Civic Education Council

Introducing one of our 2023 interns, Gizelle! Gizelle is an 11th grader at King Kekaulike High School who is working in the office of Representative Mahina Poepoe.

This summer, Hema Kealohanuikaiama Watson ( & ) published an article entitled “My Time as an Intern at the Legislature” in . Read about this student’s experience as an intern for at bit.ly/KaLeoOHema !

He describes one “major highlight of the legislative session” as “being able to provide my manaʻo on SB2021, a measure that would increase the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ pro rata share of the Public Land Trust revenue. When I heard SB2021 was being considered by the House, I took action and made sure to write a letter to every House member to ensure that my voice (and the voices of my peers) was heard.

That turned out to be one of the best ideas because when the bill was being debated on the House floor, Rep. Daniel Holt stood up and used part of my letter in his speech urging his colleagues to support the measure.

It felt powerful to hear my words, to hear my name recognized, and to feel our collective voice expressed through my words and Rep. Holt’s ea.”

Follow us for more student voices at the capitol!



ID: At top left, a portrait of a high school student with ear-to-chin-length wavy-curly brown hair, facial hair, and narrow light blue eyes wearing a blue button up shirt; monstera plants and a jalousie window behind him. A waterfall in a forest as the background, ti leaves and other plants around; a light blue shaded rectangle with quoted text at right reading: “"It may seem easy to look at my progress and applaud it – or look at it and not care – but I am a Hawaiian. I am Kanaka Maoli, a part of the Kānaka Maoli, and a part of who I am lives in this lāhui. Furthering my studies and strengthening my confidence in running this system assures my success and therefore my people’s success. Hāʻawi aku, hāʻawi mai: What you give is what you receive." - Hema Kealohanuikaiama Watson, Grade 11 Hālau Kū Māna New Century Public Charter School.” Text at bottom reads “Read more at bit.ly/KaLeoOHema”

Teachers, be thinking about this opportunity and how you can encourage students to be more civically engaged. This session, starting in January 2023, is going to be really important in deciding the future direction of Hawai'i... we need the voices and insights of the next generation to help us improve our outcomes!

What is the legislative internship?

This program blends online and face-to-face civic curriculum with hands-on practical experiences in the legislative process. Students who participate in the program are paired with a legislator to observe, engage in, and analyze public policy-making. They concurrently engage in a rigorous and relevant civics curriculum that builds on their foundational knowledge of our representative democracy.

In other words, it is an exciting opportunity for high schoolers to work in the office of a Hawai’i State Legislator in order to learn more about lawmaking!

Stay tuned for more information on how to apply to the program for the upcoming legislative session.

Image ID: An orange rectangle at top with text that reads: “What is the Legislative Internship?” above an image of the Hawaii State Capitol - a graphic of a teen stands in front of the building with an arrow pointing at them and text that says “(This could be you!)” Below that is another orange band with the words “Stay tuned for more information re: applying for the 2023 session!”

Students! Teachers! Parents! Stay tuned!

What is the legislative internship?

This program blends online and face-to-face civic curriculum with hands-on practical experiences in the legislative process. Students who participate in the program are paired with a legislator to observe, engage in, and analyze public policy-making. They concurrently engage in a rigorous and relevant civics curriculum that builds on their foundational knowledge of our representative democracy.

In other words, it is an exciting opportunity for high schoolers to work in the office of a Hawai’i State Legislator in order to learn more about lawmaking!

Stay tuned for more information on how to apply to the program for the upcoming legislative session.

Image ID: An orange rectangle at top with text that reads: “What is the Legislative Internship?” above an image of the Hawaii State Capitol - a graphic of a teen stands in front of the building with an arrow pointing at them and text that says “(This could be you!)” Below that is another orange band with the words “Stay tuned for more information re: applying for the 2023 session!”