Central Schools Shine In ‘Olelo Video Contest

Four entries from Central Oahu video teams made it to the winners’ circle in the 2015 ‘Olelo Youth Xchange Video Competition, which drew a record 892 submissions this year.

At stake was a high-definition Sony digital video camera for the winning school in each of 44 divisional categories. Honorees were announced May 4 at an awards gala in Waikiki (and a live cablecast on ‘Olelo Channel 54).

Beyond the prizes and the glory, however, organizers of the 12th annual event said it’s designed to “give island keiki a voice to tell stories in a variety of video formats and about subjects that are meaningful to them.”

Among the winners are the following area schools, followed by category and title.

• Leilehua High School — Be a Jerk: Stop Underage Drinking

• Mililani High School — Meth: Not Even Once: Hawaii Meth Project

• Mililani High School — Traffic Safety: Never Too Late

• Hale Kula Elementary School — Taking Assessments Seriously: Do Your Best on Your Test

Area semifinalists were Mililani Waena Elementary (Water’s Not a Toy), Hale Kula (Everyone is a Pedestrian! Tips for Drivers), Leilehua High (Teamwork Makes the Dream Work and Man vs Teenager) and Mililani High (Preparing for the Test).