Community invited to get involved in 3rd annual Amazing Shake Competition at Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School

Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School will host its third annual Amazing Shake Competition, where students practice manners, discipline, respect, and professional communication.

The high-energy contest, created by the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, will take place on Nov. 5. About 30 students from Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School will experience numerous tests and challenges as they interact with community professionals from local businesses in the “Gauntlet,” a creative course consisting of 10 stations.

At each station, students will have 60 seconds to provide their best display of charisma, confidence, poise under pressure, common sense, ability to “think on your feet”, eye contact, and handshake. After the Gauntlet, the top 25 will move onto subsequent rounds, which include “working the room” with executives and engaging in one-on-one speed questions for one minute with the judges.

The top students will be able to compete at the National Amazing Shake Competition in the spring at the Ron Clark Academy in Georgia.

“Through the Amazing Shake competition, I have seen many of our students grow so much. It highlights their ability to shine in ways that we take for granted and helps them to intentionally improve the soft skills that will help them to be successful adults regardless of the career path that they choose to follow,” shares Michelle Barber, Principal of Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School. “We hope to see other schools participate in future events like this so that more students on our island have opportunities like this.”

Partners in Development Foundation’s Piha Me Ka Pono program partners with eight schools in the Hawaiʻi Department of Education to transform the schools into hubs of community engagement through the Community School Strategy. The Community School Strategy connects students and their families with mentors, resources, and opportunities that help them thrive both in and out of the classroom.

“The Amazing Shake is a fun and memorable experience that enables students to engage with local businesses and organizations and develop skills to succeed in a professional environment,” said Arielle Sawyer, Community School Manager with Piha Me Ka Pono at Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School. “The competition also introduces the students to the networks, roles, opportunities, and career paths that they may not have been exposed to before.”

Piha Me Ka Pono and Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School are inviting community members to be part of this year’s Amazing Shake Competition. Volunteers are needed as judges in the “Gauntlet” round held on Nov. 5 and the semi-final rounds held on Nov. 13.

Donations of business clothes for the 4th to 8th graders are also welcome to help competitors feel confident and professional when they compete. Community partners like Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection Resort and Canada France Hawaii Telescope have contributed to past Amazing Shake Competitions by hosting the fourth and fifth rounds.

Those interested in getting involved and contributing to the competition, contact Arielle Sawyer, Piha Me Ka Pono Community School Manager at Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School at asawyer@pidfoundation.org.