A colorful patchwork quilt, a compelling story on video, and a Salvador Dali-like painting with an image of powerful hands took top honors in a statewide public education campaign on reef conservation sponsored by Diamond Bakery, Education Works, and the
A colorful patchwork quilt, a compelling story on video, and a Salvador Dali-like painting with an image of powerful hands took top honors in a statewide public education campaign on reef conservation sponsored by Diamond Bakery, Education Works, and the Waikiki Aquarium. Winners were announced this week at a morning ceremony at Education Works in Iwilei.
Fished from a sea of over 100 student entries, the results demonstrate that despite school budget cuts, fervor over staff furloughs, and other distractions, the young people of our community know how to focus on an important issue when it’s presented in the classroom. Contest officials say their sense of civic and individual responsibility was very evident in the urgency and compassion expressed in their work.
The reef conservation campaign was launched two years ago by Diamond Bakery in a corporate mission to “share heartwarming aloha with the world.” Local schools were asked to submit essays, artwork, and student-produced videos that convey reasons that citizens should act responsibly on land so creatures are not harmed in ocean reefs. Taking a page from the movie “Finding Nemo,” the campaign was themed “Saving Kimo.”
“Each year the bar is raised on the quantity and quality of entries in our contest,” said Diamond Bakery CEO Brent Kunimoto. “It is hard to make a decision when so many excellent interpretations of the theme are presented to us. Clearly, young people care about Hawaii’s fragile environment.”
The award-winning art will be on display for public viewing at Education Works retail store in Iwilei throughout the month of December. Milton Ebesu, Education Works president, hails the achievement of instructors and students who worked as a team to come up with creative concepts about conservation and sustainability for Hawai‘i.
“We are seeing the results of dedicated, resourceful educators who know how to motivate children and instill important life lessons in the classroom,” he says.
Waikiki Aquarium Director of Community Outreach Marylou Foley adds, “This demonstrates once again that the Hawaiian cultural value of aloha ‘aina is not lost on this generation. It lives through our children.”
The winning entries earn a total of $5,000 at Education Works, Hawaii’s largest source of learning materials for teachers and parents. The grand prize was a $2,000 shopping spree, the second prize was $1,500 and the third totaled $1,000.
While all of this seems like it has nothing to do with crackers and cookies—Diamond Bakery’s main business—company CEO Kunimoto concludes, “Like our products, it makes you feel good inside.”
