Civic Media Lab
Lights. Camera. Civic Action.
ʻŌlelo’s Civic Media Lab Honolulu empowers Hawaiʻi high school students through documentary filmmaking, media literacy, and civic storytelling. In partnership with the League of Women Voters of Honolulu, students explore issues impacting their communities while learning hands-on media production skills.
Watch Civic Media Lab Student Films
Explore documentary films created by Honolulu high school students through ʻŌlelo’s Civic Media Lab program.
Mental Health In School
About the Youth Civic Media Lab
For 21 years, ʻŌlelo has connected youth to local legislators through Youth Capitol Commentary. The Civic Media Lab expands this vision by inviting students to explore civic engagement through storytelling, documentary filmmaking, and community-based media.
Participants learn digital storytelling and documentary filmmaking techniques to address issues that matter to them and their communities. Students also learn directly from community leaders across Oʻahu about the many ways people engage in civic life and create change.
The program concludes with a Hoʻike film screening featuring students’ final projects. These projects may also fulfill senior capstone requirements. Each participant receives a $500 stipend, paid in two parts, to support active participation in the program.
What Students Learn
- Collaborate on media projects with fellow youth creators.
- Learn documentary filmmaking and digital storytelling skills.
- Explore civic engagement through real community issues.
- Earn a $500 stipend after completing the lab.
- Showcase final work at a Hoʻike film screening.
- Open to high school students on Oʻahu. No prior experience needed.
Civic Media Lab Hōʻike: May 8, 2026
ʻŌlelo, along with the League of Women Voters, celebrated the achievements of the first Civic Media Lab cohort with a Hoʻike showcase screening in the Main Studio.
Through their final video projects, ten high school students explored community work and democratic engagement by highlighting topics such as disaster preparedness, mental health, homelessness, and public transportation. Their work reflected the creativity, insight, and civic-minded storytelling fostered throughout the program.
Youth Civic Media Lab Updates
Camera Training: February 11, 2026
Civic Media Lab students completed their first round of camera training. Participants gained hands-on experience with professional equipment while learning framing, composition, and camera operation.
Community Organizing Session: January 21, 2026
Students explored self-interest as a foundation of community organizing. Each student reflected on their lived experiences, values, and motivations, and how these shape the ways they engage politically and within their communities.
Guest speakers from Hawaii Workers Center and Lāhui Foundation shared how working with directly impacted communities can lead to meaningful change.
Program Kickoff at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature
Students visited the Hawaiʻi State Capitol for opening day to experience government in action and learn how the legislative process works. Through a partnership with the League of Women Voters and Common Cause Hawaiʻi, ʻŌlelo’s Civic Media Lab helps students explore civic issues, understand the role of government, and learn how media can inform and engage the community.
