Feb 15, 2017 | Education, Innovation, Stemworks
The Maui League VEX IQ Robotics finals took place on Saturday January 28th at Lokelani Intermediate School in Kihei. The Teamwork Champion Award went to Pukalani Elementary School team 10704B and Maui Preparatory Academy team 10528B. Both teams, along with Pomaikai Elementary School, qualified for the State/Regional VEX IQ Challenge on February 20, 2017 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. These Maui students continue to spend countless hours designing, building, programming and testing their robots with hopes of advancing to the 10th VEX Robotics World Championship on April 19-25, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky.
The VEX IQ Challenge is played on a 4’x8’ rectangular field. Two robots compete in the Teamwork Challenge as an alliance in 60-second teamwork matches, working collaboratively to score points. Teams also compete in two additional challenges. The Robot Skills Challenge requires each robot to take the field under driver control. The Programming Skills Challenge requires each robot to score points without any driver inputs. The object of the game is to attain the highest score by accumulating Hexballs in their color-coded zones and goals and by parking and balancing robots on the bridge.
For over a decade, the MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund of Maui Economic Development Board, fueled with the generous support from numerous community businesses and individuals, has been empowering Maui County students to compete in the VEX IQ Challenge and First® Robotics Competitions. “MEDB is thrilled to see the excitement of our Maui County students as they experience the Maui League competitions,” said Isla Young, WIT K-12 STEM Director. “As we continue to engage our students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education, robotics is one example that brings together critical thinking, teamwork, and research.”
“If it weren’t for MEDB, Pukalani Elementary School would not have this incredible Robotics program,” said Jasmine Domingo, Pukalani Robotics Coach. “Alongside their STEM education, the students are building leadership and problem-solving skills. I’m so proud of them!”
I love that there are always new things to learn at the competitions, such as how to improve programming of robots. Also, I enjoy working with my teammates and students from other schools.
Josie Vierra, Pukalani Elementary School 4th Grader
Feb 8, 2017 | Community
Text the Word CFCONNECT to 22333
Maui Waena Intermediate School, a participant in the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) Women in Technology (WIT) STEMworks™ AFTERschool program, recently won Best in State in the Verizon Innovative Learning App Challenge. This competition was created by Verizon to encourage students from across the country to create an idea for a problem-solving app. “Our STEMworks™ team created an app, CFConnect, that would allow people with cystic fibrosis (CF) to communicate directly with their doctors, other patients, and to keep track of their daily pulmonary health,” said Jennifer Suzuki, Maui Waena STEMworks™ teacher. “The students came up with CFConnect to assist their teammate, Ethan, who has CF. The app could also help thousands of people worldwide get information, feel connected and monitor their own health.”
The Maui Waena app was voted best among all the middle school entries in Hawaii. They won a $5,000 award from the Verizon Foundation for their school, besides tablets for each student team member. They are currently in the running for the Fan Favorite App Challenge Award, and need you to text your vote! The Fan Favorite Award was created to give the community an opportunity to show their support for student innovation in developing app concepts that address societal issues.
“This means we could win an additional $ 15,000 dollars for the school,” Suzuki explained. “Additionally, the students will receive the chance to build their concepts into working apps with MIT Media Laboratory experts and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) Conference in Orlando, Florida in June 2017.
“To win, our team needs help from everyone in the community,” said Suzuki. “Our concept needs to get the most votes. You can help us win by texting to number 22333 and entering the word: CFCONNECT by February 14, 2017. Please ask everyone you know that can help our team win. It is our chance to really support our students!”
Voting is quick and easy! Please text the school’s code CFCONNECT to 22333.
Ethan, Waena Intermediate School student and CFConnect App team member
Feb 1, 2017 | Events, Small Business
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) proudly presents TWO power-packed workshops for entrepreneurs. As part of MEDB’s Startup Weekend Maui Series, these must-attend sessions will help you jumpstart your new business or fine-tune your existing business.
Pinching Your Pennies: Finance for Entrepreneurs
Thurs., February 9, 2017 • 5PM – 8PM
Learn how to run your business more profitably and avoid mistakes that cause businesses to fail.
Business Model Canvas & Lean Startup Overview
Wed., February 15, 2017 • 5PM – 8PM
The business model canvas is an important tool that people can use to help bring clarity to the question, “How will my business succeed?”
Details and registration
WHERE: MEDB’s Malcolm Center
1305 N. Holopono St., Suite 5, Kihei
COST: $25 per person per workshop
Dinner provided. Reservations required, space is limited.
To register for these workshops, visit http://bit.ly/SUWMaui2017
Workshops sponsored by:
Maui County Mayor’s Office of Economic Development
Sultan Ventures
XLR8UH
Jan 25, 2017 | Innovation
The University of Hawaii (UH) Educational Outreach Team and Maui Economic Development Board have long shared common goals for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Recently, the UH-Manoa Physics Department hosted a group of four Maui High School students, Mary Chin, Princess Constantino, Laney Flanagan, and Bryce Jackman, at a Maui workshop to present their summer research findings on the effect of cosmic rays on the earth. With the help of their project mentor Dr. J. D. Armstrong, UH Institute for Astronomy (IfA), and their Maui High science teacher, Keith Imada, the students discussed possible correlations between galactic cosmic rays and solar activity to determine if a connection with global warming exists.
“The abundance of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) hitting our atmosphere is heavily affected by solar activity and its 11-year cycle,” said Dr. Armstrong. “We studied about what cosmic rays are, how the solar activity changed during the last couple of centuries, where radiation comes from, and why radiation protection is necessary.”
The four students each gave a presentation on their research, all relating to climate change on earth. “I discussed how more galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) appear when sunspot numbers are lower, when there is less solar activity,” said Flanagan. “It was so interesting to learn the origin and composition of cosmic rays and solar modulation.” Jackman presented his research about how GCRs do not seem to affect climate change through low cloud coverage. “I learned about the different ways that the GCR flux is measured and about the sun’s 11-year cycle,” he said.
“I loved how we got to use actual data and work through the problems with professors,” said Chin, who investigated the relation among GCRs, the number of sunspots, and global temperatures. Finally, Constantino talked about the relationship between global warming and solar energy reaching the upper atmosphere. The students will also submit their project findings to the 2016 Pacific Science Symposium.
The UH Physics professors gave talks and shared activities using data from an instrument mounted on the International Space Station to teach how protection from galactic cosmic rays is necessary for any NASA Mars mission.
Dr. J. D. Armstrong, Institute for Astronomy Educational Outreach
Jan 18, 2017 | Community, Environment
Kahului Elementary School’s 1st grade Grow Some Good (GSG) garden classes recently held Garden Scavenger Hunts as a fun way to review the lessons they have learned so far in the 2016-2017 school year. “Our students learn STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects that help influence their understanding of the natural environment and food,” said Wendy Shishido, first-grade teacher at Kahului Elementary School. “They are able to watch the decomposition process in our compost bin and all the insects and worms doing their part to help make healthy soil. The garden becomes a magical learning space when the youngsters realize we need tomatoes to make pizza!”
Each pair of students was given a collection box, courtesy of Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods, containing a checklist, scissors and a bug cup with instructions to collect the following: a flower; a bug, insect or worm; two weeds; something that smells; and a heart-shaped leaf. “They found that marigolds provided lots of flowers; they hunted down ants, sow bugs and worms; and weeds were easy to come by,” said Nio Kindla, GSG Operations Manager. “Smelly items included the lemon, Thai or Italian green basil, green onions, sage lemongrass or rosemary, which all have strong smells.”
The teacher checked the items for the first pair of students to complete the scavenger hunt. Subsequent pairs of students were checked by classmates. “This is where the real learning came in,” Kindla explained. “As they worked and questioned each other as about whether a plant smelled enough, whether a leaf was heart-shaped enough, how to identify weeds, a real camaraderie grew.”
Students improved their garden literacy, identified and described what they had found, and added new words to their vocabularies. “Some students also learned that keeping an ant in a cup has its challenges!” said Kindla.
The community is invited to GSG’s annual Taste of School Gardens community-wide fundraiser on March 4th, 2017. Guests get to try school garden-inspired dishes from Maui’s top chefs while supporting the school garden programs. For more information, go to growsomegood.org.
Watching 1st graders have that “aha” moment when they realize that what their parents buy in the supermarket is first grown in a garden, is priceless!
Nio Kindla, Grow Some Good Operations Manager
