The opportunity to meet new students, learn about Maui and participate in community service projects are all part of the experience of a Youth Alliance member. “It’s so much fun,” said Baldwin High School sophomore Chelsea Kau, who’s returning for another year. “I was able to meet a wide range of people and learn a lot about small businesses and how they impact Maui.” Kau said she learned the value of social media to businesses looking to promote themselves. “It was cool to see how owners and managers try to keep their businesses going,” she said.

Tyler DiGiulio, a Youth Alliance graduate now working for an air conditioning and refrigeration sales  company, said the best memory he has from the experience is learning about different facets of the community. “I would say Youth Alliance is a great opportunity and a good way to learn about the Maui community,” DiGiulio said. In his three years with the group, he’s been on a range of field trips from a local farm that grows organic plants to the Maui Food Bank which provides food for the island’s homeless and hungry. DiGiulio said the Youth Alliance experience helped him to become more comfortable in speaking to people he’s meeting for the first time. “In the beginning, I was a quiet guy. By my third year, my confidence built up and I started trying to get others to talk.”

Coordinated by Maui Economic Development Board, Youth Alliance is accepting new members in grades 9 through 12. The group expects to meet once a month during the new school year to explore different facets of Maui including cultural, business and civic sectors. Applications are due September 27. Call Willow Krause at 875-2300, or go to: https://www.focusmauinui.com/YA/apply/apply.cfm.