Lanai High and Elementary School Improvement Initiative

Report from The Stone Soup Leadership Institute 2014
 

Lana'i aspires to become a leader in sustainability.

To realize its full potential Lana'i needs new leaders, innovative thinking,
action-oriented and collaborative people who can work together on
sustainability initiatives that benefit us all.
 

It has been an honor and a privilege for The Stone Soup Leadership Institute's to be invited by Elton Kinoshita and Dennis Hokama to collaborate on the development of a youth empowerment/leadership program that would benefit LHES students. Since December 2013, The Institute dedicated two weeks each month for six months, working closely with Elton and Dennis to refine and implement their vision for LHES. The Institute developed clear financial goals, since each island initiatives must be self-sufficient. The Institute's team traveled to Lanai each month to conduct a strategic planning process with administrators/ teachers and host leadership training, presentations for LHES students. This pilot program was successfully implemented. We are prepared to build on this successful pilot program
and expand to benefit many more LHES students. The stated goals for 2015-2016 are to integrate the Institute's programs for all LHES juniors/seniors to continue the development of a world-class progressive school system on Lanai. Together we will inspire Lanai's youth to pursue STEM and help build a new generation of leaders on Lanai. 

 

We are proud of our Lanai youth and grateful to Pulama Lanai and to SHYLI for providing these opportunities to them. I'm impressed that Oceanit is partnering with SHYLI to feature our youth at their corporate headquarters. As recipients of the Corporate STEM Award, Oceanit has made a major commitment to investing in the development of our future leaders. We're eager to have many more students experience the powerful results of STEM Sustainability leadership training.
Elton Kinoshita, Lanai High and Elementary School Principal

 

I. Professional Development Administration: conducted monthly strategic planning sessions
* Teachers: conducted monthly classroom presentations
* Organized first Design Thinking workshop on Lanai with Ian Kitajima and Justin Brown
* Conduct training program with Design Thinking at UHMC
* LHES Team featured at Design Sustainable Hawaii Forum
 

II. Student Development
* Presentations to 100 LHES students
* Youth empowerment/leadership training: LHES students: 25
* STEM/Environmental Science students: LHES students: 50
* Project-based learning with sustainability projects: 4
* Partnerships with LHES for Job Shadow Day: 2
* Communications: training youth to make presentations: 4
* Invited VIP guests to UH Sea Grant Program with former Vice President Al Gore: 2
 

III. Impact Relative to Teaching and Learning
* Intensive leadership training at Youth Leadership Summit delegates for 6 students
* Youth learn how to develop a can-do spirit and how to make it happen action plan.
* Match young people's interests and skills with their vocational, college, career goals.
* Learn how to develop a 5 year-action plan to develop Sustainability-In-Action plans
 

IV. Additional Outcomes
* Outreach/support from government officials: http://shyli.org/lanai/lanai-support
* Galvanized local and regional support for LHES students including partnership with Oceanit;
* Researched, developed relationships, funding opportunities for LHES partnership;
* Positive Press for LHES - featured on local, regional print media and regional TV. 

 

The Institute's mission is to develop educational tools, trainings and provide technical assistance and capacity building for schools and organizations to engage youth and develop their leadership skills. Each month the Institute conducted a leadership training program on the interdisciplinary field of STEM- Sustainability while helping students to develop their speaking/presentation skills to reach out to younger LHES students; and develop their community network through project- based learning.


Aloha, I enjoyed being there. Those young people are a delight, inspiration, and a joy to be around. They are so positively purposeful and caring of others.
Dennis Hokama


Thank you for your efforts to work with our students and for your partnership with LHES. Indeed, we will circulate this flyer to the Pulama Lanai, as there are some good synergies between next week's sessions and the work/expertise of Pulama. Thanks, again,
Kimberly Frank


Thanks for the photos and for allowing us to participate in the forum. We certainly gained a lot from the experience and enthusiasm the youth leaders have for this program. Lucy is a star and is building upon her passion at such a young age. My best, 
Jeannine Souki
I. Professional Development: Administration and Teachers
December 2013 to May 2014
Details: Dec. 3-8, Jan. 20-24, Feb. 3-12 & 23-26, March 7-13 & 20-23, April 2, 4 & 7-9 & 16-18,
May 7-11

Developed Partnership with Design Thinking Hawaii
* Teachers/Administrators trained with Design Thinking Hawaii Workshop
Ian Kitajima/Justin Brown, Jared Savage, Beth Conroy-Humphrey, Jeanie, Priscilla, Stacy, Pam Alconcel, Rhett Parham, Vice Principal,
Dennis Hokama, Elton Kinoshita, Kevin Humphrey
* DT Sustainable Forum: conducted 3 trainings with LHES students, faculty, Shara Enay Birbirsa
* Design Sustainable Hawaii Forum on Oahu:
--Featured LHES as leader in youth leadership/empowerment envisioning sustainability;
--LHES Team: Elton Kinoshita, Dennis Hokama, Jeannine Souki, & STEM regional coordinator, Heidi Jenkins

Professional Development: Teachers

1. Lisa Galloway, Environmental Science Teacher and students
* Strategic support for renewal of school garden project;
* Intensive leadership training for Lisa's nominated youth;
* Presentations to all three Environmental Science classes (50 students);
* Earth Day presentations

2. Pat Niibu, English Teacher/Senior Class Advisory
* Conducted leadership training presentations
* Attended community events to meet LHES students and parents.

3. Karen deBrum
* Conducted leadership training presentations for her students: 50
* Intensive leadership training for LHES students: 3
* Letter featured in Lanai Today (August)

4. Beth Conroy-Humphrey
* STEM/Design Thinking Hawaii: March 20-22, 2014
* Leadership training/presentation to her college and career development students-Kassandra Castillo Cruz: April 2, 2014

II. Student Development
LHES Student Delegation to Youth Leadership Summit 2014
* Emma DeBrum * Brooklyn Bradford * Adrianna Sanchez

Every year over 100 million marine animals are killed by debris. The 2011 Tsunami in Japan debris washes ashore on Lana'i and Hawaiian islands. Their Sustainability In-Action Project goal is to recruit 40-50 young volunteers to pick up trash once a month on their local beaches.
Brooklyn Bradford & Adriana Sanches

 

Each afternoon at the Summit, they met in Professional Development Workgroups to explore their career options with the Summit Faculty: STEM/Business/Media * Environmental Science * Psychology * Business. They wove their skills and interests into a 5-year action plan: "What might your life look like in 2019?"

 

LHES Student: Lucy Gaceta
* Presentations to Lisa Galloway students: Environmental Science

-Invigorated School-Community Garden Project
-Representative to School-Community Garden Project meetings
* Workforce training and readiness: aligned with Pulama Lanai mission/vision
* Youth delegate/chaperone to Summit with 3 LHES students: June 2014
* Prepared overview presentation on Youth Empowerment on Lanai: June 2014
* LHES youth for the first time at the Sheraton Hawaii Foundation Bowl.
* LHES youth delegate to Statewide Conference at State Capitol: October 2014
-AIM for Youth Hawaii in partnership with Pacific American Foundation

LHES Student Daniel Forsythe
* Facilitated weekly program with LHES Middle School students
* Rekindled Aquaponics project for Lisa Galloway's Environmental Science students
* Built bridges with LHES, Pulama Lanai and Lanai's only Aquaponics Farm: Kuma Ola Farm

Pulama Lanai Partnership
* Kimberly Frank: community meetings
* Shara Enay Birbirsa: Job Shadow Day, Design Thinking Hawaii training
* Dennis Hokama: Monthly strategic planning sessions with E. Kinoshita
* Jeannine Souki: Design Sustainable Hawaii Forum
* David Palumbo: Job Shadow Day; workforce development/ongoing support for Lucy, Pulama employee
* Katy Deshotel-Moore, Nursery Assistant Manager
* Community Partners: Center for Tomorrow's Leaders

I learned so much that will help me help my island with sustainability and help me with my future life goals. It truly was a life-changing experience for me. I look forward to helping the environment and helping my island become more self sustainable!
Brooklyn Bradford

We are all very proud of Lucy!       David Palumbo

Positive Press Generated for LHES

Administrators, Teachers & Students

Lanai Today
* August, May, February 2014
* March, May and August 2013

Television
* Olelo TV, Honolulu
* Akaku TV Maui Community Television


Newsletters








Water shortages are common on islands-from the Marshall Islands to Lana'i where the stream Maunalei is now dry. There are desalination plants in 120 countries, from Italy, India, Greece to Japan. The proposed Desal plant on Lana'i is an important contribution to sustainable agriculture.
Emma DeBrum
There is a natural synergy between the Stone Soup Leadership Institute and Design Thinking Hawaii. The Institute's educational curriculum Stone Soup for the World: Life-Changing Stories of Everyday Heroes is a great resource tool for Design Thinkers. For the last year, I've had the privilege of serving on the Advisory Council for the Institute's Sustainable Hawaii Youth Leadership (SHYLI). These youth leaders possess the "beginner's mind" and "out-of-the-box" thinking that DT teaches adults. They exude the empathy and most importantly, they are taking the initiative to envision projects and engage people in their community-and their state. They are an inspiration. They are natural DTers! We look forward to showcasing them at the Design Sustainable Hawaii Forum. 
Ian Kitajima, Oceanit



We need a student body that truly understands and wants to engage in the global implications of preservation, conservation, and sustainability initiatives. SHYLI is science, research and creative/critical thinking in practice-and ongoing which is what makes all the difference in engagement. SHYLI is directly tied to both STEM and the Common Core curriculum that LHES is working so hard to develop. Students have to read, research, collaborate on, write, and present their findings to both on and off-island peers, outsiders, and professionals in the fields they are studying. This contributes to their success in the classroom as well as their college and career readiness. It can even become the focus of their senior project. The biggest challenge I face as a teacher on Lanai since 1995 is trying to motivate our students to engage in issues, ideas and conversations that require them to think and explore beyond Lana'i's perimeters. Having extremely limited exposure to any industry or career opportunities besides education and hospitality severely restricts our students' vision of their future. The SHYLI-Lanai program can expand this limited view by engaging students in real-life science, technology, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking experiences that require them to study the most critical environmental and sustainability issues facing Lana'i today. Our students experience and learn about technology and research surrounding issues Lana'i is grappling with, like protecting fresh water resources, protecting the ocean environment, sustainable energy solutions, and more. These experiences have a huge impact on their education and the LHES school culture. My former students Lucy and Daniel have come alive as a result of their work with SHYLI. Lucy, especially, has begun to dream of a different future for herself and for Lana'i. The potential is fantastic! It makes a tremendous difference for our students and for our island.
Karen de Brum, NBCT, LHES Language Arts



At the 2014 Summit Lucy made an impactful presentation on the importance of building a community through youth empowerment. She shared her journey from a youth delegate to be the first Lanai Fellow who developed Sustainability-In-Action Projects, mentored by David Palumbo for SHYLI's Job Shadow Day and now has a full time job with Pulama Lanai's Nursery. The best part of the Summit happens in the break out groups. It was here that I, and other Lanai youth got to learn from the different walks of life. Very cool. 
Lucy Gaceta

Good luck on recruiting the newest SHYLI group. Their lives will never be the same. Lucy is indeed a star on the cusp of breaking through the clouds.                         Dennis Hokama



Stone Soup Leadership Institute
Sustainable Hawaii Youth Leadership Initiative - Lanai
P.O. Box 631669, Lanai City, HI 96763 P.O. Box 4551, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568