Maui Waena Participates in National Video Program

Maui Waena Intermediate teacher Jennifer Suzuiki at PBS Student Reporting Lab. Courtesy photo.

By Wendy Osher

A teacher from Maui spent part of her summer at a three-day workshop in Washington DC focused on media production and television broadcast.

Maui Waena Intermediate School’s Jennifer Suzuki was the only teacher from the state, and among 26 from throughout the nation selected for the Student Reporting Lab workshop hosted by the Public Broadcasting System.

With school back in session, Suzuki said work will soon begin on video reports to be produced by students focusing on immigration, poverty and education.

Finished videos from participating schools will be reviewed by the network, with a select few to air nationally during the coming year.

Maui Waena Intermediate teacher Jennifer Suzuiki working with students. Courtesy photo.

“The lab was part of an outreach effort by PBS to reach younger audiences and tap youthful talent,” said Suzuki.

According to Suzuki, educators will take what they learned back to their classrooms, including guidelines for broadcast television production.

Suzuki notes that Maui Waena is the first school from Hawaiʻi to be included in the nationwide program.

Suzuki’s students have won national and regional awards for video production, and were recently featured in the PBS student news program, “Hiki No.”

In addition to classes in news writing, media and computing, Suzuki also serves as an advisor for the after school Maui Technology Club.