Sep 5, 2012 | Innovation
Moloka‘i elementary, middle and high school students are on the cutting-edge of technology, thanks, in part, to teacher Kawika Gonzales and to grants from Maui Economic Development Board’s Ke Alahele Education Fund. For the past two years, Gonzales has been teaching the students computer-aided design in a weekly after-school program. Gonzales told supporters at this year’s annual Ke Alahele dinner: “Through your support this past year, we have upgraded our program of Google Sketchup to Google Sketchup Pro, not only for our island, but for students throughout the entire state.” He added, “Students are designing rooms, houses, objects, towns and even entire cities to scale!”
Gonzales said that this past summer he was able to teach a Google Sketchup class on Maui to middle and high school students from around Maui County. “Even as beginners, they were already making fully furnished homes and designing bridges,” he said. Gonzales said the Google program increases students’ engagement and makes learning exciting. “Learning about geometry, measurement and fractions becomes fun when we are able to work with programs such as those funded by this organization,” he said. “As an educator, it makes my job a lot easier when I have the right tools to expand our students’ learning.”
This year, the Ke Alahele Fund raised a record $338,046 at its annual dinner event held Aug. 18 at the Grand Wailea Resort. Gonzales said he would have not been able to teach technology without MEDB support. “I think my job is to give the students opportunities to use their gifts, their talents … I’m able to do that because of community support.” Having taught for 12 years, Gonzales said he has grown as an educator who started with producing and editing videos to developing the website for Kaunakakai Elementary School. He said he’s proud of how students on Moloka‘i are progressing. “They have a flair for it, a natural ability, a natural talent for technology.” For more information about MEDB and its Ke Alahele Fund, call 875-2300 or visit www.medb.org.
Aug 29, 2012 | Community
Maui High School senior Cyndi Segundo leaves home for college this fall, but sustains a strong desire to come back one day. “The Youth Alliance inspired me to return to Maui and give back to the community that has nurtured me since I was a small child,” said Segundo, a member of the Class of 2012. She spent four years participating in a wide range of activities with the Youth Alliance, administered by Maui Economic Development Board. “Youth Alliance has been beneficial to me because it helped me develop my leadership skills by designing activities that make me think, ask questions and find solutions.”
Youth Alliance members are encouraged to become leaders for change as they are guided by the Focus Maui Nui vision, values and key strategies for action. In her four years with the Youth Alliance, Segundo has interacted with the Maui County Council. She’s ridden a boat off Ma‘alaea Harbor to view whales and dolphins, taken an overnight trip to Hana and spent a day at The Maui News to see how the island’s only daily newspaper operates. “Each event is a learning experience,” she said. Youth Alliance Project Coordinator Willow Krause looks at what students are interested in and tries to coordinate community service projects and/or educational excursions that will empower them to engage in local events. This past year, students assisted with the annual Maui Food Bank food drive and they provided input at a community forum on revitalizing Wailuku town.
“Students should consider joining Youth Alliance because it’s a way to learn more about the community and what they can do to help,” Segundo said. “Each activity is directed by individuals who are successful in their own fields, which gives students the chance to work with professionals who are willing to share their experiences.” To participate, students must be attending school in grades 9 through 12; the program is also available for home schooled teenagers. For more information, contact Krause at 875-2432, or e-mail: willow@medb.org Deadline to register is Sept. 7.
Aug 22, 2012 | Community
The island’s indigent and uninsured are amongst those being encouraged to take advantage of free health screenings being offered by a group of medical professionals. “Early detection of medical issues can make the difference between life and death,” said Dr. Marcus Griffin, founder of a yearly free screening clinic on Maui. “We are concerned that many people delay visiting doctors because they worry about the cost of a check-up. Our free clinic addresses that concern. It will give people peace of mind and provide early medical intervention for patients who need help.”
The free health screening clinic is set 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Kihei-Wailea Medical Center in the Pi’ilani Village Shopping Center. The clinic will provide cardiology, pulmonary, dermatology, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, and general health screenings. Blood analysis also will be available along with X-rays, physical therapy, and massage therapy. This is the third year the Kihei-Wailea Medical Center has provided the service. More than 100 people have already taken advantage of the free screening clinics. “People without medical insurance are most at risk of delaying or even foregoing check-ups,” Griffin said. “We want to address that need. “It’s all part of wanting to help our community,” Griffin said. “Our medical center’s mission statement is: ‘Working together to care for our community.’”
The Kihei-Wailea Medical Center is located at the Pi’ilani Village Shopping Center, 221 Pi’ikea Ave., Suite A, Kihei 96753. For more information, call 874-8100. The free clinic’s participating providers include: Kihei-Wailea Medical Center, Clinical Labs of Hawaii, Maui Diagnostic Imaging, Bodies in Motion Physical Therapy, Premier Physical Therapy, Kihei Safeway, Maui Chest Medicine, Dr. Melvin Burton, Dr. Peter Muthard and staff, The Women’s Health Center of Maui, Dr. Benjamin Berry and staff, Aloha Eye Clinic, Dr. Jivin Tantisira and staff, Dermatology and Laser Center of Maui, Dr. George Martin and staff, cardiologist Dr. Howard Barbarosh and Erika Oleska, owner of Green Ti massage therapy.
Aug 15, 2012 | Education, Stemworks
Three months into the job and already Maui Electric Co. (MECO) President Sharon Suzuki has thrown her and her company’s support behind Science, Technology, Engineering and Math or STEM education projects. “Empowering our future leaders with strong skill sets in STEM-related disciplines is crucial to realizing our clean energy goals,” Suzuki said. “MECO strongly supports STEM-driven programs that engage and encourage Hawaii’s youth to achieve academic excellence.”
Suzuki’s remarks back MECO’s role as a principle sponsor at the upcoming Maui Economic Development Board Ke Alahele Education dinner. The event raises thousands of dollars to support MEDB’s STEM education initiatives. Suzuki said she and her staff merge science and technology, engineering and math to get their jobs done and provide the island its energy resources. “At the heart of our company is innovation in STEM applications that are foundational as we transition from oil to clean sources of energy,” Suzuki said. A graduate of Castle High School on Oahu, Suzuki is a certified energy manager with a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from California State University at Fullerton and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Japanese from the University of Michigan. Prior to becoming president, Suzuki served as MECO’s manager of renewable energy services and worked as its manager of customer service. At Hawaiian Electric Co., Suzuki was employed as the director of customer account services and manager of their energy efficiency program.
Hundreds of STEM supporters have already reserved seats at the annual Ke Alahele Education Fund dinner and auction on August 18 at the Grand Wailea Resort. Reception begins at 4:30 p.m. with dinner following at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the event, go to www.medb.org or call 875-2300. “The economic vitality of our Maui, Lana‘i and Moloka‘i communities determine the resiliency of our people. We believe in MEDB’s programs because they have proven results through young adults whose success is due in part to the opportunities provided by this organization,” Suzuki said.
Aug 8, 2012 | Education
Tom Norton inspires students intrigued by robots and colored plastic toy bricks to get them interested in the field of technology and creative learning. “You get ‘em hooked somehow,” said Norton, Lahaina Intermediate School’s technology coordinator. Norton exchanged his job as a math teacher a few years ago for his current role, taking charge of the campus’ technological needs and its teams of students competing in both robotics and the First Lego League competition. “It is something I enjoy,” he said. He said enrollment and interest in the elective technology class has increased from a dozen last year to about 17 students in just the first three days of this school year.
Norton said he’s received professional training and support through workshops sponsored by Maui Economic Development Board. Because of the MEDB training, Norton said he’s found confidence in his role as coach for the robotics and Lego League teams who have earned spots in state level competition. Norton has also been effective in providing technical assistance and guidance whenever his 6th, 7th and 8th graders find roadblocks in tasks such as building robots or competing with Lego pieces. “I think you’d have a greater dropout from the adults,” Norton said, had the technical support from MEDB been unavailable. He said Lahaina Intermediate also received money from MEDB to order the school’s first set of robotic equipment about five years ago, as well as funds to offset travel expenses for offisland competitions.
In his role as coach and teacher, Norton said he subscribes to the philosophy “to let the kids do the work.” He steps in whenever students need guidance or get stuck on a technical problem. “I give them a lot of leeway to succeed — and also make mistakes,” Norton said. He said while students gain a lot of skills in technology, they also learn how to work together and how to be creative on projects from designing contest T-shirts to outlining presentations for judges. “This is a perfect opportunity for them to explore.” Tickets for MEDB’s annual Ke Alahele Education Fund dinner are available by calling 875-2300 or go to: www.medb.org. The benefit dinner is set for August 18 at the Grand Wailea Resort.
