As part of a lesson in civic engagement, rising ‘ōiwi leaders from KS Hawai‘i, KS Maui and KS Kapālama took part in KHON2’s Virtual Town Hall which aired at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8 and Sunday, Oct. 11. The two-hour Town Hall was sponsored by Kamehameha Schools, the Center for Native Hawaiian Advancement, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and was moderated by KHON2’s Gina Mangieri. 

The broadcast highlighted General Election candidates in the races for Honolulu Mayor, Hawai‘i County Mayor, US Representative Districts 1 and 2, and Honolulu Prosecutor. KS students posed questions in English and ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i to the candidates and took part in a special ‘ōpio panel discussion livestreamed on social media.

“We believe that providing students with civic engagement experiences will help them grow into leaders who will fill government seats, as well as community boards and commissions,” said KS Community and Government Relations (CGR) Director Kau‘i Burgess. The CGR team worked with kumu and others to orchestrate student participation in the Town Hall events.

“These development and training opportunities ensure that their voices continue to be heard, and that they have the ‘ike and confidence to join other ‘alaka‘i at the beginning of decision-making processes involving issues that impact the well-being of the lāhui.

“We also hope that highlighting local student advocates will inspire other schools and students in Hawai‘i to create their own civic engagement clubs and that in the near future, KS students will be able to engage in large student leadership advocacy forums that will offer school-to-school engagement, advocacy efforts and discussions and debates on issues facing the community.”

See our rising leaders in action

Living 808 Segment​

• KS Hawai‘i senior Sophia Perry – ASKS president and member of the KSK Advocacy Club – discusses her leadership as a student and her perspective on civic issues.
• View the "Living 808" segment featuring Sophia Perry.

KHON2 Virtual Hawai‘i Town Hall

• Candidates respond to questions, posed by community members and students. Participating KS students were: seniors Sophia Perry (KSH), Kawaiolaakeali‘i Kapuni (KSM) and Emi Shigekane (KSK).
• View the pre-recorded questions from student leaders.

Up Late ʻŌpio Panel

• Co-moderated by KSK Student Leadership and Activities Director Andrew Lai. Student leaders discussed policy issues that define this year’s election season. They also celebrated the release of the “Koho Kit,” a digital toolkit that includes voting-themed Facebook profile picture frames, ZOOM backgrounds, and voter education materials produced by Kanaeokana. Participating KS students were: seniors Sophia Perry (KSH), Sofia Stupplebeen (KSM) and Mahina Amoy (KSK).
• View the panel discussion on the Kamehameha Schools Facebook page.

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