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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 1021.002 2018-2020 3 Fr Noel Morin Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2020 11:41 AM COUNTY CLEM To: Council TestimonyCOUNTY OF HAWAITI Subject: Testimony in Support of Res. 700-20 RECEIVED Attachments: Keiki Heroes Summary - Hawaii Council Update 8.4. Date Dear Hawaii County Council Members, I'm writing in STRONG SUPPORT of Res 700-20 (AUTHORIZES MEMBERS OF THE HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL TO DESIGNATE A PORTION OF FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT FUNDING TOWARDS PROGRAMS/PROJECTS IN RELATION TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAI`I). Hawaii Island's residents continue to reel from o the impact of the pandemic. Support is needed on many fronts to mitigate the various problems that COVID-19 has brought (and will bring). We have the opportunity to prevent or PP y minimize the impact of some of these problems, and many in our community have stepped up to take action. There are now projects that are helping, many enabled by the generosity of volunteers and donors. In order to maximize the impact and efficacy of some of these projects, additional funding is undoubtedly needed. 3 I'm involved in one such project -Keiki Heroes (keikiheroes. an educationro rain that is tailored p g for Hawai'i's youth and geared towards addressing a critical gap - empowerment of oury outh with information on how to stay safe and how to keep others safe during our pandemic. A project of Hawaii STEM Community Care (histemcare.0m), Keiki Heroes has just started to deploy its first set of deliverables - posters and flyers that are now being distributed to our schools, libraries, retail stores, and health facilities. _._..._ ............ ------------------- KellaHeroes ,� Wear a Mask! . ......... Q-1 ' , f vilpifl 1 u nlu ' l fl::, lill1.l •1J71 iP /, f fill, � m ilk- -6; I ars r;;i n l t'Asq-r`r CS�t+ /ice,, Mahala to Our Cornmunih ��' ��nsorr Far nrcue in go to n`' ! Mrw1Kh74ihomu01C�nl:.',) Sample Keiki Heroes poster With so much information (sometimes conflicting) in the media, it's really difficult to make sense of what must be done to stay safe. This has made it confusing and frustrating for adults and it has likely introduced pronounced confusion, helplessness, and even fear in our keiki. The Keiki Heroes program intends to address this with simple messages that are grounded in community and compassion - 'take care of the people who take care of you" is a theme. As we ramp up for school openings, we expect that our program will help empower our keiki to be heroes at home and in the classroom. Comm.No 102 Ref.Date....0 C6 L=.",,iRef.TO: P I WACA Please support Res. 700-20 and projects like Kelki Heroes. Together, we can help our community through this challenging time. I've attached a program summary. This will also be shared by team members during the Council meeting. S incerely,' Noel Morin Kelki Heroes Project Team Member ........................--................. .................................................... I iNoell IM o rli'ri ibr�vtiqys to help.solve the clitriate crisis? • Leal-t-r abor.it ow-climate ct-isis and how to solve it at the Climate Reality ProLgct • (....`1-e)atP the oolitical will to si..ippott effective, bipattisan solutions!Join the Citizens'Climate Lgbby. Kick G�..is!Drive .......................................Electric. yg3 8 3 Keiki res August 4 2 g 020 Project by Ha wai`i STEM Cornm unitZ are PROGRAM OVERVIEW "Keiki Heroes"is a community education initiative for school health safety,focused on educating and empowering keiki to adopt healthy practices that protect everyone in the school setting and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Based on values of kindness and compassion, Keiki Heroes program aims to reduce the stigma of getting a COVID-19 diagnosis by reframing the narrative: keiki have the power to be heroes by practicing healthy habits and by telling an adult at the first sign of having symptoms. The basis of the campaign is empowering keiki to "take care of the people who take care of you." Community is an esoteric concept for keiki, but grounding the program in a sense of `ohana and friendship makes it simple and understandable. Keiki Heroes will provide simple, keiki-centric COVID-19 information,empower keiki to develop health habits to protect our community,and reduce the stigma for a COVID-19 diagnosis, Keiki Heroes will share messages through "Kai and "Hoku," two relatable characters to local keiki who model positive behaviors like washing hands, wearing masks or face shields, knowing symptoms, introducing the idea of a"personal bubble,"etc.They will also present easy to remember mottos and sing songs to enhance memory for younger keiki. OUTCOMES • Promote healthy practices for keiki (easy to understand and follow) • Empower parents and keiki to maintain normalcy(info and reduce stigma) • Increase awareness of COVID-19 symptoms and prevention practices • Attempt to limit community spread of COVID-19 and other viruses r'Ty {µ�yFy� Mli 1 M,wwwWwxnrn »•.J A i//�r i If rr•./ ' .yy4311y' J 4 er@ Now to, Kelki be Hero! i' ' Illi 1 wear �. the Bubble m �� 'NOC.7S17 youI' Shaka t0 hands .h say IV'I p,,�,yt 'a jllll Jl,� i u ll 911VOL f I Maha#D to OUr Communti sponror:, For more information go to ' A 1 f 1i� WWWJ eildheroas,orq s'r 1 HAWAI'l AND SCHOOL CONTEXT The start of the school year is bringing uncertainty to keiki and their 'ohana across Hawaii Island. There has been a significant effort to identify ways to keep students and school staff safe and healthy. These have been focused on social distancing and hygiene practices while at school.While there is an abundance of information for adults, the "Keiki Heroes" program seeks to address the vacuum of keiki-friendly information, images, and activities that educate and empower them to partner with school administrators,teachers, and parents to promote safety and health. Some of the COVID-19 symptoms for keiki are not very obvious or can be confused with other common ailments. Being unclear of how the disease presents in keiki will increase the likelihood of missing the early symptoms or confusing COVID-19 with any number of common childhood ailments. Critically, people who contracted the disease report a feeling of being stigmatized by the diagnosis (i.e., "what did I do wrong?"). Stigma already exists in schools with other conditions; every keiki knows who had uku first in the class before an outbreak. With the resumption of inter-island and mainland travel,it is inevitable that a keiki will be diagnosed with COVID-19.The stigma of being"the COVID keiki" may prevent students from sharing early symptoms with a trusted adult. The combination may result in our keiki spreading the virus at school and increasing the community spread of COVID-19.These are the issues that the"Keiki Heroes"program will address proactively. DELIVERABLES The program expects to deliver the following: • Relatable characters, stories that draw interest of keiki, relevant messages to reinforce healthy practices and best practices • Posters,flyers,stickers,activity sheets, and potentially other keepsakes for keiki • Website tailored to empowering keiki with info that complements distributed material • Info and resources for parents,teachers,and school administrators at histemcare.org • Videos, PSA,and press material for mass communication of key messages • Distribution of posters, flyers and activity sheets to Hawaii Island schools, libraries, retail establishments,and other visible locations • Social media campaign with messages of"How to be a Keiki Hero," empowering keiki to do what they can to protect themselves and people who care for them PROJECT TIMELINE August.,, • Create content(mascots,medical info, design of posters,flyers,stickers,activity sheets) • Develop community partners, funders, and organizations to plan distribution (e.g., Hawai'i DOE and private/charter schools, Hawaii Library System, Red Cross,etc.) • Launch program coordinated with the start of the school year • Print and distribute three posters,flyers and coloring sheets • Launch keikiheroes.org website • Design and plan press release and video new release • Plan and launch social media campaign and PSA September- October: • Track progress for campaign • Collect feedback from community partners • Identify any gaps or updates needed for a successful campaign • Second round of distribution of materials based on findings and COVID-19 update 2 3 'i • Create videos, songs and additional media content • Continue with social media campaign and PSA • Launch interactive app ORGANIZATION AND TEAM Hawaii STEM Community Care (https.-Ilwww.histemcare.org/about) is a coalition of local organizations, students, and supporters in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) community.The group is dedicated to providing innovative solutions to urgent problems on Hawaii Island as a public service. The group was formed in response to the COVID-19 crisis, specifically addressing the shortage of PPE (personal protection equipment) for healthcare workers and f rst responders. As of the end of July, the team produced, designed, and distributed over 2,400 mask comfort bands, 347 face shields, and 275 hands-free door openers. It has also built and delivered f sanitizing sprayers for ambulances, and is constructing N95 mask sanitizers for use by our fire i department. BUDGET AND FUNDING Keiki Heroes is supported by The Success Factory,Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope,Hawaii Science Technology Museum, and Waikoloa Land Company with start-up funds and in-kind donations. To date, Keiki Heroes project has received approximately$10,000 in financial commitment in addition to the many in-kind donations from printing services to design and PR expertise.The team is aiming to raise a total of $150,000 for the multiple phases of the project that will ultimately include an interactive website, engaging videos, songs, coloring competitions for keiki, and widespread social media and radio campaigns. KEIKI HEROES TEAM BIOS (First name alphabetical order) Christian Wong Christian is the Executive Director of the Hawai'i Science and Technology Museum which provides meaningful STEM education experiences for the keiki of Hawai'i Island through science camps, after school programs,tutoring,special events,robotics education,and exhibits promoting STEM literacy. He also currently serves as Fire Captain and Station Commander for Engine Company 8, overseeing HFD emergency response for the district of Hamakua. Christian serves as one of the HFD team leads for the County of Hawaii COVID-19 Task Force helping local businesses and organizations overcome the pandemic through interventions, PPE, and research and development. For the Keiki Heroes program, he will provide connections to the county's COVID-19 Task Force and other local organizations to develop partnerships,funding, and resources needed. Dr. Craig Burger Dr. Burger is a Board Certified Pediatric Hospitalist and the Pediatric Division Chief at Hilo Medical Center. With an interest in emergency preparedness and the arrival of COVID-19, he and his wife founded the"Blue Mask Project"to design surgical style masks with donated surgical wrap. He built a team through his alma mater at UH-Hilo to design N95 masks and face shields for community physicians. He is invested in helping keiki return to school safely both as a pediatrician and a father of a six year old about to start public elementary school in Hilo. Dr. Burger will ensure that the Keiki Heroes program's medical information and promoted health practices meet CDC and Hawaii Department of Health guidelines. Gail Takaki 3 Gail is the President of The Success Factory- NexTech STEM Programs and has a long history of dedication and service in Hawaii in the areas of STEM education promotion and economic development. Gail provides important connections to partnering organizations like Hawaii Science Technology Museum, Hawaii Community Foundation, and a variety of schools and educational organizations. She will be primarily responsible for fundraising and aligning distribution partners for this project.With her trusted relationships within the educational and business communities in Hawai'i, Gail will be connecting the resources necessary to ensure project success and sustainability. lake Au Jake is a Software Engineer major student at Drexel University and a Web Developer intern at Gum Design LLC. Since the COVID crisis, Jake has been actively helping schools and organizations transition virtually by leading and managing a NexTech Hawaii virtual camp,participating in virtual discussions with principals and teachers, and coming up with solutions for a range of engineering and software problems. For this project,Jake will provide graphic design,website/app development, and social media support while collaborating with local schools. Mary Beth Laychak Mary Beth is the Director of Strategic Communications for Canada-France-Hawai'i Telescope and has extensive experience in communications strategy, public relations, and project management. Mary Beth has also served many local schools in North Hawaii and regularly partners with school administration and teachers to enhance student learning and achievement. She will be leading the Keiki Heroes project by coordinating outreach to schools, project managing the design and production process for collateral and printed materials, developing partnerships, and fundraising. Noel Morin Noel brings a wealth of experience in technology,systems,product development,and leadership. He has volunteered with The Success Factory in various capacities and has been leading efforts to increase STEM learning opportunities for students in Hawaii. For this project, he will oversee the website/app development and manage the social media campaigns and track its effectiveness. Noel will also develop community partnerships for the distribution of content, PSA,and collateral. Rebecca Choi Rebecca is a community volunteer who has experience in finance, administration, education, and entrepreneurship. Rebecca has also supported The Success Factory - NexTech STEM Programs in project management and communications. She provides project 'management for Keiki Heroes as well as partnership development and communications support. 4