HONOLULU (HI Now) - HI Now Daily spotlights the first graduating class of the KĀLELE Media Training Program, a 16‑week collaboration between Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi News Now designed to develop community-minded media makers.
Six students completed the program, gaining hands-on experience across journalism, editing, producing, sales, marketing, directing, and engineering. The curriculum emphasized storytelling rooted in traditional Hawaiian perspectives, encouraging students to become “truth tellers” who uplift the community while sharing Hawaiʻi stories responsibly and accurately.
Mentors noted significant growth in students’ confidence and skills. The program began from leadership conversations between Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi News Now, with the goal of creating a uniquely Hawaiian media training initiative. The graduation ceremony was held January 24 at Hawaiʻi News Now, including station tours, and organizers hope to bring the program back in the fall, continuing mentorship and succession planning for the next generation.
Building on their hands-on training, the graduates put their skills into action with compelling final projects that reflect community-centered storytelling. Three graduates—Talia Gliem, Jocelyn Rose, and Tony Diaz—produced a three-minute story filmed on Lānaʻi. Their piece sheds light on the serious challenges faced by pregnant residents: the absence of a local hospital equipped for childbirth, no resident OB-GYN, limited telehealth options, and the need to travel off-island for prenatal care and delivery. The story also highlights emergency response concerns, including a mother’s account of complications and a delayed medevac, while emphasizing community-driven solutions like establishing a birthing center, a resident OB-GYN, and on-island medevac support.
Another group of graduates presented their project, “Restoring ʻĀina,” which highlights efforts to bring back Native Hawaiian place names. Their story illustrates why preserving traditional names is critical for culture, language (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi), education, and community identity. The segment features progress, such as the renaming of West Loch to Kaupapa through legislation, and offers viewers practical ways to support restoration, including using traditional names, geotagging, and submitting updates to mapping apps. The students described the project as deeply meaningful and plan to expand it into a documentary for film festivals, reaching wider audiences with their message.
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