Return of the Hui for Youth Opportunities
Hōkūpaʻa brings the community together around our young people. Our kuleana to empower them — our future leaders and agents of change — is the North Star that unites us. We come alongside schools, communities, and families to work hand-in-hand, because we believe that is the best way forward for the West Hawaiʻi community.
Sometimes, moving our local community forward means involving people from the whole island.
Students sharing poster presentations at a Hōkūpaʻa Summit in 2016. While large in-person gatherings were off the table, this hui collaborated for online and hybrid events.
If you’ve followed our work for a little while, you probably know that we care a lot about youth. The great news is that we are not the only people that do. Plenty of people care enough to share ideas, resources, and action.
In 2020, several like-minded folks began meeting as an informal hui of diverse organizations and individuals that sought to uplift youth voice, leadership, and connections. Together, we held a variety of events and gathered valuable insight to what youth want for themselves and their communities. (Click here to read about the virtual summit in 2021.)
After taking a hiatus for several months following a series of Vibrant Hawaiʻi-led youth summits, hui collaborators reconvened in May of 2023. Everyone shared what they have been working on, along with discussing promising plans and ideas. We also discussed the state of opportunities for young people, and agreed to keep meeting to expand options to meet youth needs and interests. In June, we met again with some new partners and came up with ideas for how to get things started. Ideas so far include fun social connections, life skills, mental health and well-being, and work-related and volunteering opportunities; we’ll learn more as we hear from more youth. It is our hope that we can not only address vital issues, but also instill a sense of hope and enthusiasm in young people for their present and future in the community.
Students present about ‘Living Aloha’ at a 2018 event. We hope to help plan more in-person opportunities for student leadership in the coming years.
The hui members are passionate about addressing youth’s needs and aspirations so that they can be successful, well-connected, and just have fun. At the same time, we recognize that coordinating with one another can sometimes be slower than working alone.
So we are so grateful to Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center, Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s West Hawaiʻi complex area, East Hawaiʻi Drug-Free Coalition, CU Hawaiʻi, The Hilo Center at UH Hilo, Vibrant Hawaiʻi, Liliuokalani Trust, Teach for America Hawaiʻi, and Neighborhood Place of Kona for taking the time to meet and work together.
We hope to continue convening this group for as long as people find value in it. Maybe someday, it can be run entirely by youth, with older folks there to support them in achieving their vision. For now, all are welcome to join our mailing list, share resources, seek partnership, or just check out a meeting. If you are interested in connecting, please click the button below!
..And lastly, keep an eye on our blog, newsletter, and Facebook page for information on events and opportunities!
