LIHU‘E – Kaylin Kukino is the grand prize winner at the 14th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Poetry Awards on Kaua‘i. The eighth-grader at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School was named the winner during the presentation before about
LIHU‘E – Kaylin Kukino is the grand prize winner at the 14th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Poetry Awards on Kaua‘i.
The eighth-grader at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School was named the winner during the presentation before about 200 people Monday night at St. Michael’s All Angels Episcopal Church in Lihu‘e.
“I dream in the colors of a brighter day with no wars or fighting, and everything’s OK,” Kukino wrote in her poem titled “I Dream.” “I dream of no discrimination of your race or the tone of your skin, we will walk hand in hand, it don’t matter where we been.”
For her grand prize poem, Kukino received a Picasso print courtesy of Maui artist Peg Robertson.
“We are delighted to receive contemporary poetry such as this in our contest, said Melinda Gohn, coordinator of the International Peace Poem Project.
Gohn said there were 360 Kaua‘i students participating in the poem contest organized by the International Peace Poem Project, a nongovernmental organization of volunteers, including teachers and artists.
There were 57 student winners representing nine Kaua‘i schools with their peace poems in the contest. Each received a certificate and a poster of Dr. King provided by the International Peace Poem Project.
The competition is held to honor Dr. King, the civil rights leader who promoted nonviolent means to achieve social change.
