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As KPV grows and changes over time, we are delighted to continually see its positive impact on the lives of our students...
Last June I watched as our first group of alaka’i walked down the aisle at their high school graduation. Now young adults, I vividly remember seven years ago when they were eager 6th graders just beginning their KPV adventure.
The week before our first KPV reunion took place. Hawaii Forest and Trails sponsored a Pinzgauer trip to a local lo‘i. Tales of KPV adventures filled the trucks as shy 6th graders listened intently to graduating seniors reminisce about camping trips and other KPV adventures. A contagious atmosphere of horseplay and ‘ohana prevailed throughout the trip. Whether it be mucking in the lo‘i, pulling weeds, swimming under the waterfalls or sharing mud facials, one would not guess that most of these children were together as a group for the first time. Graduating senior Chelsea Utumei shared that she almost didn’t come because of the extreme pressures of graduation. Her serious demeanor disappeared soon as soon as “Beans”, another senior, gave her a hug and immediately started joking with her.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the reunion event and many others have taken place this program year. We welcomed our 7th group of alaka‘i, a combination of 6th and 7th graders, at summer camp in June 2008, thus enriching and expanding our program reach to more of North Kohala’s youth. Several months ago Kohala Middle School began its Uplinks after-school program. While it has created some challenges for KPV because both programs serve the same age range, we are very excited that we have been able to develop a partnership with the Uplinks program to offer KPV’s innovative environmental /outdoor leadership component as a pilot module beginning in January 2009.
At the end of our Uplinks pilot module in Spring 2009, we are very hopeful KPV’s core activities will be fully integrated into the Uplinks program at Kohala Middle School. In the meantime we would deeply appreciate your continued support to sustain the program until the transition is complete. May the holidays and the new year be happy, healthy and prosperous ones for us all. Blessings and Mahalo,
Lani Bowman, KPV Coordinator |
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