Paving The Way For Safer Streets

KKV is always striving to better the community, and that goal is prevalent in our youth programs. In November, youth from the Hoʻoulu I Ke Aloha afterschool program gave a presentation to the State Department of Transportation Services about ways to improve street safety in Kalihi. The students worked diligently with the help of KKV youth program staff to research and design their presentation. They were inspired to create a safer environment for themselves, their community, and future generations.   

Hoʻoulu I Ke Aloha, or HIKA, is an afterschool program held at Dole Middle School that focuses on celebrating and uplifting the creativity and skills of Kalihi’s youth. It, along with several other KKV youth programs, is spearheaded by Community Education and Civic Engagement Manager Misty Pegram. “Hoʻoulu I Ke Aloha means ‘growing in love’, which really embodies what we do in this program,” she said. The mentors and staff conduct a wide range of activities to help the students build strong connections to their community, their peers, and themselves. The program also offers tutoring and celebrates the cultures of all individuals. “We strive to learn how to truly respect one another,” said Misty. “We help our students understand their civic roles [in the community], even at their age.”   

Through the HIKA program, the students were introduced to the Safe Streets for Keiki Initiative, where students were encouraged to observe street safety around their own campuses and take notes on what could be improved. Misty says after this initial walkthrough, the students came up with many creative ways to make their community safer. “From there, it was decided that [we wanted] to present these ideas to those who could make a difference, the Department of Transportation Services.” To prepare for their big presentation, the students researched the area around Dole Middle School, especially along Kamehameha IV Road. They brainstormed ideas and concepts that could make the streets safer, like the importance of speed bumps, traffic lights, and crossing guards, and compiled it into a slideshow. HIKA was able to give the students the opportunity to present to city officials, with the help of the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute (HPHI). HPHI strongly believed in the students and admired their advocacy to better their community.   

On November 27th, the students presented their ideas to members of the Department of Transportation Services, some of their chief engineers, and representatives from HPHI. “Some of the students were kind of nervous, but came out of it excited,” said Misty. Youth Services Director Rona Mangayayam, who was also in attendance, could not have been prouder of how the students did. “When they asked questions, the students responded very well explaining the challenges and concerns. Their voices were heard loud and clear,” she said. The excursion to the Department of Transportation Services building was also a first-time experience for some of the students. “Something else that made me smile was that, according to them, it was the highest up they’d been other than their home. They really appreciated the view overlooking most of urban Honolulu,” said Misty.   

The research and presentation that the students did truly embodies the mission of KKV. One of the community guidelines that the HIKA program abides by is to protect each other’s health. Misty explained that this can come in many forms, which is similar to how KKV operates as a whole. “This presentation was one way for them to protect their peers’ health by ensuring that they’re safe getting to and from school.” Misty and the HIKA team are proud to be instilling this message in their students at such a young age and hope they can carry it forward as they continue to grow and learn in Kalihi.   

Although no other presentations are on the horizon yet, the HIKA team is working hard to turn their current ideas into reality. One of those ideas is to install a “bulb-out”, also known as a curb extension, at Dole Middle School. This will make it easier for cars to see pedestrians coming from the school. “We’re planning for this to be an art project that will most likely be spearheaded by our students,” said Misty. “Some initial design ideas include different cultural imagery.” The students are excited to begin this process, and in the future, look back at their middle school and know the work they did had a huge impact on their community.