KAWAIHAE — Easton Chong, a 17-year-old teen who resides in Kawaihae Hawaiian Homestead, is one of 10 youth who received $10,000 Dreamstarter grants earlier this month.
KAWAIHAE — Easton Chong, a 17-year-old teen who resides in Kawaihae Hawaiian Homestead, is one of 10 youth who received $10,000 Dreamstarter grants earlier this month.
Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills announced this year’s recipients March 1. Each of the Dreamstarter winners will work together with a community nonprofit on a science or environmental project supported by Running Strong for American Indian Youth.
“Each year, our Dreamstarters inspire me with their incredible talent and limitless passion,” Mills said, who is Oglala Lakota (Sioux) from Pine Ridge, South Dakota and co-founder of Running Strong. “This class represents the next generation of Native scientists, environmentalists and water protectors. I believe in them, in their dreams and in the future they are building for all of us.”
Chong’s dream is to engage his community in traditional and sustainable practices of preserving the land and ocean. He will hold weekly activities and monthly community workshops, plant native medicinal plants to prevent coastal soil erosion and establish Hanai i’a (feeding the fish houses) to increase the fish population. Through his project, he hopes to foster thriving relationships between the community, Hawaiian culture and the natural landscape and train a new generation of natural resource managers.
Chong’s mentor organization is Kailapa Community Association.
Running Strong aims to give away a total of 50 $10,000 Dreamstarter grants over five years to support Native youth’s dreams for their communities. This announcement makes a total of 40 Dreamstarters selected so far.
