First Annual "Na Leo O Na Keiki" Media Festival

Last Monday, Aliamanu held the First Annual "Na Leo O Na Keiki" Media Festival at the Ong King Art Center. We celebrated a year full of media accomplishments by the members of the Aliamanu Boys & Girls Club. Although the Aliamanu Club is closing, we still called it the first because we hope to continue this tradition for years to come with the Spalding Clubhouse, and hopefully include other clubs as well in the future. We named the festival "Na Leo O Na Keiki," or "The Voices of the Children," because we believe that giving children media skills and tools gives them a voice. We've given them an opportunity to communicate to us who they are as individuals, what is important to them, and how they see the world. The Ong King Art Center provided us with a beautiful venue to exhibit over 100 photographic images and to play the 11 films that the youth created throughout the year.
We had a full house that evening, with LITs and other members greeting guests, providing them with refreshments and freshly popped popcorn, and selling tee shirts and DVDs. Many youth members, both featured artists and their friends, joined us for the celebration with their parents, siblings and other family members. Additionally, board members, community partners and other supporters of the BGCH came to see the exhibit. Everyone had an opportunity to look at all of the photographs displayed, as well as watch the different films that the children created.
As the recognition ceremony began, everyone gathered around to find out who won each of the judged awards, the People's Choice Award, voted on by the crowd, and the Purchase Awards sponsored by BGCH Corporate Board Members Chip Hammond and David Hudson. The staff of Aliamanu were pleased to announce the following winners:

Vision Award
"Mirror of Water" by Shantae Donald

Storytelling Award
"Street Walk" by Huni Pakileata

Camera Obscura Award
"Blueberry Tunnel" by Julia Rodriguez

Spectrum Award
"Through the Blades" by Micah Tofanelli
Technical Award
"Rusty" by Ciyana Davis

Luminosity Award
"Walking on the Moon" by Kevin Cadiente

People's Choice Award
"Impression" by Joshua Tolbe

Bronze Level Purchase Award
"Long Tree" by Brandon Banuelos

Bronze Level Purchase Award
"One & Only Club" by Leslie Ann De Guzman

Silver Level Purchase Award
"White Plains" by Nicolette Huffer

Gold Level Purchase Award
"Spring Time in the Summer" by Brandon Pierson

We also were pleased to award both Gabriella Campos and Kylar Shipley with the Future Filmmaker Awards to recognize their hard work and potential in filmmaking.

After the recognition ceremony, everyone had fun snapping photographs with each other and just enjoying the relaxed atmosphere with the youth. We're so thankful for everyone who contributed to the Media Festival and for everyone who joined us to show their support. It was a fantastic event and we look forward to making it only better in years to come!

To view photos of the event, please visit our Picasa Album. Special thanks to Christina Aiu and Adair Fincher who were our photojournalists for the evening, and also to Gabriella Campos, our youth member who took the "Photo Booth" photos for the night.

10th Annual Ocean Sports & Fitness Day

This past Saturday all of the clubs joined each other at Kailua Beach Park for the 10th Annual Ocean Sports & Fitness Day. Even though the weather was a bit rainy at times, the kids still had a blast playing together at the beach! Volunteers from Bank of Hawaii, HIC, Aloha Surf Life Saving, and the UH Volleyball team helped the youth learn new skills in three different areas: surfing, boogie boarding & stand-up paddling, volleyball, and paddling & ocean safety. Everyone played really hard and had a good time...it was great seeing children who don't normally "hang out" together at the become new friends and learn together.
Naomi participated in the volleyball clinic and her favorite part was when the kids played against the UH volleyball players, because her team actually did a good job with the bumps and with volleyball the ball over the net. She loved learning how to set backwards too! Matthew J. was having a tough time at first in volleyball, but then Coach Scott gave him some one-on-one lessons to help him out.
Chelsea loved the canoe paddling because it was fun to see everything paddling together as a team to make the boat go. Diano and Brandon loved the jet skis because they liked how fast they got to go and it made the water spray in their face and whipped their hair around.
Gabby loved her first surfing experience because she finally got a chance to learn something she'd been wanted to do for a long time. Raemart and Jonathan loved surfing too, even though it was pretty hard and intense. And Heather and Zack had fun slipping and sliding on the red floating mats that were set up in the middle of the ocean. Jamal had a blast on the boogie board all afternoon long!

To check out all of the photos from our event, visit our Picasa album!

GRLZ 4 Change Reflect on the Year

For the last GRLZ 4 Change meeting, Miss Dani and Miss Bri asked the girls to reflect on the all of the different programs they did throughout the year. The girls did a great job remembering everything they learned.
"Girls for Change is about influential women. They help people in need and other things, like Coco Ho and Taylor Swift. Influential women are women that inspire other women to do things that they thought they couldn't do like Bethany Hamilton. Her arm got bitten off by a shark, but she kept on trying to surf again. After all her practicing, push-ups, side-ups, and pull-ups, she won fifth place in a surfing competition. Girls for Change helps me realize that I can do what I put my mind to." ~Jasmine A.

"Communication is important because that is how we human beings communicate/talk to each other. When we communicate, we ask questions, sing songs, talk, teach others, and/or answer questions. If we couldn't or didn't have communication, I think this world would be bizarre and out of control. When we played telephone it was important to listen carefully and pass the right information. Spreading rumors is not good. When rumors are passed it causes hate and fights." ~Huni

"Hey, this is Courtney. Today I am talking about what I learned about hygiene. I learned that it's really important. If you don't take care of your body, you could get diseases and it could hurt you. You need to regularly take a shower, was your body, hair and clothes, and have a clean house. If affects your life a lot. We did a hygiene drive around Thanksgiving. I had fun and it helped other people. We got things like toothpaste and toothbrushes and mouthwash. Also shampoo and conditioner. This is only a small bit of what we got. We donated it the "Project Hawaii" program, its for homeless kids. We stood outside of Longs and collected the items. I was surprised at how generous people were. We also got money donations. We raised about $200! I was very happy and I had fun." ~Courtney

"My favorite GRLZ 4 Change activity was the PSAs because I could talk about a topic that has happened personally to my friend. If gave me a chance to think about these girl's lives. It gave me a resource if this ever happens to me. My PSA was on teen pregnancy." ~Heather

"Friendship is a good thing. Friends support you and help you. You always know that your friend is there for you. Friends are important to you because they know you the best." ~Gabby

"Coco Ho is a professional surfer. She came to our Aliamanu club in February for the GRLZ 4 Change program. When she came we took lots of pictures. We also showed her around the club and she signed autographs. What I really liked about her was that she was active, funny and smart. She played basketball, pool, ping pong and a lot of other things with us. I really enjoyed her spending time with us. I hope that she comes back again!" ~ Arii

"When you apply makeup on your face you should first wash your face. When you put on mascara you go bottom to top. Makeup and eyeliner are the two must have makeups--you must have these! Girls for Change helped me to learn the importance of putting on makeup properly." ~Jahcianna

"For April Fool's Day we got the boys with water balloons! All the boys were mad at us when we did it. They had dodgeballs with them so they started to throw balls at us. It was fun!" ~Gabby

"My favorite activity is the make-up thingy. That was my favorite activity because we go to win makeup by answering questions about makeup and hygiene. And we also got to take it home! It was really fun!" ~Arii

"Relationships never last forever and unfortunately some relationships can be abusive. To have a healthy relationship you must try to avoid fighting with your partner. Girls for Change taught me that some friendships don't last, but others will last your whole life." ~Jahcianna

No-Bake Cooking Teaches Healthy Kitchen Habits

This month for No-Bake Cooking, the youth have been learning more advanced cooking skills and proper cooking habits to prevent cross-contamination. Check out what they've got to say about this delicious program!

"I learned that it's better to clean a pan before cooking something different. Also, I learned how to cook Portuguese sausage." ~Shantae
"I learned how to break an egg and how to whisk it." ~Aiyaisha
"I learned that SPAM gets flavor from the Portuguese sausage juice. I learned that eggs taste better with flavor added!" ~Raphael
"I learned that you have to be clean cooking things. You also have to make sure the food is cooked enough too. Also, you have to be careful when working with heat." ~Zeren

"I found out that you should always wash your hands to avoid cross contamination." ~Courtney
"When you cook hot dogs you must wash your hands before you start. Then you place the hot dogs in the pan. After you touch the hot dogs you must wash your hands again. Then you heat the hot dogs until they're browner than before." ~Jahcianna

"Today I learned that it is important to wash your hands, and you should wash your hands when touching/using different products. When a hot dog is cooked, it is browner than it was before. And Miss Dani loves pie." ~Huni

LUV2Run Finishes Strong at the Jamba 5K

The LUV2Run program finished this past weekend with its third and final 5K race, the Jamba Juice Banana Man Chase. Miss Natalie, Courtney and Heather were up bright and early to join the large crowd of kids and adults at Ala Moana Beach Park and run their hearts out. The girls did great, but I'll let them tell you all about it...

Lacing up and getting ready to run at the last minute!

One of the man "Banana Man" runners that we chased throughout the race!

"This past Saturday I did the Banana Man Race!! It was so much fun! First, we got there...haha. Then we got ready. After that, we ran! When we started there were people dressed up as bananas. Then we saw one guy...he was dressed up as a gorilla! I didn't stop running until a mile and a half. I was proud of myself...my time was 34 minutes. After it was over we got our face painted. I got flowers and a banana, even though the painter said she wasn't supposed to paint anything but the designs they had set out. Then we got balloon animals--I got a bear on a heart. Then I went home and slept all day. I hope I can do that race again next year!" ~Courtney

BGCH LUV2Run Logos on our tee shirts!

"The race was very fun! I saw my music teacher and my school's computer technician. I ran the race in 42 minutes (my goal was 50!). I got my face painted and I got a balloon monkey. And one more thing...I love Jamba Juice!" ~Heather

All of the activities afterward were a great way to celebrate our accomplishments!

Mad Science Returns with Elephant Toothpaste!

Today we made Elephant Toothpaste for Mad Science. By combining hydrogen peroxide, yeast and soap we created foam that shot up the bottle and over-flowed. The yeast was the catalyst and the soap made it bubbly, and the peroxide helped the oxygen atoms release faster! Best. Science. Experiment. Ever. ~Miss Dani

"We made this project called Elephant Toothpaste. We had a bottle, food coloring, funnel, yeast, soap, cup and hot water. We added the hydrogen peroxide in the cup and added the food coloring. We put it in the bottle by using the funnel. Then we put the yeast in the cup and added hot water, then mixed it all up and we put it in the bottle by using the funnel and then it blew up! Bubbles came out of the bottle...it was so cool!" ~Justice
"We made Elephant Toothpaste. We used water, yeast, a bottle, and more. We mixed the things together and it made foam. The peroxide molecules release the oxygen atoms faster. It was fun." ~Gabby

"During this experiment we mixed soap, yeast and hydrogen peroxide. By mixing them the yeast made the peroxide molecules release oxygen into the air quicker. Which means bubbles came shooting out!" ~Shantae

"Today we made Elephant Toothpaste. We threw it at each other! I liked the experiment because it was fun to make and play with. It shoots up from the bottle. The yeast is the catalyst." ~Rachel

LITs Explore the Masks they Wear

The LITs have been participating in a multi-session project that is part of the Journey program to facilitate self-discovery and growth. Using casting strips, they created actual masks on their faces that accurately reflected the size and shape of their facial features. The next step will be to decorate the masks with paint to further illustrate what their masks reveal and hide about their personalities. A few of the LITs had some interesting reflections on the activity...

"I feel that this project was the hardest project because I had to stay still. I also felt silly with a head band on and it was pulling my skin which made me feel uncomfortable. My mask revealed that I was moving too much because it was a little crooked. Something my mask hides is my angry personality. I have to put this mask on during baseball games because when I strike out I can't throw the bat on the ground. The most difficult part about this activity was staying still because I don't like to stay still. I made myself stay still by telling myself to 'shh.' One positive aspect of this activity is I liked to put the Vaseline on because it felt cold. Another positive thing in this activity is it tested my endurance by showing me how long I could sit still." ~Bradley
"It felt kind of cool because my face was being covered and I looked like the Jabberwockies because it was white. It reveals that I have a big nose and eyes which is real weird to see like that. It hides my eyebrows and my 'girlstache!' It was hard to avoid smiling and laughing because Justice kept trying to make me laugh. I liked that we put the Vaseline on my face because it felt soft and it protected my face from getting hurt when we took the mask off. But it was greasy and smelled weird!" ~Arii


"I felt that this project was weird because after Gabby put the first strip on my nose, my nose because itchy. My mask hides all my facial expressions that I show. My face reveals all my true feelings about others. Because I could easily just tell someone that I like them, but my facial expression shows how I really feel if I don't like them. The most difficult part about this project was to not laugh or smile. What I mostly liked about it was trying to wiggle my way out of my mask. I also liked how it shows every detail on my face." ~Shantae

"This project was fun. It was fun to put casting strips on our faces. The mask reveals what you look like. It hides your personality because behind it, people don't know what you're really like. The most difficult part about this project was staying still. What I liked the most was trusting the person with putting casting strips on my face. I like how my mask looks like me too. But putting Vaseline on your face was not the best because it smells! The part of my personality that my mask hides is that I like to try new things." ~Gabby

"This project felt very weird and strange because of what I had to put on my face like the Vaseline and the casting strips. This mask reveals me because I was like someone else, like it was somebody in me. It hides my true identity. The most difficult part was putting the casting strips on my face. It was very cold and wet. I liked this activity because once you get the hang of it, it gets really easy. The thing I like the most about my mask is that it's really cool, even though once you take it off you're a little sore." ~Justice

Co-Pilots

GRLZ 4 Change is spending the month of May focusing on transitions. The transitions that many youth at our club will experience as the club closes, as 8th graders move on to high school, and as military youth prepare to move with their parents' careers.

Miss Dani led an open discussion about this transition surrounding the topic of "co-pilots." Co-pilots are people that you depend on throughout your life. They can come in and out of your life, and be positive or negative or even both depending on the situation. Everyone has a core group of co-pilots, such as their family and close friends, that will always be there for them. As individuals go through different life transitions, sometimes new people will become co-pilots. Each girl in the program listed who their co-pilots were, and then shared with the group. Read on to see what they thought of the program and of their own "co-pilots."

"Co-pilots change because things change. For example, moving, fights, sicknesses or death can change your co-pilots. The best and most important friends stay in your life forever. So make good friends and find out over time who is the most important." ~Maria
"My co-pilot changed my life by helping me. They are there for me when I'm totally out of it. And they listen to my boy drama!" ~Heather

"Co-pilots change for a lot of reasons, one is because they might change. Then you might not like them as much. Also you might not be able to keep in contact, for example if they move to another country and you don't have a facebook and don't want to pay more. They make us feel special." ~Courtney
"Co-pilots can change. You might get in a fight and not be friends. They come and go. Having a co-pilot can change who you are." ~Gabby

"In your life you might meet certain people that will change your life. That's why they're called best friends forever (BFF), like if you think you're invisible they might be the only person that can see you, but that might change when that person leaves, but you have to remember that you will be that same girl that your best friend saw." ~Jasmine
"Friends change because they move and meet new people (especially if you're military). But there are a million other people in the world so there are many people to meet. People change for many reasons." ~Jahcianna

"To me friendship is important because they're always there for you, and plus they're almost like family to me. Even though they go to other people they will always be my friend because they're my friends. If I needed help they'd be there to help me. Elementary friends remain as my friends because we had memories together, always laughing and having fun. That's why my friends are important to me!" ~Jaimie
"Friendship is important to me because they're like family. They might come and go but they would make me laugh on my sad days. So that's why friendship is important to me." ~Caitlin

"Co-pilots are important if you did not have them you would have to think and do everything on your own. My co-pilot's name was Logan. She shared a brain with me, but I had to move. But I still know she is my co-pilot." ~Keonna
"Co-pilots are important to me because they have been by my side every time. When my friends move away, we would still be best friends. When some of my friends move, it affects my life because they are not coming back to visit and it means that they're in another new place." ~Amber

Glee Fans Gain Life Lessons

If you've ever been at the club on Wednesday afternoons, you'll likely find a group of youth crowded around the TV, with some even singing and dancing along to the Glee episodes. This program started back in March for anti-bullying month and by popular demand, we've continued it through April and May. Check out what some of the kids are learning from their favorite TV show:

"The episode we watched was about Rachel. She is getting her nose replaced and Curt comes back to his school. The Glee Club wore shirts with words on them that represented something they can't do or something they don't like about them self. Mr. Shue taught us to be proud of who you are. I learned to be happy about my self." ~Zachary P.

"In this episode Curt came back because the bully is now nice. The Glee Club had shirts that had something that they don't like about themselves. The show taught us to be yourself and be the way you are." ~Zepha

"This episode was about singing and accepting your flaws. It showed that everybody is special in their own way and I should be proud of who I am." ~Zeren

Makeup: To Wear or Not to Wear?

Last week the GRLZ 4 Change program learned a little bit more about makeup. The goal was to get the girls thinking critically about their own feelings about make-up, to explore appropriate makeup application for their age and to understand that there's a time and place for makeup. Program Assistants Bri and Dani made games for the girls and fun prizes included lip gloss and eyelash curlers! Read on to see their thoughts on makeup:

"What we learned today in GRLZ 4 Change was about makeup and our faces. My favorite makeup is mascara because it will make my eyelashes look longer, but I don't wear makeup. :) My motto: Keeping it simple will make you look pretty!" ~Caitlin

"Today in GRLZ 4 Change we got makeup and nail things as well and I had fun. I don't like makeup because it makes me look like a clown!" ~Jasmine
"I learned when to use makeup and how to apply it on my face. My favorite type of makeup is MAC. I like makeup because it makes me feel pretty! It's okay for girls our age to wear makeup because we are becoming young adults and we need to know information about makeup." ~Jahcianna
"I learned that there is a lot to makeup. I don't like to wear makeup though. People my age should not wear makeup because I think it doesn't look good. I had fun today anyways!" ~Gabby

"I learned that mascara and eye liner are the most important makeup! I feel that its good to wear makeup only to special events so that you look pretty." ~Arii