Funded by the Hawaii State Department of Health and coordinated by EPIC ‘Ohana, this video tells the stories of parents who found the strength and resolve to face their substance abuse disorder, navigate the Child Welfare System, and reunite with their children.

The Open Power Quality Project brings together research and innovation to address the challenge of measuring power quality on the grid. It’s an amazing example of the technology being developed on the University of Hawai‘i campus as well as the presence of the UH Office of Innovation and Commercialization to support the deployment of such technology for the benefit of local and global communities.

From international border disputes to tourism to food and agriculture, geography covers such a broad range of issues. This promotional video highlights the versatility of a Geography degree as well as the truly amazing, passionate, and articulate geography students and graduates. Definitely a program worth exploring!

Mālama Learning Center is an amazing organization striving to promote conservation among students, teachers, and all community members, particularly on the west side of O‘ahu. From community workshops to classroom work days, Mālama Learning Center provides a wealth of truly valuable resources. Check them out at malamalearningcenter.org!

One Shared Future is an organization focused on strengthening collaboration, innovation, and creative problem solving in our community through transformative professional development experiences. This video features Twinkle Borge, the village leader of Pu‘uhonua o Wai‘ianae, and volunteer James Madison as they share the strengths of their community that is home to about 250 unhoused children, families, and kupuna.

I met Mauka Lani Elementary School's robotics team at the Schools of the Future Robotics competition. The students were excited, engaged, and really fun to talk with. I found out later that this is only the first year of the robotics team! It's a new experience not only for the students but for the teacher, parents, and principal! Go Mountain Lions!

In August 2016, about 100 students spent an entire Saturday going through a design thinking process to reimagine the school experience in ways that meet their real needs. The event was organized by Oceanit and Adult Friends for Youth in collaboration with the Department of Education. It was truly amazing not only to hear students express their challenges and struggles, but also to watch students from all different schools come together and envision new ideas and possibilities to enhance their school experience.

In May 2016, Ted Dintersmith, Producer of the documentary, Most Likely To Succeed, completed his tour of schools across all 50 states with a visit to Hawai‘i. After speaking with the Governor, the Superintendent, and other community leaders, and after visiting with numerous students, teachers, and administrators, Ted concluded that Hawai‘i could lead the way in moving education forward in ways that will engage, inspire, and celebrate student ingenuity, passion, and excellence.

This summer, sixteen high school juniors from schools across Hawai‘i were honored in the first-ever Islander Scholars program. The inaugural Islander Scholars program seeks to recognize students for their character and commitment to upholding values of Hawai‘i. The students I met were amazing! They are resilient, humble, community-minded individuals who truly embody the spirit of Aloha in all they say and do.

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa offers an amazing Masterʻs degree program that engages and immerses students in collaborative community work around planning issues, both locally and across the Asia-Pacific.

On January 22, 2016, educators, parents, students, and community leaders gathered to view the film Most Likely to Succeed. Following the film, participants engaged in robust conversations inspired by the film around how to move education forward in creative, relevant, and meaningful ways.

Development in Kaka'ako has been going forward at an incredibly rapid pace. Just in the last three years, there have been 17 building projects permitted. But who are these buildings for? Are we building for the existing community of Kaka‘ako? Who exactly is the community of Kaka'ako? Kaka'ako: Our Kuleana is a series of videos capturing community voices around concerns over planning and development in the area.

Island Pacific Academy is an independent, college preparatory school located in Kapolei. What a gem! The students I spoke with were articulate, engaged in learning, and passionate about the community they have built as a school body but also as a part of the larger Kapolei community. From parents to teachers to administrators to students, this is a community that is moving forward together!

I hear it again and again. "Students will need to create their own jobs in the future." But how? What does that mean for teachers? What does that mean for students? In this video, we interview educators and entrepreneurs, learning how students are being engaged in entrepreneurial skills and why this is so important. 

From gardens to kitchens, food provides this amazing platform for teaching and learning. It connects students to the land; it connects students to each other; it connects students to the community. Teachers are finding more and more ways to engage students in learning around food. And students are flourishing. 

Students are being engaged in learning around planning and resource management topics right in their communities. From the Red Hill fuel leak to cleaning up the Ala Wai, students are learning content and subject matter as well as critical thinking, collaboration, and research skills. Best of all, they are caring for the future...theirs and ours. 

This video looks at ways STEM encourages learning spaces from elementary school to high school to college and to careers. Whether through robotics or agripharmatech, the intersection of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics provides an engaging platform for student learning across all ages!

The Sony Open ProJunior Skills Challenge partners professional golfers with young golfers that have won their junior tournaments throughout the year. It's a great opportunity for junior golfers to play alongside professionals. While I was purely the editor for these videos, I had the opportunity to sift through all the footage (making me feel like I was there!) and tell the story of these events.

Unless you're a Princeton alumni, you probably have never heard of the Princeton P-rade. I sure hadn't! But I found it's a fun reunion get-together that includes an actual parade of alumni representing their class with posters and signage. Princeton alumni living in Hawai‘i have their very own P-rade, with singing and dancing and even an aerial performance!

After-School All-Stars (ASAS) Hawaii is an amazing program that serves 6th-8th grade students at Title I schools where more than 50% of students qualify for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program. The program offers a huge selection of classes from chess to hip-hop, giving students extra-curricular opportunities during a time when many students are free and unsupervised. The students I met were animated and engaged and really connected to their ASAS leaders and classmates. A pretty amazing program!

The Omidyar Fellows program is a leadership development program in Hawai‘i for Hawai‘i. Each cohort of about 15 fellows engage in individualized learning excursions, one-on-one executive coaching, and monthly curricular sessions all within a transformative learning community. It's inspiring to see a network of leaders engaged in building their capacity to build a better Hawai‘i for all.

This mini-documentary focuses on students from Kamehameha School and their experiences researching, communicating, designing and redesigning a presentation of their history day project. During filming, it was amazing to hear how history became personal for students Jordan and Hi‘ilei; how they began to connect with people and events of the past through old letters and other primary sources; and how they were inspired to share what they learned with others even beyond the History Day competition.

Here's a look at how Kamaile Academy students are being engaged in hands-on, experiential learning in place and culture. 

Kamaile Academy is a preK-12 Hawaiian focused public conversion charter school. Here's a look at how students use school gardens and composting to learn about food security and sustainability.