Hōkūpa‘a Collaborative Youth Forum held in West Hawai‘i
The Hōkūpaʻa Youth Discussion Forum brought together representatives from 11 middle and high schools of West Hawaiʻi to discuss the big issues that are keeping young people in the area from reaching their full potential.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
A youth forum was recently held in West Hawaiʻi to discuss the big issues that are keeping young people in the area from reaching their full potential. The Youth Discussion Forum was hosted by Hōkūpaʻa, a collaborative group of leading educational, nonprofit, and state government groups created to help youth and young adults in West Hawaiʻi graduate from high school and prepare for higher education, employment, and a productive life.
Hōkūpaʻa, which is the Hawaiian word for the North Star or literally, the immovable star, launched earlier this year and includes partners from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Hawaiʻi Community College, Hawaiʻi Department of Education West Hawaiʻi Area Complex, Kamehameha Schools, Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center, Friends of the Future, County of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi County Council, the Learning Coalition, and the Hawaiʻi State Office of Youth Services.
- See UH Hilo Stories, Feb. 11, 2015: Launch of collaborative youth program draws academic and government partners.
Hōkūpaʻa Youth Discussion Forum
Organizers of Hōkūpaʻa say the goals for educating students cannot be fully reached until the community works together to ensure students are healthy, safe, and connected to communities that care about them. In that spirit, the group hosted its first Hōkūpaʻa Youth Discussion Forum on April 28 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. The event was sponsored by Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center; UH Hilo; county councilmembers Karen Eoff, Dru Kanuha, and Maile David; and the Learning Coalition.
The forum brought together representatives from 11 middle and high schools of West Hawaiʻi and their community partners.
“Hōkūpaʻa’s first gathering of youth, educator, family and community leaders sets the tone for how we want to engage and elevate our youth,” says Kaeo Duarte, Kamehameha Schools’ director of strategic initiatives in West Hawaiʻi and recently named vice president of community engagement and resources for KS. “Relationships and trust will determine the success of any future strategies or projects, so in that sense the forum is starting to set that foundation.”
At the forum, each school group brought along supporters ranging from family members to health and safety professionals. Also attending were youth delegates from each school who are now part of the newly formed Hōkūpa’a Youth Council, created to promote youth leadership in community discussions and decision-making.
The Hōkūpaʻa Navigation Council, along with professional facilitators and other West Hawaiʻi leaders, attended as guest observers to see where they could help support the work.
Kei-Lin Cerf, UH Hilo’s director of strategic community development for West Hawaiʻi, communicated to the group that “our desire for connection is driven by the awareness that none of us can do this work alone. It is time for us to become the solutions that we have been waiting for.”
The day began with a description of Hōkūpaʻa’s vision of connecting across the community to improve learner success and help all high school graduates to be prepared for success in college, career, and life.
The data team from Kamehameha Schools presented the existing data on West Hawaiʻi and asked for impressions. Nick Quinn, a student from a middle school in Kohala, said he was concerned by the low math and science scores in his area. Mikayla Kia, a junior at Kealakehe High School, stood up to say she was concerned that test scores were highest in elementary school and went down as students got older.
Youth leaders also spoke about their concerns in the schools and communities. Topics ranged from bullying and fights among students to substance abuse and disconnection between teens and adults. Exploring these concerns along with other concerns from the schools and communities will be the work of the Hōkūpa’a partners.
Hōkūpa’a helped to facilitate discussions, but Cerf says it was the table teams that did the real work and their talks were both heartfelt and dynamic. “The energy level remained high and hopeful throughout the day,” she says.
Working together
Susan Maddox, who represented the nonprofit Friends of the Future, says the students were impressed and excited about the number of adults who took the time to listen to them. “It’s our collective responsibility to demonstrate our commitment to them as this process unfolds,” she says.
Marty Fletcher, director at UH Center at West Hawaiʻi, says the day was a wonderful start for strengthening networks and sharing perspectives to more deeply understand the challenges facing youth. “My hope is that though Hōkūpaʻa, we will continue to not only share perspectives, but find a common focus for action which melts away any silos between our community and its education and service institutions. There is so much work to be done,” he says.
Members of the Hōkūpaʻa Navigation Council signed the Hōkūpaʻa Agreement, a commitment to work toward the success of young people in West Hawaiʻi. The council invited all attendees to add their signatures, now totaling 96.
The day ended with a few words from County Managing Director Wally Lau, who spoke to the group about kuleana (responsibility) for communities. Using a celestial navigation metaphor in keeping with Hōkūpaʻa, he told the group, “Keep your eyes focused on your hoku (star) and it will guide you to your destination.”
Assistant Chief of Police Paul Kealoha echoed the sentiment. “The stars, currents and ocean provide guidance. The canoes provide passage. Our spirits provide faith and destiny.
Story by Susan Enright, a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
Photos by Jaysen Niedermeyer, a senior at UH Hilo majoring in marine science. He is a photographer for UH Hilo Stories.
