May 29, 2013 | Community
Young artists are being asked to add some pizazz to the front and back panels of new electric vehicle quick-charging stations being installed at Queen Kaahumanu Center. Sponsored by Hitachi and with assistance from Maui Economic Development Board, the art contest is open to Maui County students in the 6th to 12th grades. Deadline for submissions is June 1.
Artists can choose to create either one design that will go with both front and back panels or do two complimentary designs — one for the front and one for back. The front panel is 13.5 inches wide and 24 inches high. The back panel is 13.5 inches wide and 65 inches high. Artwork will be featured on the charger panels as a waterproof applique. The artwork medium needs to be graphic design — Illustrator or Photoshop. The submission format must be Adobe Illustrator EPS or Photoshop PDF, high resolution, 300 dpi.
Artwork should be original and positively represent Maui’s community, environment and clean energy. Examples of the charging stations can be seen near the main entrance parking lot at Queen Kaahumanu Center. Submissions should be emailed to Lesley Bristol at Bristol@medb.org.
Digital submissions are preferred, but mail or delivered submissions can be sent to Maui Economic Development Board, attention Lesley Bristol, 1305 N. Holopono St., Suite 1, Kihei 96753. The submission should include the student’s name, school, grade and contact information. Winning images will be announced June 15 at the Queen Kaahumanu Center. Winners will earn cash prizes worth $1,000 for first; $500 for second; and $250 for third. For more information, call Lesley Bristol at 875-2332.
May 22, 2013 | Education, Innovation
Baldwin High School Robotics Club members achieved their best season in six years, through hard work and community support, according to adviser Gary Suter. “We have a lot to improve on, but we learned that we can hold our own at the national level,” Suter said. As Hawaii’s representative to the FIRST Robotics Competition held in St. Louis, Mo., Baldwin was seeded 12th out of 100 teams in its pool, a spot that took them to the verge of competing at the highest national level.
Competitors in FIRST Robotics were given six weeks to design, build and program robots that weigh up to 120 pounds. The robots perform various tasks to earn points. In this year’s game, robots scored points for shooting Frisbees in or on various goals. They climbed rungs on a pyramid-shaped structure. Suter served as the adviser for Baldwin’s 22-member club. Eight students traveled to compete in the national contest. Senior Software Engineer Bob Brem of Boeing Company assisted with mentoring the students. Looking ahead to the 2014 contest, Suter said his students could use the expertise of a mechanical engineer as well.
Suter said he’s grateful to have Brem and Boeing, for their support, as well as Maui Economic Development Board, which helped make up a cash shortfall for team travel expenses. Family, friends and other individuals chipped in as well. “The community really stepped up for us. We could not have competed nationally without support,” Suter said. “MEDB made a huge difference.” MEDB provided more than $5,000 in support from the Ke Alahele Education Fund. Suter said the purpose of competing in robotics is to promote and advance high-technology skills. “The students get to apply science, math and engineering in robotics. It’s a real pressure cooker, but it’s also a very, very real world experience for them,” he said.
May 15, 2013 | Education
Shannon Rowe, a 1996 state auto mechanic champion and national runner-up, pours his time and energy into creating a new line of skilled students. “The ones who succeed are the ones who work hard and put a lot of time into it,” Rowe said. He and his Maui High School seniors Mitchell Borge and Lawrence Paet are heading this summer to the 2013 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition in Dearborn, Michigan. The competition fosters young people’s interest in the automotive industry through a nationwide contest that provides scholarships, tools and awards along with an experience that could help shape their future careers.
After 12 years as an auto mechanic at Valley Isle Motors, Rowe followed his retired teacher and mentor Dennis Ishii to teach auto mechanics at Maui High School. Through a county grant administered by Maui Economic Development Board, Rowe — who holds top level industry certifications — teaches and then coaches with the support of Ishii, who serves as a mentor partner. “It’s a unique situation. If we didn’t have the grant, the Maui High program would not have continued at this level today or it would have been severely diminished,” Rowe said. Under Rowe and Ishii’s mentorship, they’ve produced four state champions in the last five-and-a-half-years. The student auto skills contest is “a small portion” of what Rowe does. “Really it is more about producing skilled students. Hopefully they go on and make a career out of it and if they don’t, at least they know something about fixing cars,” Rowe said.
May 8, 2013 | Education
A Hana School project is helping students get in touch with ancient Native Hawaiian navigational practices while cutting their teeth on cutting-edge technology. The “Never Lost” project’s first phase is a blog-based curriculum in which students use the Internet to track the voyaging canoe Hikianalia, the sister ship of Hokule`a, as it makes the second leg of its maiden voyage from Tahiti to Hawai`i. The Polynesian Voyaging Society’s website will host the blog and data exchange. Supported by the MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund, students will develop science, technology, engineering and math skills as they take astronomical observations and use Hawaiian techniques for marine navigation.
Teacher Paulo Burns said he used the $5,000 Ke Alahele grant to purchase 10 Nexus tablets. “The students are using the tablets and really enjoy the ease of searching on the Internet and using some of the apps such as Google Sky,” he said. With the technology in place, students next year will monitor the Hikianalia’s voyage. “We will be monitoring their blogs as they travel and communicating with them via the tablets,” Burns said. “We will ask questions and analyze the data that they will be pumping out.” That data is expected to include waypoints, water temperature, wind direction and water salinity. With more than 80 percent of Hana school’s enrollment having either Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian descent, the project will teach students the navigational practices of their ancestors.
Paulo Burns, teacher at Hana School
Burns said he is “very grateful for MEDB supporting our students in Hana and the technology is currently being used to better their education as 21st century learners.” The 2013 MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund Dinner & Auction will be held Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Grand Wailea Resort. For more information, call 875-2300, or visit www.medb.org.
May 1, 2013 | Education
Geanell Bernardo
Students in the Focus Maui Nui Youth Alliance got a taste of government at work as they testified at budget hearings before the Maui County Council. “It was an amazing experience,” said Baldwin High School freshman Chelsea Kau. “It went pretty fast, just a few minutes but I felt good, like I was doing my part to make a difference in my community.” Senior Geanell Bernardo said she learned a lot about what it takes to advocate for funds. “The County Council members were really nice. At first, I found it nerve wracking, but then I got comfortable testifying in front of them,” Bernardo said.
Both girls asked for continued program funding. Youth Alliance members attend monthly events during the school year to explore and gain a greater understanding of key components in the Maui community. They also complete service projects, all coordinated by Maui Economic Development Board. “It’s both educational and enjoyable,” Bernardo told County Council members about the Youth Alliance. “In a way, this program has changed me. Without this experience, I wouldn’t feel like I could be a leader and make a difference in our community.”
Chelsea Kau
Youth Alliance Coordinator Willow Krause said the program is dedicated to promoting leadership and community awareness. “I am proud to see the students confidently express the positive effects that the Youth Alliance has had on their lives such as building self-esteem, meeting students from all over Maui Nui and learning to look at our island community in a whole new way,” Krause said. Kau added that aside from the Youth Alliance, she would like to see the County allocate more funding for programs that overcome drug addiction, educate high school dropouts, and support families in job and educational training opportunities. “It was really interesting to hear what’s going on in the county and to see what our community needs,” she said.
Young artists are being asked to add some pizazz to the front and back panels of new electric vehicle quick-charging stations being installed at Queen Kaahumanu Center. Sponsored by Hitachi and with assistance from Maui Economic Development Board, the art contest is open to Maui County students in the 6th to 12th grades. Deadline for submissions is June 1.
