Teenagers on Hawaiʻi Island are about to turn their media skills into actual paychecks. CREATE Hawaiʻi, billed as the state's first youth apprenticeship in creative media, will launch at Kealakehe High School in Kailua-Kona under the leadership of ʻEwalu Industries with seed funding. Backed by a $200,000 award from the Harold K. L. Castle Foundation, the program walks students from a junior-year pre-apprenticeship into a competitive, paid senior-year placement that blends classroom credit, industry credentials, and real client work.
Pilot, partners and funding
The $200,000 grant is set to cover program coordination, student stipends, and training, and will support an inaugural cohort of eight students, as reported by Maui Now. CREATE Hawaiʻi will roll out first on Hawaiʻi Island through a partnership with Arizona State University, Kealakehe High School, and Nā Leo TV, with an eye toward expansion to Kauaʻi. Students start in a junior-year pre-apprenticeship, then advance to paid, mentored client projects in their senior year.
What students will earn
Participants will pick up college credit, industry certifications, and real-world production experience, including a Business Leadership Certificate issued through Arizona State University, according to ʻEwalu Industries. Graduates are expected to leave with a professional portfolio and on-the-job references designed to help them jump into media, marketing, and design careers or continue their education. "We are extremely grateful for the continued support of the Harold K. L. Castle Foundation as we build a sustainable youth workforce pipeline," Program Manager Lina Mochizuki said in a news release on the lead organization’s website.
Info session and next steps
Neighbors and interested families can get the full rundown at a free informational session this Thursday, April 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. (with the program starting at 5:30 p.m.) at Nā Leo TV’s Kona studio. Organizers are asking attendees to RSVP at the program link. As Maui Now notes, the long-term vision is to scale a federally recognized apprenticeship pathway that can be copied across islands. Nā Leo TV will handle technical training and mentorship during the pilot.
Why this matters
Youth apprenticeships mix paid on-the-job learning, employer-informed coursework, and mentoring, a model that the Harold K. L. Castle Foundation backs through its Hawaii Youth Apprenticeship Network, according to materials from the Harold K. L. Castle Foundation. For rural communities in Hawaiʻi, that approach is meant to keep young talent on-island while giving students marketable skills and local employers a homegrown pipeline of trained workers. Organizers say CREATE Hawaiʻi will test whether a creative media-focused apprenticeship can be scaled statewide and eventually earn formal apprenticeship recognition.
