Oct 25, 2017 | Environment
Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology STEMworks™ Laboratory extends to the surf. Sixteen-year-old Maui surfer Annie Reickert explains this. “Mastering surfing is all about mastering science,” said Reickert. “You need to know how the waves travel across the ocean carrying energy as they go and how you can capture some of this energy to move yourself along. Whether you are surfing or body-boarding, riding a long board or whizzing on a skim board, you’re using cool science in a very cool way.”
Reickert has been surfing since she was five years old. Born and raised on Maui, she is passionate about being on the water and standup-paddling (SUP). Her connection and devotion to the ocean has led her to homeschooling so that she can compete on the SUP World Tour. Reickert has placed first in some prestigious SUP races including the Olukai, Paddle Imua, Women’s Open World Series Huntington Beach and the U-17 Battle of the Paddle. Most recently, in California, she took first place in the highly competitive 2016 SUP Santa Cruz Paddlefest. As the youngest member of the Naish Team riders, individuals at the top of their sport, Reickert’s future holds world-wide competitions including the 2017 International Surfing Association World Championship in Denmark and perhaps to be the SUP World Champion.
“I get up at 5:30 every morning and head for the water,” said Reickert. “After my training time I start school at 9 am. If I finish my schoolwork early, I head back to surf in the afternoon.” With an interest in Marine Biology, Reickert is motivated to do her best in school and surf. “You need both a scientific understanding and an intuitive understanding of the dynamics of the water,” Reickert noted. “A surfer wants to catch a wave just as it is breaking—which is when it has maximum speed. To catch the wave, a surfer’s velocity must be equal to the wave’s velocity, and then you feel the board being carried along by the wave.”
Science can explain most of the things you notice when you’re riding along on your surfboard. For example, the weight and dynamics of the board can affect any of the variables in your performance.
Annie Reickert, Professional Surfer, 11th grade
Oct 18, 2017 | Community
Keiki Cupboard, a nonprofit organization presently assisting 21 Maui schools, is dedicated to providing necessary school supplies and shoes to children who need them. There are many disadvantaged children with financially strapped parents who cannot provide the required items. The Cupboard, winner of the Maui Rotary Club’s annual Award for Best Vocational Service, believes that no child should lack the needed basic necessities for his education.
Countless children start the first day of the new school year without a backpack or the items required for their classes. “This is the young person who inspires and drives Keiki Cupboard,” explained the Cupboard’s Vice President Toby Neal. “We provide a storage unit or Cupboard, on each participating school campus, filled with items called for by the school. The school staff distributes the materials discreetly, without shame or red tape, thus preparing the students to meet their daily requirements. Moreover, the program not only helps students with basic necessities for class, it also improves their physical and social well-being.”
Neal, who is also a popular Maui novelist, continued, “My sister, Keiki Cupboard President Bonny Ponting, and I came up with the idea for Keiki Cupboard based on our experiences in Maui’s public schools. I was a public school counselor and my sister an involved parent. We both saw how many families struggled to provide their children with supplies every year. So, as not to burden economically strained families any further, we started a grassroots organization that does all the needed fundraising outside of schools.”
The sisters continue to be thrilled by how the community and businesses support them. “It’s a simple mission, and it makes a surprising difference,” said Neal. “It has amazed me how our all-volunteer organization has grown,” Ponting added. “It is a testament to the generosity of the people of Maui. Our goal is to be in all 28 Maui County schools, one Cupboard at a time.” To volunteer or make a donation, visit keikicupboard.org or call (808) 280-1021.
Anyone with a good idea can make a huge difference in his community and, through the internet, potentially change the world.
Toby Neal, Keiki Cupboard Vice-President
Oct 11, 2017 | Education, Stemworks
Graham DeVey recently retired from Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) where he worked as a program manager for their Women in Technology (WIT) Island Energy Inquiry™ (IEI) project since 2012. IEI is a professional development program for Hawaii STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) teachers to engage in rigorous explorations of real energy issues in our islands.
“IEI uses research-based techniques to guide teachers through the inquiry-learning process,” DeVey explained. “The curriculum is based on renewable energies prevalent in Hawaii, including solar water heating, solar photovoltaics, wind energy, geothermal, ocean thermal energy conversion, biofuels, and energy conservation and efficiency audit. In the workshops, teachers practice labs and activities using the latest Hawaii standards and energy data while learning how to implement this training in the classroom.”
Working with other IEI staffers from WIT, DeVey has trained 495 teachers during 38 workshops, representing 42,000 students of Hawaii statewide. “I’ve been very fortunate that our WIT courses attracted some of the best teachers in the state, and we’ve received ongoing praise from our teachers, who acknowledge that IEI has re-awakened their love of teaching,” DeVey noted. “Online webinars present teachers with the opportunity to share lessons learned and write reflections for their professional development credits.”
Julia Davison, Pukalani Elementary School teacher said, “The IEI program offers a great opportunity for teachers and students to learn more about sustainable energy use. It provides problem-solving and collaboration for designing an energy-sustainable future for Hawaii. This powerful inquiry-based instruction will help my students be successful in science, other academic subjects, and in their daily lives.”
DeVey came to MEDB with an impressive resume. He served as a Navy commander flying the P-3C Orion patrol plane. Later, he became Director of Engineering for Carrier Corporation’s Asia Pacific Division and Vice President of their Corporate Technology Planning Division in Syracuse, New York. After receiving an inner call to help young American students consider and qualify for careers in science and engineering, DeVey earned a Master of Arts in teaching and taught physics at Baldwin High School for 17 years.
DeVey’s goal was to make science fun for STEM teachers and their students. Most of all he was a great colleague and support.
Mapu Quitazol, MEDB WIT Program Manager
Oct 4, 2017 | Events, Innovation
The 18th Annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS), held on September 19-22 at the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott, brought together scientists, engineers and space experts from around the globe. Organized and presented by the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), the conference drew more than 700 participants from 16 countries for one of the top scientific gatherings in the field of Space Situational Awareness (SSA). With an exciting technical and plenary program and internationally known speakers, the conference looked at the future of SSA, including the nature of the market and balancing commercial innovation with national security and international relations. “The 2017 AMOS Conference served as a beacon to take AMOS into a new era,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “It transformed it into the instrument required to lead the space community towards a more inclusive world.”
On the last day of the conference, MEDB hosted 160 Maui County middle school students in hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities during Student Space Exploration Day. “Each year we see students’ creativity blossom as they solve engineering problems in this fast-paced, high-energy atmosphere,” said Mapu Quitazol, MEDB Program Director. “The event provides our students the opportunity to learn about the different careers and technologies available in the space field. This year, we were especially excited to welcome former astronaut Dr. Janet Kavandi, Director of the NASA Glenn Research Center, who provided a first-hand discussion of living and working in space.”
“Today I learned about the many jobs an astronaut does in space” said Amelle Andrew, Lokelani Intermediate School 8th grader. “In the exhibit and poster session, I enjoyed learning about the huge telescopes on Haleakala that track satellites, and the importance of adaptive optics and imaging to track space debris.”
Lokelani STEM teacher Iokepa Meno exclaimed, “Once again MEDB has brought together scientists, students and the international space community to learn and celebrate everything about space. Mahalo MEDB and AMOS organizers for inviting our next generation of explorers to this amazing conference!”
I learned about the properties of light used to study space objects at the Boeing exhibit and enjoyed meeting all the exhibitors at AMOS.
Amelle Andrew, Lokelani Intermediate School 8th grader
Sep 27, 2017 | Education, Stemworks
This summer, The Maui Farm staff participated as mentors in Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Women in Technology (WIT) STEMworks™ Summer Internship Program. Maui Farm, a nonprofit organization, has been offering an array of farm-based educational programs to the Maui community since 1993. “Our site is a wonderful opportunity for young students to learn the nuts and bolts of sustainable farming,” said Maria Leon, Maui Farm program assistant. “Our intern, Dian Taroma, a Maui High School junior, was able to practice sustainable farming techniques such as animal husbandry, natural pest control, plant nursery work and more.”
With Taroma’s help, in six short weeks Maui Farm reestablished their crop fields that had gone fallow. Together they dug and shaped vegetable beds, conditioned the soil with compost and amendments, sowed vegetable seeds, fertilized, and harvested healthy, organic foods. Taroma was part of the seed-to-harvest process. She also helped welcome 3 baby goats and 9 baby piglets into the world.
“On her first day, Taroma was very timid and unsure around the animals,” Leon explained. “After two-weeks of animal husbandry training she was handling these animals like a pro! She was responsible for feeding pigs, goats, chickens, and bunnies daily, cleaning their pens, and even helped to give shots and sterilize umbilical stumps on our newborns. Taroma mentioned she would be interested in becoming a veterinarian because of her experience at The Maui Farm.”
Taroma noted, “I performed routine farm maintenance and all tasks necessary to maintain a two-acre educational farm environment. As a versatile team player, I did physical labor while learning good communication skills with people along with knowledge of animal husbandry. I am grateful to the STEMworks™ program for the chance to understand the effort it takes to provide the community with healthy food. Knowledge of sustainable agriculture practices, organic farming, and permaculture design are important subjects for all Maui County residents to understand.”
MEDB’s STEMworks™ Summer Internship program is an incredibly valuable resource for our youth, especially as our island is growing and working towards becoming sustainable.
Maria Leon, Program Assistant, The Maui Farm
