Welcome dinner

Student winners, their parents, Hoku Education Team members, and Mrs. Laura Thompson at the VALUES FOR LIFE International Essay Contest Welcome dinner, hosted by Mrs. Thompson.

Day 1, KHON 2 TV Interview

First stop, TV appearance on KHON Morning News with news anchor Kathy Thompson and Hoku Education Team member Linda Furuto.

At KHON 2

Bhuwan Giri, Rosemary Owen, Mikia Weidenbach, and Jalnidh Kaur at KHON 2 TV.

with parents

Day 1, Canoe Tour

After TV interviews in the morning and a layover at Ala Moana Beach Park, student winners headed to the Marine Education and Training Center for a tour of the Hokule'a.

Day 1, Hawaii Plantation Village

After visiting the Hokule'a, students visited the Hawaii Plantation Village to learn about Hawaii's unique history.

Day 2, DOE Reception

After the first day at the Pacific Educational Conference (PEC), students and their parents attended a Hawaii Department of Education-hosted awards reception at Paki Hale.

Jalnidh with members of the Hoku Ed community

Jalnidh Kaur, winner from India, with Greg Knudsen, Spokesperson and Communications Director of the Hawaii Department of Education; Tery Bigalke, Director of Education Program at the East-West Center; and Chuck Jones, Vice President of Booz Allen Hamilton.

Day 4, PEC Closing Ceremony

On the last day of their visit, the students were officially recognized as winners of the VALUES FOR LIFE International Essay Contest by Nainoa Thompson at the Closing Ceremony of the Pacific Educational Conference.