An investment in Hawaiʻi's future knowledge infrastructure

Across our islands are thousands of kūpuna, community leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, farmers, scientists, healthcare professionals, public servants, and cultural practitioners whose wisdom has never been documented. Their stories contain decades of lived experience, relationships, decision-making, problem solving, cultural values, and ʻike that cannot be found in books or on the internet. As each generation passes, this knowledge risks disappearing forever.

At the same time, Hawaiʻi's young people are searching for purpose, mentors, and meaningful connections to their communities. They represent the next generation of leaders, yet many have few opportunities to learn directly from those who helped build the Hawaiʻi we know today.

How the program runs

Each summer — and beyond — middle school, high school, and college students are trained as community interviewers and digital storytellers. Working through nonprofit organizations, schools, and community partners statewide, students schedule in-person visits and conduct a series of in-depth interviews with kūpuna and respected community leaders.

Every participating student begins by interviewing their own grandparents or family elders whenever possible. That foundational experience strengthens family connections while helping students understand their own history and identity. From there, students interview additional community members representing Hawaiʻi's many sectors.

A community nomination process

Residents across Hawaiʻi can recommend individuals whose knowledge should be preserved. Community organizations, schools, neighborhoods, and professional networks help identify elders whose stories represent important chapters of Hawaiʻi's history and future. This community-driven approach ensures that voices from every island, every culture, and every profession have the opportunity to become part of Hawaiʻi's shared legacy.

A permanent program, not a one-time effort

Like summer youth employment or summer recreation programs, the Hawaiʻi Living Wisdom Project engages new cohorts of students every year while continuously expanding Hawaiʻi's collective knowledge base. Each generation contributes new stories while preserving those of the generations before them, creating a living archive that grows richer over time.

Initial implementation is coordinated by Design Thinking Hawaiʻi in partnership with nonprofit organizations, schools, libraries, cultural institutions, and community organizations statewide.

The best time to capture a lifetime of wisdom is while the storyteller is still here to tell it.

Prepared with inputs from multiple stakeholders since 2022. Contact Ian Kitajima at ian@designthinkinghawaii.org to join the movement.