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Keiki Caucus High School Internship

From September 2020 – May 2021, the Civic Education Council worked with the Hawaii State Legislature Keiki Caucus (KC), the Hawaii State Department of Education, and UH Mānoa’s Place-Based After-School Literacy Support (PALS) to create a High School Legislative Internship Program. The internship program is a unique educational opportunity that allows high school students from diverse backgrounds and communities from across all of the islands to have a hands-on learning experience in the legislative process and to bring their voices and stories into the Capitol. The design and structure of this program are grounded in previous work the Civic Education Council contributed to an earlier iteration of this program in 2014. We will be exploring the theme of “Place, Power and Politics” in this unique high school legislative internship. The purpose of the internship is not only to provide young people with experiences that facilitate understanding of how laws are made and the importance of participating in democracy, but also to create opportunities for youth voices and stories to become part of the conversations happening at the centers of power in the Capitol. Students will work with a host legislator and their staff while learning how to conduct research, track and analyze bills, and write bill briefs, will experience collaborative, inquiry based, and community-building discussions using the Philosophy for Children pedagogical approach to explore public policy questions with policy makers and some of the top civic educators in the state.

© 2025 by the Office of Rep. Amy Perruso

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