Hilo, Hawai‘i – April 7, 2016 – First Hawaiian Bank Foundation provided $5,000 to the Peer Mediation Elementary School Pilot Project sponsored by Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center, a Hilo-based non-profit that serves East Hawaiʻi.
“We appreciate your commitment to teach children dispute prevention and conflict resolution through peaceful means,” said FHB Foundation President Sharon Shiroma Brown.
During the 2015-2016 school year, over 100 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders have been trained as peer mediators at Hawai‘i Academy of Arts & Sciences, Kea‘au, Kapiolani, Keonepoko, Laupahoehoe, and Mountain View elementary schools.
“I am proud to be a Peer Mediator because I get to help people,” shared Indeya Ogo-Gilbert, a fifth grader at Keonepoko Elementary School. “I need to think before I speak because I’m setting a good example. I need a win-win solution. You need to be trustworthy and able to keep things private. I became a better listener because of my training.”
Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center’s mission is to empower people to come together–to talk and to listen, to explore options, and to find their own best solutions. For more information, contact Julie Mitchell, Executive Director, (808) 935-7844, Ext. 5 or visit their website
