Four Hawaii public schools were selected as winners in the sixth annual Pono Campaign, a yearly initiative encouraging groups of youth in any school or program across the state to do projects and activities that promote living pono — doing the right thing — at their school and in their community.
Four Hawaii public schools were selected as winners in the sixth annual Pono Campaign, a yearly initiative encouraging groups of youth in any school or program across the state to do projects and activities that promote living pono — doing the right thing — at their school and in their community.
Honokaa High and Intermediate School took first place in the high school division, winning $1,000. Students, with the help of adviser Joy Kawachika, formed a Between the Lines Anti-Bullying Club. They created posters and fliers, participated in sign waving and became positive mentors to incoming freshmen. They also presented lessons to middle school students.
“Our club is small, but people have noticed what we do around campus. … We hope to reach all of the students on our campus and hope that we will someday have a bully-free campus,” said club member Ke Mele Sanchez.
A student group at Kealakehe Intermediate School tied with Iao Intermediate School on Maui for first place in the middle school division. Each school received $1,000.
Students in Na Kahumoku, an after-school culture and place-based leadership program at Kealakehe, performed service projects to care for the environment, such as beach and highway cleanups. They also initiated activities to heighten cultural awareness in their community and school.
Konawaena Middle School was awarded second place for its “I pono, We pono — How do you pono?” campaign. The school’s sixth- through eighth-grade student leadership class showed how pono could be demonstrated at school, at home and in the community. They translated these messages into a video that was played during their school’s morning broadcast.
The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission partners with Growing Pono Schools’ staff to sponsor the Pono Campaign. For more information, visit growingponoschools.com.