From Classroom to Community Caring for ʻāina and cultivating cultural knowledge, students help preserve Hawaiian food systems for future generations. By: Kuulei Serrao-Kuamo’o & Jade Kuhiiki The Food Systems pathway allows students to explore agriculture, marine science, and biology while deepening their connection to Hawaiian culture and the Wai‘anae community. “It means a lot to me, especially connecting to my culture,” senior Cransten Monina said. “This pathway really helps you build that connection.” In class, students care for native species such as the Hawaiian mullet fish, ʻAnae, and the Hawaiian seaweed, Limu. Alongside hands-on work, they learn the mo‘olelo—the stories and traditions—tied to these species. “Our native mullet that we’re growing right now in two tanks is how Wai‘anae got its name,” Monina explained. “Wai means freshwater and ‘anae means fish. That’s why we grow it here.” Food Systems emphasizes responsibility and respect for the ʻāina, encouraging students to put their mana into every product so that each one is infused with aloha. As of 2024, the program has provided fresh limu to more than a thousand people through a new partnership with the Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. “We provide limu to people who receive food services and food security support through the Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive,” said Food Systems teacher Tyson Arasato. Though the partnership is still young, its impact is already felt across the community. By reconnecting people to traditional foods, students are helping to bring the Wai‘anae Coast together while also supporting families in need. Through the pathway, students are not only protecting and restoring vital food systems, but also ensuring that these practices thrive for future generations.

Automations and Robotics Technology Teaching students the basics of engineering one project at a time. By: Ku’ulei Serrao-Kuamo’o & Jade Kuhiiki Amongst the many pathways offered at Waianae High School, there is one pathway that uses unconventional tools and lessons to teach their students innovative ways to tackle technical problems. The automation and robotics technology pathway teaches its students through hands-on projects to enable creative and innovative problem solving skills. “ Like doing the hands on work like the bridge and paper tower, that’s what we’ve done so far,” says freshman and automation student Eirian Ayau. The pathway uses both practical and impractical teaching styles to help students learn the basic building block for engineering. The projects given to students help to create a variety of solutions to the same given problem. “ This class is one that definitely lends itself into hands-on experiences, right now we're going through the basics of the engineering process,” says automations teacher Joshua Arant. Alongside doing hands-on projects students are able to learn practical skills that they can carry into other aspirations that they might want to pursue after high school. “ If you’re interested in building and designing things as well as a possible career, this is a great way to go,” says Arant.

Pa‘a Pono 96792 Wai‘anae and Nānākuli youth empower westside communities through food distribution events By: Jhera Mae Paulo & Jade Kuhiiki After a streak of violence on the Westside of O‘ahu, Leeward communities have come together with ‘Elepaio Social Services and Searider Productions to create Pa‘a Pono 96792, a community and youth focused campaign that centers healing, responsibility and connection. On July 12, they held their second student-led food distribution event at Wai‘anae Intermediate school. Youth volunteers from across the Leeward Coast worked tirelessly to feed community members with not only food, but aloha and pride. “It's very reassuring to know that other people are getting the things they need. And when people are getting things they need, it makes me feel that our community is stronger and is more important than ever,” said Wai‘anae Intermediate student and Pa‘a Pono volunteer Zoie San Miguel. Pa‘a Pono not only empowers the younger generation, it calls for involvement from all schools on the coast in both the Wai‘anae and Nānākuli neighborhoods, creating a larger vision of unity on the westside. “I think, for this, this particular event, it's just any opportunity for us to be able to give back,” said John Wataoka, Wai‘anae Intermediate School Principal. “Our youth are the next generation and I'm super proud of our students for, you know, stepping forward and really wanting to take leadership and make our community better, turning ideas into action.” Although this is just the start of this campaign, volunteers hope to continue making an impact through food distribution events and more. “Pa‘a Pono makes me proud. I feel proud, I feel so proud. It's personal work, and so to be able to have youth come out here and get to feel that feeling and understand that there's issues that are going to come across our coast, but we can also be part of the solution by banding together and uniting and doing stuff together as a community, uplift each other. We're all community experts, and we all have certain superpowers that we can contribute, and that's what is needed,” said Alicia Higa, Executive Director of ‘Elepaio Social Services. This campaign aims to recenter community resilience and narrative. Together, Wai‘anae and Nānākuli stand firm in uplifting youth and building a brighter future on the west side. “It really influenced my point of view for helping other people and to be a leader,” said San Miguel.

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Waiʻanae High School Junior, Denise Pawleen Cabrera competed in the first annual ʻShoots Summit Hawaiʻiʻ, this January and entered this video to the Mobile Broadcast Journalist competition!