Health and Fitness was the theme of the day at NHIS on April 18, 2017 as the annual E Ola Pono Health and Fitness Fair was held for middle school students.

The annual event in its fourth year, provides middle school students the opportunity to receive information on various health related topics presented by high school students and other community organizations in the A-building courtyard and library. Middle school students also have the opportunity to participate in various fitness activities that coordinators hope will translate into lifelong healthy lifestyles on the football field and track.

“E Ola Pono began as a culminating activity for our high school students that were enrolled in the health services program and has now trickled into a CTE showcase culminating projects of health related topics that the students have done. So we made it into a whole CTE health related event,” said Kainoa Hopfe, event coordinator.

Some of the topics presented by the high school students included CPR, Infant CPR, color blindness test, stroke information, first aid, and more.

Skyelar Malano, whose project was on Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) said, “The biggest challenge was preparing what we were going to say to the students. The best thing was being able to share information on STDs with the students and students saying I not going do it.”

Hopfe said, “Culinary Arts is putting together a healthy snacks kind of a menu. Agriculture is talking about how to grow healthy foods. A really neat project that came out of the Robotics and Electronics is they made a robotic hand that is supposed to assist someone who has difficulty with their hands.”

The fitness component is geared towards games and activities in trying to get students to be more active in a lifelong fashion.

According to Hopfe, the event is wonderful way to for high school students to demonstrate what they learned in their respective classes and teach middle school students on how to have a healthy and fit lifestyle.

“It’s evolved from just the health component to CTE as well as AVID students who are presenting their culminating project around health issues,” said Hopfe.

“It is a great opportunity for extension of their own personal interests and research topics. They do have that individualized choice on what they want to research and guide them in their career path.

NHIS would like to thank the following sponsors of this event:

UH-JABSOM – John A Burns School of Medicine-Staff & Medical Students
Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence
NHIS Nanakuli Pathways to Health program

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