Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 4, 1 April 2011 — Hawaiian Ambassadors to Edinburgh [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian Ambassadors to Edinburgh

Last May students and leaders of the Nānākuli High and Intermediate School Performing Arts Center (NPAC) found out that they

were selected to attend the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. They knew that funding for the trip would be an obstaele, but last month through their hard work and many generous donations, NPAC finally reached their fundraising goal. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world and takes plaee every August for three

weeks in Scotland's capital city. Every year thousands of performers take to a multitude of stages all over Edinburgh to present shows for every taste. From big names in the world of entertainment to unknown artists looking to build their careers, the festival caters to everyone and includes theater, comedy, dance, physical theater, musicals, operas, music, exhibitions and events. NPAC's road to Edinburgh started by being nominated by Mr. Patti from Feeward Community College Theatre. Onee nominated, the school's director applied by writing several short essays and submitted other evidence of achievements. More than 2,000 schools were nominated, but only 100 schools were selected. The American High School Theater Festival (AHSTF) Board of Advisors reviews all completed applications and identifies the top high schools based on their most recent bodies of work, awards, community involvement, philosophies and recommendations. AHSTF Board of Advisors selected NPAC to represent the United States as part of the 201 1 AHSTF program. Being selected to participate in the Festival Fringe and being recognized as one of the top high school performing arts programs in the nation has reinforced many of the values that NPAC has believed in and has taught its students over

the years, whieh is that anything is possible through hard work, eommitment, teamwork and passion. The creation of NPAC grew out of the belief that

the performing arts would provide a positive learning environment to not only teach performance skills but also academic and positive self-esteem skills. NPAC also wanted to provide an alternate activity for students after school that is positive and productive. They weleome students in grades 4 to 12 from any school. Students need not audition to be

enrolled in their program and all students are cast in every production regardless of ability and experience level in the performing arts. Hearing these types of quotes from the students you see what a positive inhuenee this program has been for many of the participants: "Tlie program has given me more inspiration, more faith in myse\f, in my future. I want to strive for my goals ..." "For me, being in the performing arts program means to be in a plaee ofacceptance. It means I have a plaee to belong. ... Having joined NPAC, I was motivated, inspired anel leameā that there are better things out there in the world and I don 't have to let my past keep mefrom seeing any ofit." NPAC's impact will reach far beyond the Native Hawaiian students who will be participating this summer. The program represents the Hawaiian community throughout the State and the World, and is an immense source of pride for the Nānākuli and Wai'anae communities. This is a great group of Hawaiian Ambassadors that will greet the Edinburgh audience. ■ For more information on NPAC, please visit their web site at www. nhispac.com oryou ean contact Mn Robin Kitsu, its Director, at (808) 668-5823, ext. 256.

Cūlette Y. Machade Chairpersūn, Trustee Muluka'i and Lāna'i