Jul 13, 2016 | Education, Small Business
MEDB offers a powerful workshop to help you save money. Discover TWO State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) programs that can benefit your business:
Enterprise Zones (EZ) Partnership Program
If your new or existing business is located in an Enterprise Zone (EZ), you may be eligible to receive various state tax credits and benefits for up to 7 years, including:
- 100% exemption from the General Excise Tax
- Up to 80% non-refundable state income tax credit
- Up to 80% tax credit for Unemployment Insurance premiums
Hawaii State Trade and Export Promotion Assistance Program (HiSTEP-AP)
Under HiSTEP-AP, your company could receive direct awards to participate in export marketing activities. Applicants may request a minimum of $2,000 and a maximum of $6,000 for various business activities including trade shows, travel, collateral materials, compliance testing, shipping, and other expenses.
Workhop Speakers
The workshop is free. Breakfast will be provided. Reservations are required, space is limited. It is part of the MEDB Innovation Series, Foundations for Business Success.
Thursday, July 14, 2016 • 9 am – 12 noon
MEDB’s Malcolm Center, 1305 N. Holopono Street, Suite 5, Kihei
Jun 30, 2016 | Education, Stemworks
You are invited to attend Pathways to our Future, a benefit for the MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund.
Bid on hundreds of items during the “Apples for Education” Live & Silent Auctions
Play Family Feud, The STEM Edition
Mingle with Distinguished Educators:
- U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono
- U.S. Senator Brian Schatz
- Lt. Governor Shan Tsutsui and Lyndelle Tsutsui
- Mayor Alan Arakawa and Ann Arakawa
Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Saturday, August 20, 2016 • Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui
4:30 pm Reception/Silent auction • 6 pm Dinner/Live auction
For reservations, visit www.medb.org or call us at 808-875-2300.
Jun 23, 2016 | Education
This March, Dr. Ryan Swindle of Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Maui Detachment, received the Department of Defense STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education and Outreach Advocate Award for his dedication to STEM education in the Maui community. “Swindle has established himself as a role model and leader in STEM outreach and educational efforts in K-12 activities, teacher education, and internship programs,” said Dr. Stacie Williams, former AFRL STEM Outreach Director. “His accomplishments in the Maui community are numerous.”
Swindle, a research physicist at the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site (AMOS), worked with the University of Hawaii to acquire a 50-person planetarium. “Our new AFRL 50+ capacity, portable, digital planetarium demonstrates to students and educators, the importance of ground-based astronomy across the world,” Swindle said. Recently, at the 2016 Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Hawaii STEM Conference, he brought the planetarium to teach students how to understand astronomical coordinate systems, use important points to find stars, planets, and even satellites. Additionally, this year Swindle provided physics laboratory demonstrations for over 60 students and parents at a local school and attended school career days. He is also mentoring two college students this summer, one from the University of Hawaii, Hilo and the other from the University of Arizona.
“My vision for the future of the AMOS STEM Outreach program is to build upon the efforts of our former STEM Outreach Director, Dr. Stacie Williams,” said Swindle. “Her great work is known all over the County of Maui.” Swindle hopes to continue efforts with K-12 optics, lasers, and color and light activities, as well as annual participation in AMOS Space Exploration Day and the MEDB STEM Conference. “Partnering with MEDB, AFRL hopes to increase public awareness of the AMOS mission, extend outreach efforts to neighbor islands, and inspire local students to work in Hawaii,” he said.
“MEDB looks forward to our future work with Swindle,” said Mapu Quitazol, MEDB Program Manager Women in Technology (WIT) Project. “His insights and leadership inspire future collaborations with WIT’s STEM education outreach programs.”
I am honored to be able to encourage students to pursue careers in STEM education to find innovative solutions for the challenges we are all facing.
Dr. Ryan Swindle, AFRL Research Physicist
Jun 9, 2016 | Education, Stemworks
In 1999, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) created the Women in Technology Project (WIT) whose mission is to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) throughout the state with hands-on and project-based service learning. WIT works in partnership with educators and businesses to build and strengthen Hawaii’s STEM education- to-workforce pipeline. Today, WIT provides cutting-edge STEM education across the islands, throughout the year. Effective programs, such as STEMworks AFTERschool, the Annual Hawaii STEM Conference, and more, continue to meet 21st century workforce demands. “STEM education has the power to impact all of us,” said Isla Young, MEDB’s K-12 STEM Program Director. “Through the years, we’ve seen first-hand how empowering our youth with STEM skills and opportunities can make a difference in their lives and in the career pathways they choose to pursue.”
WIT’s STEMworks AFTERschool program is multi-faceted and hands-on. Students get to use the most current, high-end technologies in actual service learning projects. Participants work with their peers and industry partners, using their skills to help improve life on their respective islands. “Through the STEMworks program, I’ve been able to strengthen my love for computer programming,” said Jeremy Amato, a 12th grader at King Kekaulike High School. “STEMworks has allowed me to apply my skills to real-world jobs and even use it to help my community. Now I’m looking at pursuing computer programming as my career choice.” Maui Waena 8th grader Christine Alonzo said, “The STEMworks AFTERschool program taught me how to work a camera. I now know how to write scripts, edit, and use Photoshop. But mostly, I learned the importance of teamwork.”
“We have the power to change the world,” said Thanthawat Moengchaisong from King Kekaulike High School. “I personally love helping the community with the technology around me because STEM is all over the world and it connects people in a powerful way.”
Through STEMworks AFTERschool, I achieved more than I ever thought I could. With the support of MEDB and WIT, my partner and I won first place in a nationwide film competition. Thank you MEDB!
Czerena Bayle, Maui Waena Intermediate School 8th grader
Jun 2, 2016 | Education
Dr. James “JD” Armstrong, the enthusiastic Maui Technology Education and Outreach Specialist at the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy (IfA) in Pukalani, is much admired in the community. His work includes research on exoplanets, asteroids, comets, stellar objects, double stars, besides monthly public talks at IfA. “A highlight of my job is mentoring students and assisting with their science projects,” said Armstrong, who manages UH’s time on the Faulkes Telescope North (FTN) atop Haleakala. Owned and operated by Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, FTN offers students live views of outer space streamed straight to their computers. “Students remotely observe the sky as it is seen from different parts of the earth via the telescope network,” Armstrong explained. “Using Astrometrica, a software tool that calculates precise positions of the celestial bodies, they are able to analyze the collected image data.”
“JD’s Hawaii Student/Teacher Astronomy Research (HI STAR) summer science program for high school students is unsurpassed, as evidenced by the success of the students,” said Dr. Joe Janni, former Director of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. “He is a dedicated and enthusiastic mentor who counsels and motivates young astronomers to achieve high honors and numerous awards. His ability to inspire and recognize their potential is unmatched.”
“Armstrong has been a partner of Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) for over 10 years,” said Mapu Quitazol, MEDB project manager. “Recently he has had students receiving recognition for their science projects. In March at the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair, Armstrong’s HI STAR students captured numerous awards.”
“I’ve been very fortunate to have Dr. Armstrong as my mentor for the last five years,” said Celeste Jongeneelen, home-schooled 10th grader and 2016 first-place Physics and Astronomy winner. “He’s encouraged my interest in hypervelocity stars; stars thought to originate when a binary system encounters the supermassive black hole in our Milky Way. Dr. Armstrong has motivated me to better understand the age and classification of these stars. He has given me the confidence to think that I could actually discover something new about the Universe!”
Astronomy is a great way to spread interest in all subjects and motivate learners to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to better comprehend the world around us.
Dr. JD Armstrong, Maui Technology and Education Outreach Specialist, University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy
