Teens take hard look at future of islands
The Maui News
Monday, December 08, 2003
By MELISSA TANJI, Staff Writer
WAILUKU - The Focus Maui Nui initiative found that many youths want the same things adults desire for the future: affordable housing, an intact environment, better transportation and health promotion.
"It was an experience for us," said 16-year-old Wendorrie Pawai, a member of Maui Economic Opportunity's Youth Bank. "We had a say in something."
Members of the public can get an eight-page summary of the Focus Maui Nui findings, the result of 1,700 residents participating in countywide focus-group discussions last summer and expressing what they feel should be the county's top priorities.
Among those participants were intermediate and high school-aged students - most, like Pawai, belonging to youth groups.
"They are our future," said Debbie Revilla, an adult facilitator for some of the youth discussions. "We can come up with all these thoughts . . . (but) five to 10 years from now, those (children) are the ones who are going to be adults."
Student Pawai said her group determined that affordable housing, preserving the environment, improving transportation and promoting general health were their top concerns.
The Maui Economic Development Board is sponsoring the Focus Maui Nui process, whose goal is to develop a "vision for the future" based on the priorities and values of residents who participated in the discussions.
MEDB organizers expect the Focus Maui Nui report to influence county and state decision makers in mapping the county's future, especially in light of a new round of reviews of the county General Plan and community plans.
Revilla and other adult facilitators of the youth discussions said they were pleased at how the youths tackled planning for the future.
Jim Crowe, program director for MEO's Youth Bank, said, "They are just the average everyday kids, yet they got the concept right away.
"They were quite impressed and encouraged that their ideas were going to be listened to and heard," he said.
Crowe noted a juxtaposition of transportation-related needs: The youths perceive Maui getting crowded with vehicles, yet they see a need to have their own transportation.
"Most of our kids, their parents are working two jobs. (Their) parents are not able to take them places," he said.
Revilla said three Focus Maui Nui youth discussions resulted in affordable housing as a major issue.
She said Focus Maui Nui involved many "at-hope kids": disadvantaged or at-risk youngsters. The latter included members of her Comprehensive Strategy for Juvenile Justice program, which offers opportunities to children in the juvenile justice system.
Many at-hope youngsters were concerned that they may never be able to buy a house, she said.
She said a lot of the youthful discussion participants also don't want to go away for school or work, yet they witness families moving to the Mainland for better opportunities.
"They want Maui to be a place (where) they can go to school and get an education and not move away," she said.
Not only ideas arose out of the youth participation in Focus Maui Nui, but also further interaction at the county administration level.
Brainstorming at Big Brothers-Big Sisters involved students from King Kekaulike, Baldwin, Maui, St. Anthony and Kaahumanu Hou high schools, and has led to proposed sessions with Mayor Alan Arakawa, said Jeff Arnold, chief executive officer of Big Brothers-Big Sisters.
Arnold, who co-facilitated discussions with his group, said the youths wanted to continue providing feedback and suggested a talk-story session with the mayor. They plan to meet with Arakawa in January, he said.
On the Net: Focus Maui Nui: www.focusmauinui.com
FOCUS MAUI NUI
WHAT: The Focus Maui Nui report - an eight-page summary of what 1,700 county residents, including youths, think should be the county's top priorities - will be unveiled and distributed.
WHEN: 5 to 7 tonight.
WHERE: Baldwin High School auditorium.
INFORMATION: Call the sponsoring Maui Economic Development Board at 875-2336.