Although this acknowledgment is long overdue, I want to share some incredible news about our Lahaina Intermediate School Media Club and send a huge mahalo to two local organizations that helped get us there.
This past school year, our students were able to fly to Oahu for the 3rd Annual Shoots competition, an opportunity made possible by the support of the Lahaina Complex Education Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Maui.
While a trip like this requires a lot of moving parts, these organizations help offset some of the costs. LCEF stepped in to cover our competition registration fees, while BGCM generously provided a donation that went directly toward our travel expenses. This brought our costs down per person for the trip and allowed some financial relief for the families.
The competition itself was highly demanding. Our students were tasked with creating videos for specific categories, which required them to script, film, and edit their projects entirely from scratch under a strict deadline. Competing against middle schools from across Hawaii, our students performed exceptionally well, ultimately placing in three out of the four categories that we entered.
It takes a village to support our youth, and the financial backing from LCEF and BGCM gave our students the chance to show what Lahaina's kids are capable of. On behalf of the entire club, our parents, and myself, mahalo nui loa for investing in our students and helping turn this opportunity into a triumph.
Lori Ann Koyama Media Advisor/Tech Coordinator Lahaina Intermediate School
