This special edition features stories from the Middle School division of the 2020 HIKI NŌ Winter Challenge.  On January 31, 2020, participating elementary, middle school and high school teams were given four days to complete a HIKI NŌ story based on the prompt: “The wisdom of elders brought to life by the young.” 

Princess Johnson, Creative Producer of the PBS KIDS series Molly of Denali, didn’t know that life would lead her to producing a curriculum-based animated series. Yet with a master’s degree in education and a background in performing arts, Johnson, an Alaskan native from the Neets’aii Gwich’in tribe, was armed with the right combination of skills and training to do just that.

This special edition features stories from the 2019 HIKI NŌ Fall Challenge.  On October 18, 2019, participating elementary, middle school and high school teams were given four days to complete a HIKI NŌ story based on the prompt: “Half of Hawaiʻi’s people are struggling financially even while many work two or three jobs. 

Born without arms and legs, inspirational speaker Nick Vujicic has never experienced the warmth of wrapping his arms around someone and hugging them. Yet he once held the record for the number of hugs in an hour. That’s Nick Vujicic — he always feels that “you can, you will.”

Schools across Hawaiʻi are entering unfamiliar territory as teachers, students, parents and administrators start the new school year in the midst of a pandemic. Don’t miss a special edition of INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAIʻI What’s it Going to Take?, when we’ll discuss going back to school during COVID-19.

Students from Aliamanu Middle School in the Salt Lake district of Oʻahu explore the effects of military deployment on family members. The story focuses on how the impact of a parent’s deployment can be more problematic for younger children than it is with their older siblings.

James Kauahikaua has witnessed some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring spectacles as a geophysicist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Hawai‘i Island. While his research frequently leads him dangerously close to molten hot magma, a dire cancer diagnosis may have been his most humbling encounter yet.

On this Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox, we hear from Nona Beamer, or Aunty Nona as she was fondly called. Aunty Nona was an educator, author, hula dancer and a champion of Hawaiian culture, known for her integrity, scholarship and love.

Hear from Alice Inoue, the founder of Happiness U, as she reflects on how her curiosity and entrepreneurial nature led her on an untraditional path to her current position of helping others find their life’s purpose.

TOP STORY “Kauaʻi Resilience Project” Students from Kapaʻa High School on Kauaʻi tell the story of their community’s effort to address a serious problem with Kauaʻi’s youth. A 2018 study showed that 9% of high school students on Kauaʻi attempt suicide, and 28% reported feeling sad and worthless over extended periods of time. In response to these alarming facts, the Kauaʻi Resiliency Project was formed to create programs and opportunities for Kauaʻi’s youth that help them navigate life’s challenges.