Patti Lyons has been showered with awards this year – recognizing her nearly half-century of devotion to her work in child welfare. But this social worker's tireless efforts to protect Hawaii's abused and neglected children weren't always appreciated. Lyons spent years battling a state bureaucracy while working directly with countless families to prevent abuse. Her persistence paid off and Lyons' achievements include helping to establish state Child Protective Services, Hawaii Healthy Start and the Consuelo Foundation which serves children in Hawaii and the Philippines.

Victoria Cuba, a recent graduate of Waipahu High School, is quick to smile, loves music and wants to become a storyteller. And her bedroom is the back of a truck ― she and her family are homeless.

The $75 million Race to the Top grant gave Hawai‘i’s public schools a much needed boost toward overall student academic achievement. But educators still believe we have a long way to go to get our students career- and college-ready.

This episode of HIKI NŌ is hosted by Sacred Hearts Academy in the Kaimuki district of Honolulu.   Top Story: Students from Waianae Intermediate School on Oahu tell the story of Momi Robins-Makaila, a Waianae Intermediate School teacher who has written a book about the domestic abuse she has suffered in her life and […]

Sharon L. Hicks knew something was wrong with her mother when she started locking 4-year-old Sharon out of the house when she was four years old. Her mother was bipolar and schizophrenic, while her father, a well-known housing contractor, was a pillar of the Honolulu community. Sharon sought normalcy her whole life, and while she swore she would never be like her mother, she found herself making some of the same mistakes. In her conversation with Leslie Wilcox, Sharon talks openly about her mother's mental illness, and the insights she's gained from it.

Growing up in Kailua, Maile Meyer was surrounded by a family that embraced anyone who walked through their door. Now, as the owner of Native Books, Maile has taken that tradtion of gathering and applied it to building a Hawaiian community of artists and storytellers.

For three years, Takeshi Yoshihara and his family lived in two small cubicles in a Japanese American internment camp. The experience, while traumatic for the young Takeshi and his family, did not leave him bitter. In fact, this Nisei would grow up to be a U.S. Navy officer, and make history in the process.

Jim Burns says that you really have to live your own life, and find your own niche and your own space. His father, John Burns was elected Governor of Hawaii in 1962. By then, Jim Burns had finished law school. Hear how he tried, and did find his own path. Original Air Date: Tues., August 19, 2014

Often shrouded in fear and shame, domestic violence is a crime that often lives just under the surface of Hawai‘i’s communities. Now, with local and nationally publicized incidents, domestic violence, its victims, and its impact on families are in the headlines.

Kaua’i native Carlos Andrade is a lifelong learner. First, he learned lessons from his kupuna, his elders, living on the land. Then, he learned from professors at the University of Hawai’i. Today, he’s a teacher himself, sharing lessons with students and stories with Leslie Wilcox.