Saturday, May 4, 2024
Every year, PAAC challenges its clubs to set goals related to participation, community impact, and reporting. The Distinguished Club Awards are an opportunity to recognize clubs that have not only met those goals, but have also demonstrated a commitment to both learning and living the UNSDGs that act as the pillars of the PAAC mission.
In our rubric of deciding which clubs qualify for this honor, the PAAC team prioritized three categories of evaluation: Service Projects, SDG Curriculum learning, and Program Participation. Clubs that reach any one of the three tiers receive awards for their passion and achievements. This is not a ranking of the "best" clubs; rather, we hope clubs will work together in a spirit of friendly competition and collaboration to reach their club goals.
We appreciate your curiosity and dedication to the local and global community. 
Following review of each clubs’ reported activities based on these criteria, the following schools have been identified as eligible for Distinguished Club Awards in the current academic year.
Gold Clubs:
Advisor- Shiloh Francis
- Co-Presidents - Sophia Findley & Isabella Na
- Secretary- Raegan Hunt
- Communications Manager- Xyandri Ortiz
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Project Manager- Arianna Romualdo
Fourteen students joined PAAC for the fall Global Vision summit centered on Nuclear Diplomacy and four teams from HTA participated in Academic WorldQuest this year.
The HTA club completed three newly created Japan themed SDG lessons. Club members learned and reflected on topics of waste management, poverty, and homelessness in Japan.
Taking further inspiration from this year’s country of focus, the HTA club chose to take on the challenge of folding Paper Cranes for Peace as one of their three total GAPs. Over the course of the school year, club members worked towards folding 2000 paper cranes- having donated 1000 to Pearl Harbor this past April and with plans to deliver and donate the remaining cranes to the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima, Japan.
For their other service projects, the HTA club organized the 4th Annual Collection Drive for Child & Family Service and a Book Collection Drive for Honu Free Library. Through the Child & Family Service Collection drive, students were able to collect 400 donation items. The Book Collections drive aided the Honu Free Library in expanding their K-5 literature selection for elementary students.
Club members have also aided the Kindergarten Zoo Collection drive, as well as created a Palestine PSA video to inform students of the current conflict in Gaza and tie in relevant SDGs.
A hui hou to our senior officers Sophia and Raegan! We will miss you. 
Advisor- Alden Watts
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Co-Presidents- Hannah Moses & Julie Wong
The Priory PAAC club identified five UNSDGs that they wished to tackle over the school year: SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), & SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Club members studied SDGs 4, 14 , & 13 via lessons from our virtual curriculum suite.
In response to learning all five SDGs, they completed four total community projects. To kick off the academic year, club members began a community garden and partnered with first grade students within their school to plant and harvest produce. Next, PAAC club members undertook management of a Sustainable Textbook Station in their school library to collect and share used/donated textbooks. They also introduced a new bike rack to their school’s campus in an effort to promote the use of sustainable transportation options among their peers. For their final service project of the year, club members volunteered at Ka Papa Loʻi ʻO Kānewai on UH Campus, using the workday to bond and gain insight on Native Hawai'ian irrigations systems.
The Priory PAAC club undertook many additional SDG focused activities, such as hosting exchange student presentations with their peers from the International Hospitality Center (bringing further attention to SDG 4) and inviting guest speakers to present on climate adaptation and food security.
The Priory Club identified their key takeaways from the Global Vision Summit to be an improvement in public speaking and communication skills. They reflected fondly on their team's participation in WorldQuest and expressed their hope to have more club members compete next year.
A hui hou to our senior officers Julie and Hannah. We will miss you!
Advisor: Jasmine Ortogero
- President- Bayli Sober
- Vice-President- Gwendalyn Dale
- Secretary/Treasurer- Chloe McKee
- Communications Manager- Marcella Beschen
This year, the Waialua PAAC club directed their interests and service efforts towards UNSDGs 6 (clean water and sanitation) & 7 (affordable and clean energy). Their studies were reflected in the three main GAPs they planned this year. In the fall, they organized a beach cleanup at Ka’ena Point and participated in several other beach clean-up days hosted by different organizations across Oahu.
For their second service project, club members worked to weed invasive plants and replant healthier species at the Kōkua Learning Farm. This project encouraged students to become more interested in growing organic foods and helped them learn about the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy ʻāina. Students completed their final GAP by volunteering at Loko Ea fish pond in Haleiwa where they continued the work of combating invasive plant species learning about indigenous agricultural/lifestyle systems in Hawai’i.
Their interest and work with the SDGs manifested in several other community activities, one example being their plans to co-create a mural with their school’s Ecology Club. The mural will be made with the plastics that students collected during their beach clean-ups. They also challenged themselves to apply what they learned as a team at this year’s WorldQuest Competition.
A hui hou to our senior officer Gwendalyn. We will miss you!
Advisors: Reid Hayes, Ian Earle, & Debbie Millikan
- Co-Presidents- Emma Crago, Sabina Funasaki, & Shen Kellogg
- Secretaries- Athena Mori & Sam Barringer
The Punahou PAAC club spent a great deal of their year exploring the SDG curriculum suite. They completed five lessons that covered at least 7 different SDGs, and spanned topics ranging from safe labor to equity and infrastructure. The lessons left students with the main takeaways that the issues they explored were more complex than they initially seemed and still required a great deal of work to be resolved. However, they were inspired to seek out ways they can get involved in combating similar issues within their own communities.
They also worked to complete two service projects. The first was a Hamakua Marsh Restoration work day during which they collaborated with a PAAC club from another school(Roosevelt High). For their second project, they organized a Clothing Drive and exchange within their school community. They found both projects fulfilling and look forward to the possibility of operating the clothing drive on a larger scale next year.
In reflecting on their participation in the Global Vision Summit and the WorldQuest competition, club members expressed joy at being exposed to topics that normally aren’t covered in their high school curriculum. They were also grateful for the chance to explore these topics collaboratively and were inspired by diverse perspectives.
A hui hou to our senior officers Emma and Sabina! We will miss you!
Advisor: Elizabeth Shiraki
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President- Marc Russell Garcia
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V-President- Jamir Ace Raquino
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Secretary- Aiysis Mariano
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Treasurer- Ma Khassandara Cabuyao
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Co-Public Relations- Abcde Tolu & Francine Jimenez
The Farrington PAAC Club took time to study SDGs 13 (Climate), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), & 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities) through the completion of the new Japan-themed SDG lessons. They applied part of what they learned in planning their service projects.
The first issue they chose to tackle was the Maui Wildfire Crisis. They have organized a jewelry-selling fundraiser that has spanned several days, and thus far have successfully raised almost $500 to be donated in full to Lahaina support organizations. Their second and third projects involved volunteering as pacers during the relaunch of the annual Kalihi Christmas Parade and organizing an Earth Day clean-up at the park and beach of Sand Island.
Besides making notable impacts to their community, the Farrington PAAC club members displayed enthusiasm en masse during GVS and WorldQuest, sending almost a dozen students to each event. Be it in service or programming, Farrington has been successful in filling the room!
A hui hou to our senior officers Jamir, Aiysis, Ma Khassandra, Francine and Abcde. We will miss you!!
Advisor: Noah Kawano
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Co-Presidents- Gen Minakami & Micah Salvatera
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Secretary- Emily Kawamura
The Roosevelt PAAC club took advantage of many new programs and initiatives this year. They spent some time working through the three Japan-themed SDG lessons and studied a fourth lesson that focused on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). Club members took inspiration from these lessons to identify issues they wished to tackle for the service projects.
In the fall, club members collaborated with the Punahou PAAC club to participate in a Hamakua Marsh restoration work day. For their next service project, they participated in their school’s JROTC Easter Fair. Students created a game booth and sold products to raise donations for the Hawai’i Food Bank, a plan they made in reflection of their takeaways from completing the Zero Hunger SDG lesson.
The Roosevelt PAAC club has also displayed strong leadership this year. Their officers made the most of their presence at workshops to set goals and successfully network with their peers.
Silver Clubs:
Advisor: Justin Brown
- President- Mei Kanada
- Vice-President- Anna Payesko
- Secretary- Kayla Robertson
- Treasurer- Williene Cruz
- Officers- Eric Gee, Cameron Connery, Coree Kobayashi, & Luke Gee
The Kealakehe PAAC Club blazed brightest in their program participation this year. This club shares time participating in other complimentary extracurriculars such as Model UN activities and Robotics. Their members demonstrated this competitive prowess and academic drive during their participation in our Global Vision Summit and, particularly , during the WorldQuest competition. This club produced not only the 1st place-winning team of the state for Academic WorldQuest but also the top three highest-placing teams in Hawai’i County.
This club also played to their strengths in their approaches to SDG learning and GAPs. Foregoing the conventional SDG lesson format, officers led a club-wide SDG project in which each member created and presented an infographic or video about the SDG of their choosing.
For their GAP, they hosted a Civic Engagement and Policy Forum including 40 participants from different schools across their district. The Forum educated youth on diplomatic discourse and procedures for resolving various political issues. They also collaborated with the Konawaena PAAC club in a recent service project at Ohia Ridge Farms to weed invasive species and do replanting.
A hui hou to our senior officers Eric, Mei, Coree, Kayla, and Anna. We will miss you!!
Advisor: Viviana Martinez
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President- Moises Salazar
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Vice-Presidents- Lisa Mauricio & Izzy Pimentero
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Secretary- Lehua Norris
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Treasurer- Gaiya Wilms-Paul
This year, the Konawaena PAAC Club worked hard to build community within their club, organize impactful service, and give their all in program participation. Club Officers succeeded in expanding club membership, even recruiting many of their underclassmen to join teams for this year’s WorldQuest competition. This club also created their own SDG lesson on the topic of Houselessness and its connections to goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health & Well-being), 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation).
Most notable was the Konawaena club's service project planning. Their first project was the Maui Strong Fundraiser, a prolonged undertaking that saw club members make, sell and distribute goods to raise money in support of the Maui cause. Through this GAP, they raised a donation of almost $400. They also recently collaborated with the Kealakehe PAAC club in a service project at Ohia Ridge Farms to weed invasive species and plant indigenous ohia trees.
A hui hou to our all senior officer crew Moises, Lisa, Izzy, Lehua and Gaiya. What will we do without you?!
Advisor: Carl Sabatino
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President- Vivienne Hill
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Vice-President- Andy Errico-Huttler
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Secretary- Julian Hill
The Waldorf PAAC Club spent this year exploring topics within the SDG curriculum suite and pursuing several service projects. They completed lessons on topics ranging from Waste and Renewable Energy to Women in Governance and Equitable Healthcare.
They undertook two service projects, the first being the creation and presentation of a Legislative Involvement lesson for the HWS Middle School Program. Their goal was to make the basics of government/legislature easier to understand and more accessible. Their second service project was a volunteer day with Aloha Harvest in late celebration of Earth Day.
With enthusiastic leadership and ambitious plans for their humble size, Waldorf PAAC has continued to demonstrate that they are a club that is tiny but mighty!
Advisor: Belinda Toyama
- President- Sarah Wells
- Vice-President- Olivia Treme
- Secretary- Zachary Tovar
- Historian- Hudson Kobayashi
- Outreach Coordinator- Laila Harrington
The Moanalua PAAC club made detailed plans for which SDGs they wanted to focus on this year and how to incorporate their interests into a service. They explored lessons from the SDG curriculum suite that covered Responsible Consumption and Production and examples of Waste Management in Japan. The lessons helped students to reflect on their own material footprint and brainstorm related issues they could tackle within their community.
With their service projects, the club members chose to narrow in on goals 14 (Life Below Water), 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), 15 (Life on Land) & 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities). The project they took the most fulfillment in completing was the Ala Wai Genki Ball project hosted by the Waikiki Community Center. Club members worked to create Genki balls, which are used as a natural measure to promote healthy water in the Ala Wai Canal and other natural systems that have grown polluted from neglect. This PAAC Club is also working to collaborate with their community’s Garden Club to set a day for garden cleanup and maintenance.
The biggest takeaway for the students of this club was their pride and enjoyment in finding projects that made a direct impact on their lives and community.
A hui hou to our senior officers Sarah and Olivia. We will miss you!
Bronze Clubs:
Advisor: Laila Popata
- President- Lilinoe Quitazol
- Vice-President- Anna Pierce
- Treasurer- Keona Long
- Secretary- Magnolia Padgett
- Social Media/Publicist- Zahra Fernando-Bell
This PAAC club has been focused on channeling their exploration of the UNSDGs into their passion for reading and literature. This dynamic inspired the service project they pursued this year, which was a month-long Book Drive to collect donations of used books. Their next step includes redistributing the books to their community!
They have also experimented to find the right balance of leadership and participation in PAAC programs that works best for their clubs’ unique style. Two of their officers participated as Media Stakeholder representatives during our fall Nuclear Diplomacy Summit, and they shared their reflections on the experience with fellow club members. While they were unable to join WorldQuest, they are determined to get a team together early next year!
A hui hou to our senior officer Keona. We will miss you!
Advisor: Chase Sumida
- President- Sarah Ogino
- Vice-President- Jayden Tran
- Secretary- Isabella Leonardo
- Treasurer- Ivan Tse
- Historian- Bodhi Mylett
The Kalani PAAC club is newly budded this year. They have primarily been focused on building community and attending PAAC events. Under the extraordinary leadership and initiative of their founding officers, recruitment has yielded membership expansion to over 20 members. The Kalani PAAC club also took on the challenge of competing in this year's WorldQuest competition. As first-time participants, they impressed all by placing 2nd in the state! (photo)
Despite their busy success building the club from the ground up, this club even managed to complete two of the Japan-themed SDG lessons and organize one service project. Taking inspiration from their sister clubs and PAACʻs country of focus for the year, Japan, they took on the 1000 Cranes for Peace challenge. We look forward to seeing the finished donation soon!
Mahalo nui loa to the community of PAAC Clubs across the state. We are grateful for each student, each teacher and action you take to make the world a better place!