Sep 6, 2017 | Community
Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction, held at the Fairmont Kea Lani Wailea, showcased an evening of nostalgia—a chance to look back at MEDB and their organization’s impact over the last 35 years, along with a glimpse of what’s to come. Guests enjoyed an evening of food, fun, and camaraderie, while celebrating the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) achievements of Maui County students. The festive event of 500 supporters included Distinguished Educators– Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui and his wife Lyndelle, and Mayor Alan Arakawa and raised $325,000 to benefit MEDB and its programs.
“These funds will provide state-of-the-art technology tools for our students and training for our teachers; investments that will make a difference in the lives of our residents and our community,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “This year, MEDB has expanded our pipeline of support by adding the Jeanne Unemori Skog Leaders and Entrepreneurs Fund to build the next generation of visionaries.” Skog, retired MEDB President and CEO, said, “I am so grateful to the MEDB Board of Directors for creating this fund in my name. I am also honored to receive the MEDB Colin C. Cameron Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to strengthen and diversify Maui County’s economy.”
The evening culminated with the presentation of the prestigious Daniel K. Inouye (DKI) award, which went to Renezel Lagran, a 2017 Maui High School graduate currently attending the University of Hawaii-Maui College. Lagran received $5000 in recognition of her innovative use of technology used to serve our community. This year, Maui Waena Intermediate School’s STEMworks™ science teacher Jennifer Suzuki and Maui High School’s Arts and Communications teacher Clint Gima and the ACOM program will receive $5,000.
“I’m so grateful for this honor,” said Lagran. “I’ve worked incredibly hard since middle school and have had amazing teachers, mentors, and supporters along with amazing STEM opportunities. I’d really like to thank MEDB and their STEMworks™ program for their support. Their investment in me will truly reap positive results for Maui and our community.”
My hope is that the Jeanne Unemori Skog Leaders and Entrepreneurs Fund will help build the next generation of visionaries.
Jeanne Unemori Skog, Retired MEDB President and CEO
Aug 16, 2017 | Community, Education
Jonathan Kamehanaokala Merchant, a 9th grader at Seabury Hall, has loved to read for as long as he can remember. For his 11th birthday party, he decided he didn’t really need any presents. “My parents and I talked about how my bookshelf was overflowing,” said Merchant. “I thought it would be a great idea to ask family and friends to bring gently used or new books for children, preteens, and young adults to donate, along with my books, to those in need.”
Merchant’s mom, Shelley, contacted Laks Abraham, former President and CPO of the Maui United Way, who suggested that he donate the books to Book Trust Maui. “The first year, 2014, I collected 250 books at my “birthday book-giving bash,” Merchant noted. “For my 12th and 13th birthdays, I collected another 400 books for a total of 650 books donated and distributed to children with the help of Maui United Way.”
This year for his 14th birthday he wanted to collect another 350 books to reach 1,000 books over the four year period. Because he is also a Boy Scout with Troop 40, he thought collecting books would be a great community service project and way to gather more books.
Merchant contacted Cub Scout Pack 40, which he was in when he was younger, and made arrangements to go to one of their Pack meetings to collect whatever books the scouts wanted to donate. With the help of his Cub Scout friends and others who heard about his project, he collected another 750 books! With the assistance of Laks Abraham and the Maui United Way, all the books were donated to PATCH (People Attentive to Children), which gives away books to families and children.
“I have now collected around 1,400 books and donated them all to charity,” Merchant explained. “It would not have been possible for me to donate all these books without community help, so I would like to thank everyone for all the work they have done gathering and sharing their favorite books with me.”
I hope these books inspire other kids to love reading as much as I do!
Jonathan Merchant, Seabury Hall 9th grade
Jul 26, 2017 | Community, Education
On Saturday, August 26, 2017, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) will hold their annual fundraiser dinner and auction Pathways to Our Future at the Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel in Wailea. Guests will celebrate MEDB’s 35th Anniversary and the achievements of students in their STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs. MEDB’s mission is to inspire and engage students in exciting mentor-based programs that build STEM skills and foster self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
Ke Alahele Education Fund grantee, Maui High School (MHS) Robotics Program, has many accomplishments to be proud of. Their determination and commitment has successfully brought them to the 2016-2017 seasons, their 10th year. “Every year, at their school, the MHS team hosts the Maui VEX Robotics Tournament,” said Dian Taroma, MHS Robotics team captain. “The students are continuously challenged to design, build, and program new robots.”
Taroma continued, “MEDB’s grants for our school’s robotics program exposed me to the STEM field and its range of career options. As a result, the whole team gained skills that are fundamental to our future.” Taroma’s brother, Denmark, has been in robotics all four years of high school. “I started off as a builder and improved along the way becoming one of the build captains on the team,” he explained. “Being in robotics, designing and putting the robot together, has taught me the values of being a leader.”
Team member Maureen Ang noted, “Without the support from MEDB, the team would not have been able to reach our full potential. We were able to build and program the best robot we could, travel, and ship our robot to our competitions.”
Mary Chin added her experience, “VEX is always a challenge, no matter your skill level. Everyone is constantly altering designs and rebuilding up until the last minute. Despite the seemingly endless frustrations we face, the overall problem-solving skills and abilities to function well in a group setting are priceless. MEDB’s grant has greatly helped us in more ways than one.”
The MHS robotics program, even after the first season, leaves students with a vision and a sense that they can create their own future.
Denmark Taroma, MHS 2017 graduate
Jul 12, 2017 | Community
Now celebrating 35 years, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) invites you to join us for Pathways to our Future to benefit MEDB and the MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund.
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui
4:30 pm Reception/Silent Auction
6:00 pm Dinner/Live Auction
Help empower our teachers, inspire our students, and build pathways to science, technology, engineering, and math careers.
For reservations, please visit medb.org or call (808) 875-2300.
Sponsorship opportunities available.
Jun 21, 2017 | Community
Bill Giebink, Maui High physical science teacher and the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA) Project Coordinator for their South Pole Project, recently visited the South Pole Solar Observatory (SPSO) in Antarctica. Giebink, one of a team of four, deployed to South Pole Station to assemble and test the instruments he helped build at IfA to record high-resolution images of the Sun. “I worked on the optical alignment, software development and general troubleshooting,” said Giebink. “The instruments installed at the South Pole log high-resolution images of the Sun every five seconds at two different heights in the sun’s atmosphere. The goals of the project are to measure and characterize internal gravity waves in the Sun’s atmosphere, identify the role of these waves in transporting energy and momentum, and use the properties of these waves to provide a mapping of the structure and dynamics of the Sun’s atmosphere.”
The acquired data will also have applications in several other areas of interest in solar physics, including studying the triggers of space weather events, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which have direct societal impact. “The instruments are mapping the Sun’s sub-surface structure and dynamics, and investigate the solar coronal heating enigma,” said Giebink. “It is a long-standing puzzle why the temperature of the Sun’s atmosphere rises from about 6,000 degrees at its visible surface, the photosphere, to a few million degrees in its outer atmosphere, the corona.”
“It was a challenge to set up and run our experiment in such a difficult environment,” Giebink explained. “However, I got to work with a great team. We traveled by snowmobile to and from our field site each day. The group of four worked as two-person teams, each covering 12-hour shifts at SPSO. It was an unforgettable trip that not many people get to experience. I also enjoyed sharing pictures and stories with my Maui High students. They really liked the idea of tasting the 2,000 year old melted ice that I brought back!”
MEDB continuously supports our Maui High students with the necessary STEM tools to reach for the stars! One day my students will take part in an extraordinary South Pole experience!
Bill Giebink, Maui High School Physical Science Teacher, IfA SPSO Project Coordinator
May 24, 2017 | Community, Education
Maui students and best friends, Erica Sawczynec, Kihei Charter School 12th grade, and Celeste Jongeneelen, home-school 11th grade, have received high honors and recognition in astronomy and physics. The girls attended the 2017 Pacific Symposium for Science and Sustainability (PS3) where Jongeneelen was awarded first place and Sawczynec received fourth place. That placement sent them both to the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposia in San Diego where they both placed third in their respective categories in physics. Jongeneelen earned a $4,000 scholarship and both girls were selected as two of eight people who met with Dr. William Daniel Phillips, co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics.
In May, Sawczynec was awarded second place at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in Los Angeles. In addition, she received $500 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the ISEF conference in Washington, DC next January, where she will present her work again. Sawczynec was a summer intern in 2016 with Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Women in Technology (WIT) Project. Her research as an intern won awards at the three competitions.
“Thanks to MEDB, I learned about the various opportunities we have here in Hawaii for STEM students, something that WIT gives much attention to,” said Sawczynec. “My astronomy project, determining the age and distance of star clusters, is important because it helps us to better understand what is happening in the universe around us. Stars of a certain age have certain characteristics that teach us more about stellar evolution as a whole. This can also aid with identifying stars which could possibly have exoplanets around them, based on how similar they are to our own sun. I would like to major in physics in college because there are still so many astronomical discoveries to be made.”
Thanks to MEDB and WIT for the Summer Internship Program and thanks to my mentor, Dr. JD Armstrong from UH’s Institute for Astronomy, for inspiring me to discover something new about the Universe.
Erica Sawczynec, Kihei Charter School 12th grade
May 17, 2017 | Community
The fourth annual Maui Energy Conference, held in March, broadened its focus this year to become a timely and innovative forum as Hawaii continues its transition to a 100-percent clean-energy economy by 2045. Presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, the conference explored the theme, All Things Energy: Pursuing Opportunities for Electricity and Beyond.
“Energy experts and stakeholders, both national and international, examined groundbreaking strategies, and analyzed how concepts such as resilience and sustainability apply beyond the traditional grid,” said Frank De Rego Jr., Director of Business Development at MEDB and member of the conference Program Committee. Resilience, this year’s conference buzz word, suggests toughness and the ability to bounce back from catastrophic circumstances. Since the last energy conference, Hawaii has seen a failed merger of electric utilities and several near misses from hurricanes. That is why all sectors of the economy need to work together for energy resilience and sustainability.
Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, an Energy Conference participant and Hawaii’s largest biofuel company, is now farming sunflowers and other biofuel crops on 115 acres previously used for sugar cane production on Maui.“These crops can be harvested in 100 days or less, provide acres of energy storage and carbon sequestration, and can be used to produce the highest-quality biodiesel in the USA,” said Kelly King, Maui County Council member and Vice President and Co-Founder of Pacific Biodiesel. “We’re focusing on several different crops in various crop rotations and experimenting with different soil amendments such as compost and others made from by-products of the production of our biodiesel, like glycerin and potassium sulfate. There are 36,000 acres of fertile lands on Maui that ceased sugar cane operation at the end of 2016. It is important for the community and the state to keep this land in agriculture to benefit our economy and environment, to help the state increase its energy security, reduce reliance on fossil fuel, and achieve its 100-percent renewable-energy mandate by 2045.”
Our first sunflower crop has been a harbinger of hope bringing folks together in support of local sustainable agriculture for food and fuel.
Kelly King, Maui County Council member and Vice President and Co-Founder, Pacific Biodiesel
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
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
