Sharing summer safety tips and connecting with Molokai keiki

Education and connectivity are crucial for keeping communities informed. Especially in a tightknit and local community like Molokai, educating our keiki can make all the difference.

In April, I had the opportunity to meet some of our power plant workers on Molokai, and attend the Molokai Keiki Earth Day event, held at Kulana Oiwi. This was my first time visiting Molokai, and it was a nice change of scenery from the hustle and bustle of Oahu. On top of that, there was a deep sense of culture and community.

At the Keiki Earth Day event, fourth graders from different elementary schools on Molokai were invited to have a day filled with demonstrations and fun hands-on learning activities related to our environment, ocean preservation, Hawaiian culture, and safety. When I arrived, I met up with Rhonette Poepoe and Kuhea Asiu, who are both public affairs specialists for Maui County based on Maui, and were our designated presenters of the day.

Rhonette and Kuhea talked to the fourth graders about electrical safety, energy saving tips, and career opportunities, accompanied by a demonstration board that made loud zapping noises as we went over the various electrical safety hazards. The keywords of the day were “conduit” and “lookup,” as Kuhea emphasized that our bodies, along with metal and water, are all conduits that allow electricity to travel. These tips are especially relevant for the summer season, advising keiki to remind their families to be cautious and look up before picking fruits like mangoes, flying kites, or cleaning pools.

“Educating our youth is important because they soak up this information and carry it home to their family and friends.” said Kuhea, reflecting on the day. “Children are important conduits. Educating people of all ages is important.”

Throughout the event, the kids were curious, excitedly raising their hands, asking questions, and interacting with us. Some of the tips that seemed to resonate with the keiki were related to “energy vampires,” as we explained that it wastes electricity when you keep appliances and phone chargers plugged in when they are not being used. Rhonette and Kuhea also noticed that the unique community and subsistence culture of Molokai shined as fruit picking was a very relevant safety tip, and the keiki still used the term “ice box,” an older reference for “refrigerator” that the younger generation doesn’t use as often on other islands.

The students rotated to our display in small groups, and at the end of each presentation, we also shared information about careers. We mentioned to the keiki that there are many different jobs within our company, along with opportunities for internships and hands-on learning right out of high school. One student even raised her hand to say that she would love to make videos, and ads, that get people to work for our company, and I shared that my department, digital communications, does exactly that!

“It’s good we were able to connect with everyone here. We haven't done much regular outreach on Molokai in recent years,” said Rhonette as we wrapped up the event day. “We need to malama the neighbor islands like Molokai and Lanai. You can really raise a family in the islands if you work for Hawaiian Electric, but you need to know how to get there. Plus, there are a wide variety of careers here, in addition to the more well-known positions like linemen and engineers.”

Summer isn’t just about extended vacations. It is an opportunity for the younger generation to explore their interests, try out summer internships, and find new hobbies. Our summer interns are starting their roles as we speak, and we hope that we can continue to ramp up our outreach and internship learning opportunities on Molokai as well. The power plant workers who I met earlier in the day were all local, born and raised on Molokai, including the newest intern who is a part of our Maui Power Pathways program in collaboration with the University of Hawaii, Maui College. They are all members of the community, serving the community by providing power to homes and businesses.

“The next generation is who we want to focus on if we want to continue the legacy of Hawaiian Electric being a Hawaii based company, made of people from the community,” explained Rhonette. “It is important to get them educated and inspired now.”