thinking to yourself, the other guy that's going to be standing next to you on stage is working out right now, and he's getting better than you.

accomplishments was at the 2016 Ka Po i Ka Po‘okela Competition, where he placed first and took the title of overall bodybuilding champion.

Balancing my time was definitely one of the harder things for me to do as a single parent.

It being one of my goals from my past, something that I really wanted to get back into, and kind of to show my kids that if you have a goal, just do whatever you can to get to it, and it can become true.

As Travis continues his bodybuilding journey, he finds ways to inspire those around him.

I really look forward to helping any students, or especially my children, achieve any goals that they might have.

If it comes to bodybuilding, my son will be awesome.

Baldwin High School for HIKI NŌ.

let's return to O‘ahu, where students at Highlands Intermediate School interviewed a teacher with an inspiring personal story of growth.

I felt like, out of body, and, I smoked a lot of marijuana, but this was not it.

when a drug overdose nearly ended her life.

I was hallucinating.

It was so scary for me that I ended up going to the hospital with my mom.

when she fell into the wrong crowd, leading to a cycle of self-destructive behavior.

hated school, hated teachers, just had an attitude that kind of like, ʻwe're cooler.’ So, I started to be very disrespectful towards my teachers, and I noticed that I got a lot of attention, and found myself in the back office a lot of days.

cutting class and smoking marijuana in a park next to the school.

My cousins and I, it was common for us to go to that neck of the woods because it was so easy to access, kind of, like, drugs and different things.

And I thought I was cooler than school and sophisticated.

Her addiction sent her down a deeper spiral, until that overdose at a party almost ended her life.

in my heart of hearts, that it was God's way of correcting me, you know, of where my life was headed if I continued to smoke weed, if I continued to want to try ice, you know.

And it was like an intervention process.

Because she was failing school, Joann had to repeat eighth grade with Mr.

Fujii, a teacher who helps students with behavioral problems.

First thing that stood out was, Joann was angry.

And he kind of knew exactly, maybe not, the same situation that I was in, but he kind of was familiar with some of the choices I was making, and I started to see Mr.

Fujii not just as my teacher, but as someone who was put in my life to help me overcome whatever I was going through.

With summer school and extra online classes, Joann finished high school in three years.

She even got a surprise at graduation.

I was just satisfied to graduate in three years, because I was just like, yeah, I'm here.

I made it.

But what was the most astonishing was when I heard my principal at our ceremony, commencement ceremony, call up my name as one of the high honors in high school.

So, to me, that was like, wow.

Like, I was just blown away, because I just did not think that that could ever happen to me.

of almost dying as a blessing in disguise, a critical lesson that transformed her life for the better.

Everyone asked me if I were to do it again, would I have changed?

And I would say no, because I thank God for all these experiences, because I felt like it's become who I am today.

Joann is a teacher herself at Adventist Malama Elementary School.

She helps struggling students who needed the same guidance she did growing up.

When I teach my own students, or when I come across students that have more behavioral or disciplinary measures.

So, it has really helped me; this, I believe, helped me better understand students.

I can do this.

Although things may seem difficult, it's not impossible.

This is Maila Muraoka reporting for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

That's it for our show.

Thank you for watching the work of Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

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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.