Dec 14, 2016 | Education
The Women in Technology (WIT) Project of Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is proud to announce that one of their STEMworks™ AFTERschool teachers, Jennifer Suzuki, from Maui Waena Intermediate School in Kahului, was named the Maui District Teacher of the Year. Suzuki was one of eight teachers across the state that was considered for the 2017 Teacher of the Year honor by the Department of Education. As a District teacher honoree she received a $500.00 award from the corporate sponsor, The Polynesian Cultural Center.
“The Maui District Teacher of the Year award is a great tribute to Suzuki and our school,” said Maui Waena Intermediate School principal, Jamie Yap. “Suzuki has been recognized for all her hard work and time that she puts in with her students, whom she always puts first.”
“I was so happy to support Suzuki for Teacher of the Year,” said Isla Young, WIT Program Director. “Her classroom is an amazing example of an engaged and inspiring teacher who is truly having an incredible impact on her students, their families, and the community. Suzuki’s ability to bring people together for the betterment of her students and school is remarkable. She is raising the bar as to what middle school students are capable of. Additionally, she empowers her students with self-efficacy to impact their island community.”
Suzuki, a teacher for 17 years, emphasizes the importance of relating to her students, which enables her to guide the development of their talents in constructive ways. “I seek performance-based, real-work opportunities for my students,” she said. “My partnership with MEDB has enabled expansion of Maui Waena’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs such as video, media, robotics, coding, and gardening. It’s a great honor that I was selected as Maui District Teacher of the Year. I want to continue growing my STEMworks™ AFTERschool program with MEDB so that my students will be qualified for high-paying jobs right here on Maui.”
My goal is to create a space of creativity and innovation for my students.
Jennifer Suzuki, Waena Intermediate School, Maui District Teacher of the Year
Dec 7, 2016 | Community
Alo(ha) Creations is a new family-run business on Maui. Their goal is to create unique products made with aloha you can take with you. “The meaning of our company name Alo(ha) is comprised of two parts,” explained Micah Alo, founder of Alo(ha) Creations. “Our family name is Alo, the first part, and the Hawaiian word “ha” meaning to breathe or give life, is the second part. It is our hope that our food, art and other creations will bring life and love to our customers.”
Alo, a former Kamehameha Schools Maui Campus graduate and Maui Interscholastic League soccer standout, said that after a tryout with the professional Portland Timbers didn’t work out, he turned to business, his other passion. “After the tryout I went to World Youth Day (WYD) in Poland to see Pope Francis. My experience at WYD, with people from all over the world, gave me the faith I needed to start my own business.”
Alo began to see the different talents that his family possessed and thought, “Why not turn these into a business? My family and I started our business a few months ago and my mom’s cookies have already taken off,” Alo noted. “Our goal is to make Rochelle’s Famous Chocolate Chip cookies a household name. Additionally, I saw the talent of my brother Chandler and sister Gabrielle and felt their art should be on display for everyone to see. My nana, Carol, and aunty Elaine, are gifted in crafts and packaging, and have really helped incorporate the cookies, artwork, and other local products into our gift baskets, which we also make for events.”
Just recently the family attended the 2016 Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce Business Fest. “The event was an inspiring opportunity for local business people to see that they can successfully contribute to the island community as well as to the world. I met folks from Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and others, who provided me with amazing insight that I will use to expand Alo(ha) Creations.”
MEDB provides many educational opportunities for new businesses that we plan to take advantage of.
Micah Alo, Alo(ha) Creations
Nov 30, 2016 | Education, Stemworks
Maui High School freshman, Christine Alonzo was invited by President Obama to attend the first-ever White House South by South Lawn (SXSL) event. The Women in Technology (WIT) Project of the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) sponsored the Washington D.C. trip for Alonzo and her former Maui Waena STEMworks™ AFTERschool teacher, Jennifer Suzuki. The two-day festival, celebrating the spirit of innovation, brought together creators, organizers, and entrepreneurs who work to improve the lives of people in their communities and in the world. Keynote speakers and panels discussed how to solve the country’s most pressing problems while exhibits depicted a future that is full of opportunity for everyone.
In June 2016, while still at Maui Waena Intermediate School, Alonzo attended the PBS Student Reporting Labs’ All-Star Camp in D.C. While attending the camp, she and her group, made up of students from Colorado, California and Virginia, produced a story about a Georgetown graduate who created an interactive website (socialgirlz.com) for African American girls to network and support each other. After Alonzo completed the video, it was submitted to the White House Student Film Festival for this year’s theme, The World I Want to Live In. Although the film was not chosen as a finalist, it was selected as an honorable mention along with an invitation to Alonzo and her group to attend the White House film festival and the inaugural SXSL event.
“It was so amazing to have my video honored like that,” said Alonzo. “Attending the film festival was one of the highlights of my life and really inspired me to continue telling stories and creating videos. The SXSL experience was even more inspirational because I got to meet so many people who are fostering innovation and doing wonderful things in their communities.”
SXSL challenged us to build toward an America that is full of opportunities for everyone.
Christine Alonzo, Maui High School Freshman
Nov 23, 2016 | Community
One of the central values surfaced by MEDB’s countywide community engagement of our residents, Focus Maui Nui, was the “addressing of human needs.” Na Hoaloha is a Maui organization that lives and breathes that value. It is a grass roots organization that promotes social responsibility and addresses human needs by providing compassionate care to seniors and those with disabilities.
As Maui County’s population ages, many residents will be faced with caring for a family member or will need services themselves. Na Hoaloha’s mission is to help seniors live independently in their own homes for as long as possible and enhance their quality of life.
“Na Hoaloha, meaning ‘loving friends’, was incorporated in 1995 as a 501(C)(3) nonprofit,” said Candice Carter, Na Hoaloha Executive Director. “We began with the Maui County Office on Aging and 21 faith-based congregations working together to define how best to serve Maui’s kupuna.” Today, delivered by over 230 volunteers, Na Hoaloha provides escorted transportation for more than 625 seniors throughout Maui County including Hana and the islands of Lanai and Molokai.
“This year Na Hoaloha’s client intake shot up by 60%,” said Carter. “We match volunteers with participants to ensure compatibility, resulting in support and friendship to our kupuna. Our volunteers provide transport services, friendly visits, telephone reassurance, and respite services. Since we are a small agency, we have the added advantage of flexibility to create innovative programs to meet the challenges for Maui County’s older adults.”
Na Hoaloha’s founder, Sister Roselani Enomoto, CSJ, was born and raised on Maui. She grew up in a family-oriented culture with the principle of ‘kuleana’, meaning responsibility. “Sister Roselani wanted to help Maui’s kupuna maintain grace and dignity while living in their own ‘hale’,” Carter added. “She currently partners with Na Hoaloha on projects that benefit elders in the community.” Na Hoaloha is always looking for committed individuals to help them meet the growing senior population. They are currently recruiting volunteers to help serve as well as members for their Board of Directors.
Through our dedicated and compassionate volunteers, Maui County seniors can get help with their medical appointments, shopping and overall care.
Candice Carter, Executive Director, Na Hoaloha
Nov 9, 2016 | Environment, Innovation
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) is on schedule for full operations in June 2020. Situated at 10,000 feet of elevation atop Haleakala, the DKIST will be the most advanced ground-based solar observatory in the world. With more than 20 institutions collaborating internationally, it is about to revolutionize the world of solar astronomy. “We are pointing a four-meter (13 foot) telescope at the Sun for the very first time, which will challenge the science community to take their understanding to a whole new level,” said Dr. Thomas Rimmele, DKIST Project Director, National Solar Observatory (NSO). “When combined with a special adaptive optics system, the DKIST’s primary mirror will produce high-speed measurements to examine the Sun’s surface in stunning detail!”
The site on Haleakala was selected, out of a global search, for its clear daytime atmospheric seeing conditions. Once operational, the DKIST will allow astronomers to measure the magnetic fields that drive space weather events such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. “Understanding the behavior of the Sun’s magnetic fields is vital,” Rimmele explained. “Monitoring space weather is essential as our society increasingly relies on electronics technology that is susceptible to damage from these large space events. DKIST will help us better deal with threats of outages.”
DKIST Project Manager Dr. Joseph McMullin of NSO provided the latest updates. “The external building has been completed, with the integration of major telescope systems underway. This includes the telescope mount assembly and the rotating instrument laboratory,” McMullin noted. “The optical systems, and the primary mirror, the most critical element of the telescope, have met their challenging, state-of-the-art specifications and are undergoing testing.”
DKIST’s open data policy will provide the general public access to unique data resources compiled by the best engineers and scientists in the world. “In fact, the DKIST will bring more jobs and educational outreach opportunities to Maui,” Rimmele added. “The scientific impact from the DKIST, for all of humanity, is immense. The entire global community will be looking to Maui for this extraordinary science!”
Permitting us to measure the magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere for the very first time, the DKIST will fill in many gaps of our knowledge of the Sun and its magnetic activities.
Dr. Thomas Rimmele, DKIST Project Director, National Solar Observatory
The Women in Technology (WIT) Project of Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is proud to announce that one of their STEMworks™ AFTERschool teachers, Jennifer Suzuki, from Maui Waena Intermediate School in Kahului, was named the Maui District Teacher of the Year. Suzuki was one of eight teachers across the state that was considered for the 2017 Teacher of the Year honor by the Department of Education. As a District teacher honoree she received a $500.00 award from the corporate sponsor, The Polynesian Cultural Center.
