STORIES FROM THE (VIRTUAL) FIELD: THE ONGOING HAWAI'I ISLAND YOUTH SUMMIT
The 2021 Hawaiʻi Island Youth Summit kicked off last month with students from the Kealakehe area. Despite many challenges in planning this year — including a rapid pivot to a virtual event in the fall — Hōkūpaʻa and our planning partners kept this important work with youth and community a priority. Instead of a small number of in-person events, we are doing a series of virtual sessions accommodating different schools’ schedules. So far, these events have reached Kealakehe and Waiakea, and we have many more students to reach!
THE KEALAKEHE SUMMIT SESSION
You might remember Tamaroa Atkinson-Adona from an interview feature last year highlighting the Liliʻuokalani Trust youth leadership council program. Tamaroa graduated from Kealakehe High School last spring and remains involved with the youth council. He acts as our summit host, guiding discussions with a talent for encouraging students to share.
The summits ground discussions in the local area, and invite youth to share how they see their communities now and what they want to see for the future. Youth prepared with their “champion teachers” in their classrooms by identifying assets, challenges, and solutions in their community. They shared these manaʻo with their peers, youth summit organizers, and community partners, and found much common ground.
While there was some networking opportunity during the event for partners to connect, there is still much work to be done matching partner and student interest. Event organizers set up a website with information on the various partners and what opportunities they can offer to youth, including things like work experience, mentorship, and networking.
We hope that as more organizations join in the youth summit, we can spread more opportunities for local youth like Tamaroa. Youth voice should go beyond asking for an opinion without any meaningful follow-up. Our youth can do so much for the community that they are a part of well before they graduate. Uplifting the abilities and wisdom of young people is our kuleana as a community.
We are so proud of each organization and individual that took the time to engage with youth in the summit and beyond.
SAYING THANKS
This was truly a collective effort from the beginning, and we have been amazed by the support and interest from the initial planning stages to the ongoing summit sessions.
The message is loud and clear: The Hawaiʻi Island community cares about our youth and what they have to share.
Mahalo to all the partners who have joined us so far: Liliʻuokalani Trust, Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute, Hawaiʻi Department of Education, West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center, Teach for America, Girls to Women Mentoring, Keiki Heroes, Office of Youth Services, Hamakua-Kohala Health, The Family Assessment Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope, Donkey Mill Art Center, Keiki of da ʻAina, Paʻakai Communications, Hawaiʻi School of Dental Arts, University of the Nations, Kona Kids Foundation, West Hawaiʻi Mediation Center, The Roberts Foundation, Puakalehua Early Learning Consortium, W. M. Keck Observatory, PATCH Hawaiʻi, Hoʻola Na Pua, Aubrey Michael Productions, Bay Clinic, The Salvation Army, Hawaiʻi Ulu Cooperative, Hawaiʻi County Council District 3, HFS Federal Credit Union, County of Hawaiʻi Disaster Recovery Division, Hawaiʻi Police Department, Rotary Club, and more.
JOIN US!
If you’d like to be involved as a community partner or in the planning hui, please contact us for a sign-up link. There are more sessions planned for different parts of the island.
