Elijah Turner participating in a service learning project at Honokowai Valley with Maui Cultural Lands.

With a high school diploma in hand, Elijah Turner said he has the confidence to believe he can make a difference.

Elijah, 18, realizes he still needs more education to develop skills for a future career. But he said a Focus Maui Nui program, Youth Alliance, provided a foundation for being more involved and being a leader in the community.

“A lot of what the Youth Alliance offered was to encourage you to speak up and present your ideas, develop public speaking skills, people skills, leadership skills,” he said.

Elijah said it was all of the opportunities provided to learn about the community, the environment, businesses and government that built his self confidence.

He was among 32 students recognized at Mohala A’e, a program held on June 6 marking the “finish line” for the fourth year of Youth Alliance.

Jeanne Skog, president of the Maui Economic Development Board, said the Focus Maui Nui project aims at showing the youth of the community that they have a vital role in promoting the values that are important to them. Under the MEDB umbrella, Focus Maui Nui is a community participation project to encourage residents across the spectrum to be involved in planning Maui County’s future.

Youth Alliance is one component of the effort, bringing high school students from across the county for monthly projects designed to be both learning experiences and interactive participatory events.

Project Manager Barry Takahashi said Youth Alliance schedules at least one trip a year to Molokai or Lanai, to introduce Maui students to the communities that are part of Maui Nui.

That was one of the attractions for Elijah, who said Youth Alliance took him to places he had never been and had never expected to go. It was also an attraction for his younger sister, Tenajah Turner, a senior-to-be at Kihei Charter Public High School, who said hearing her brother talk about his experiences prompted her to join Youth Alliance.

“When my brother kept coming home and telling me about all the things he did, I wanted to join,” she said.

Youth Alliance members visit with Neida Bangerter (Shafer Gallery Co-ordinator) at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. From left to right, Ka'io Tubera, Elijah Turner, CJ Fernandez, Janelle You, Kristi Caberto, Tyler Yamada, Jay-Ar Alberto Jr., Jing Hua, Neida Bangerter, and Nerissa Imada.

Projects during the 2008-09 school year included participation in the Maui County Agricultural Fest, a behind-the-scenes look at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, exploration of a reef with the Pacific Whale Foundation and an introduction to operations of First Hawaiian Bank. There also was a visit to Kalana O Maui, the Maui County Building, and visits with elected officials and their staff to learn about what government does with the taxes people pay.

“We got to learn a lot about government budgeting,” Tenajah Turner said.

Elijah acknowledged there was one visit that fed his personal interests. A visit to the studios of the Pacific Radio Group provided a background into all of the elements that go into putting a voice on the air. He said he’s worked a sound board for his church public address system, but knew little else about broadcasting.

“I’ve always had the dream of being a radio personality,” he said. Now, he said, he understands what it would take.

Another senior, now alumna of King Kekaulike High School, Kaulana Ryan, said there was no single inspirational experience in her years with Youth Alliance, but she has a better understanding of many parts of the community.

“I wasn’t aware of a lot of what some of the companies on Maui do, like Maui News and Maui Land and Pine. Visiting the companies and seeing people working gave me more insight about what the companies are doing,” she said. “All the sessions were pretty informative.”

Understanding the community and how the elements of the community work are essential to being able to make a difference, Skog said. That is the goal of Youth Alliance in introducing the students to the different segments of the island communities and getting them involved in discussing how the components fit.

“They have learned how to make things better rather than just accept what they don’t like. Through Youth Alliance they can expect to be leaders for change in the community,” she said.

Joining Youth Alliance

Students may join the Youth Alliance program by applying with MEDB/Focus Maui Nui and providing a recommendation from a teacher or counselor. For information, go to www.focusmauinui.com/YA/index.cfm