(Photo courtesy of SHYLI)

MEDIA RELEASE

Sustainable Hawaii Youth Leadership Initiative’s Job Shadow Day 2013 Awards Ceremony in partnership with The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Sust’AINAbility Committee Feb. 22 was an important day for SHYLI’s youth leaders.

“We were all given the wonderful opportunity to attend Job Shadow Days molded to our future aspirations,” said Kohala youth leader Kynan Kawai, a senior at Kamehameha Schools. “I was lucky to have three mentors combined into one great experience.”

Jeff Turner of Aloha Business Services with his clients Bill and Brooks Wakefield spent the afternoon with Kawai on The Wakefield Coffee Farm in South Kona.

For its first Job Shadow Day, SHYLI partnered with Kohala-Kona Chamber of Commerce Sust’AINAbility Committee.

“Job Shadow Day puts youth in the shoes of our potential future,” Kawai said. “We can then decide if we really like this, or if not, this is the perfect wake up call to start rethinking about what we want to do.”

A reception was hosted March 11 at Jack’s Diving Locker. Award certificates were presented to youth and their mentors who will share their experiences.

An aspiring architect and senior at Kealakehe High School, Allie Kitchens was matched with Holly Algood, who shared her experience building a green home in Hawi.

“The knowledge I gained from my time in Hawi will stay with me through my progression to my future and my struggles to succeed,” Kitchens said. “I had an enjoyable time in this SHYLI program and am thankful for this opportunity to grow and expand myself.”

Kitchens volunteered for the Kona-Kohala Grand Green Homes Tour presented by the chamber and organized by Algood. Kitchens had second Job Shadow Day experience with Stephen Grant Green at Stephen Green Architecture in Waimea. Green has also worked with large architecture firms in Asia, Chile, and San Francisco.

Konawaena High School senior basketball team member and aspiring pediatrician Trevor Tanaka was matched with Dr. Eddie Herd, a pediatrician and Ironman triathlete.

“The Kona community has an ongoing need for quality medical care,” Herd said. “That makes investing in the lives of young people like Trevor who show interest in a medical career a big part of the Hawaii Renewable-Sustainable efforts that will make a difference in all of our lives for generations to come. Having opportunities available like SHYLI’s Job Shadow Day allows the next generation to stand on the shoulders of those who came before them so that our youth can reach farther and deeper into areas that will make a difference for Hawaii today and well into the future.”

He added, “Spending time with Trevor here in my pediatric practice, it is easy to see that he embodies the spirit, drive, intelligence and desire we all should encourage along his path to success. Trevor’s future successes will undoubtedly translate into a positive impact on our community and state for years to come. SHYLI has been and continues to be a part of that impact.”

Makana Tavares, a senior at Kanu o ka Aina New Century Public Charter School in Waimea was matched with Phyllis Magal, Park Ranger at Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park.

“I learned that a career, a calling, is not something that we may always understand. It can come in the form of a profession stumbled into or a task we tailor to meet our individual standards,” Tavares said. “Listening to Phyllis I felt proud of calling the people she spoke about my ancestors and gratified as she reinforced my own firm cultural foundation.”

Tavares’ dream is to combine her love for the Hawaiian culture with her developing passion for writing.

“It was a privilege to meet Makana and find such depth and quality in someone who is at the beginning of her service to humanity,” Magal said. “It gives me hope there are capable and committed young people out there who will be working on the immense challenges confronting our world at this time.”

“Job Shadow Day made me really want to get my business degree so I can realize my dream career, combining my two passions Sustainable Business and Sustainable Agriculture,” Kawai said.

“We enjoyed our time with Kynan,” said Brooks and Bill Wakefield. “His excellent questions and responses were well thought out and articulate. His goals for his future are commendable. We have confidence that he is and will continue to be an inspirational leader
in sustainability for the future.”

SHYLI’s mission is to train young people from Hawaii to envision their dreams for their lives, their island and their world. SHYLI began on the Island of Hawaii in 2010.

SHYLI is a project of the Stone Soup Leadership Institute, a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1997 on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.

The Institute develops culturally sensitive educational tools and trains youth from islands to become leaders of a more sustainable world. The Institute organizes Job Shadow Day on other islands for years.

The Institute’s annual weeklong Youth Leadership Summit for Sustainable Development is held on the Martha’s Vineyard.

In 2011, SHYLI’s first youth delegate to the Summit spoke at the APEC Voices of the Future Summit.

The 2013 SHYLI Youth Leadership Forum brought together Hawaii’s leaders with SHYLI youth who shared their Sustainability-In-Action projects and vision for sustainable Hawaii.

SHYLI thanks its supporters, which include County of Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, Mokulele Airlines, Protect the Planet Foundation, Hawaii Community Foundation’s Kukio Foundation, Saffron’s and The W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Each February, the National Groundhog Job Shadow Day, a national campaign gives young people a new perspective on their studies through hands-on learning and a one-day mentoring experience. It is a joint effort of America’s Promise – Alliance for Youth, Junior Achievement, and the U.S. Department of Labor.

Nationwide, more than 1 million students and 100,000 businesses participate, and last year, that included more than 2,000 restaurants and hotels hosted nearly 20,000 students.

Job Shadow Day helps translate youth passion with practical experience in the job market and the world of work.

“We’ve discovered this one-day really helps young people focus on their future,” institute executive director Marianne Larned said. “It’s a good investment in their future and ours. Our goal is to give youth a positive experience of the world of work, promote a good work ethic, and develop longer-lasting relationships that contribute to the Island’s economy.”

— Find out more:
www.shyli.org
www.kona-kohala.com