Aug 15, 2018 | Education, Innovation, Stemworks
Molokai High School’s (MHS) Mākaʻikaʻi iā grant from Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Ke Alahele Education Fund provided support for the school’s O Hina I Ka Malama Hawaiian Immersion Program. “The main outcome of the grant produced a series of virtual field trips of environments on Molokai showcasing important natural and cultural resources,” said Gandharva Mahina Hou Ross, Molokai High School Hawaiian Language Immersion teacher and boys’ cross-country coach. “This curriculum model is place and culture- based and uses technology as a way of tying in the state performance standards and making education relevant. The grant gave the students the opportunity to create a website that documents the different environments on Molokai.”
Ross explained, “We took monthly field trips to various marine environments to conduct culture-based inquiry of important marine resources. Students traveled to the northwest, south and east coasts of Molokai to do shoreline monitoring. They collected samples of marine algae, marine invertebrates and marine vertebrates for further investigation in the classroom. Samples were identified with Latin, Hawaiian and common names, along with their habitat, diet, life cycle, traditional Hawaiian uses and management practices. After taking film footage on our field trip, the students used green-screen editing technique to describe what they saw.”
Funds were also used to create an internet domain for O Hina I Ka Malama’s bilingual website as a database to archive our program activities. The marine field guide will be archived on the school website that the students designed. Through the virtual field trips, the grant also enabled the students to create multimedia presentations on Molokai, at the annual MEDB Women in Technology (WIT) STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Conference, and at Hawaiian Language Immersion schools throughout Hawaii.
“I want to thank MEDB and WIT STEMworks™ for the Ke Alahele grant,” said Kauiwai Poepoe-Mollena, MHS 12th grader. “They provided us with the newest technology resources to complete our field trip tasks such as meter-square plots, ARC GIS mapping, cameras and GPS to mark points at the designated areas.”
On Saturday, August 25, 2018, MEDB will hold their annual Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction at the Grand Wailea Resort. For more information call (808) 875-2300 or email cari@medb.org. Please join us!
Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO
Aug 8, 2018 | Education, Stemworks
Maui resident Steve McCaughey recently joined a growing number of private-citizen space enthusiasts from all walks of life who serve as NASA Solar System Ambassadors (SSA). The nation-wide SSA program brings the excitement of NASA’s space exploration to children, teachers, and adults in the community. As an Ambassador, McCaughey will deliver information about NASA’s vast endeavor of missions and scientific study, through school programs, planetarium talks, telescope-viewing parties, mall displays and much more.
McCaughey describes himself as a “lover of the night sky.” He first came to Hawaii in 1973 on a 40-foot schooner, with no GPS satellites to help navigate. “We conducted daytime sun sightings at noon and 2pm with a sextant, and computed our position with logarithmic tables,” he explained. “At night I had the 4am watch and I steered the boat by the stars. I fell in love with the constellations and notable objects in the sky that can be observed with binoculars, and I began studying double stars.”
Soon after, McCaughey joined the Hawaii Amateur Astronomers (HAA). He purchased a Celestron 9.25-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with an equatorial mount on a pier, and a 104mm refractor that he uses for educational outreach. He began attending the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (UH IfA) AstroTalks in Pukalani, and a few years ago helped form the Maui Double Star Association, a group of students and adults who do observations of double stars. Some of the student participants ended up being co-authors on a paper in the Journal of Double Star Observations, and one is majoring in physics because of this experience.
With the inspiration of Dr. J. D. Armstrong, UH IfA Educational Outreach Specialist, McCaughey’s HAA group has conducted astronomy outreach on Maui for the past ten years. They travel to STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) conferences, conventions, schools and other events with their telescopes. “McCaughey’s dedication to community engagement with space science is outstanding,” said Dr. Armstrong. “Regarding his recent NASA Ambassadorship appointment, we look forward to sharing more with him.” For educational outreach information, call (808) 281-2468.
I look forward to bringing the world of NASA and astronomy to those who are interested in ‘looking up’. The youth of today are the ones who will take us on and beyond!
Steve McCaughey, NASA Solar System Ambassador
Aug 1, 2018 | Education, Stemworks
Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Ke Alahele Education Fund grantee, the Lihikai Elementary School Surferbots in Kahului, applied their grant towards the VEX IQ Robotics challenge events, purchasing parts and registration fees. “This program allows students the opportunity to apply STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) classroom concepts to a technological product,” said Lihikai teacher, Kelly Imada. “It also introduces and reinforces the engineering design process through the challenges of competing with other teams. Our Lihikai robotics program builds interest for students in STEM subjects as they progress through elementary, intermediate, and high-school.”
“Thanks to MEDB, this was the Surferbots’ most successful year,” said Imada. “Our two teams competed in tournaments at Lahainaluna High School and the Valley Isle Tournaments. We were also honored with the Judge’s Award at the Baldwin High School Vex IQ Tournament.”
The Surferbots had fifteen members on two teams and both qualified for State competition at the Hawaii Convention Center. Team A qualified through the skills challenge and made it into the top 16 going to the elimination matches at the 2018 Hawaii State VEX IQ Tournament. Team B qualified by winning the Excellence Award at the Valley Isle Tournament in December and were awarded the Think Award in the State VEX IQ Tournament.
“In addition to building robots and competing, the students learn problem-solving skills, teamwork, responsibility, and commitment,” Imada said. “We are very grateful to the Ke Alahele donors. Without their support we would not be able to provide these valuable experiences in robotics to our students.” The Surferbots agreed, “Robotics helped us understand more about technology and working hard to reach a goal step by step, retrying and improving. Robotics taught us that if you want to achieve something, it takes trial and error, and working together as a team.”
On Saturday, August 25, 2018, MEDB will hold their annual Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction at the Grand Wailea Resort to celebrate the STEM achievements of students in Maui County and statewide. For more information call (808) 875-2300 or email cari@medb.org.
Robotics helped me understand more about technology and working hard to reach a goal. I feel great about being on this team because I get to learn with others.
Surferbot Team Member, Lihikai Elementary School
Jul 18, 2018 | Education, Stemworks
Pukalani Elementary School was most fortunate to have received two Ke Alahele Education Fund grants from Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), one for the students and one for the teachers. The first funding gave the Pukalani School Imagineers Robotics team the means to travel to Oahu to compete in the Hawaii State Elementary VEX Championship in January of this year. “The VEX competition experience was priceless for the student’s STEM (science, technology, engineering mathematics) curriculum,” said Debbie Hisashima, Pukalani Academic Coach and STEMworks™ AFTERschool Coordinator. “What the students enjoyed most was meeting up with other teams, seeing their drive and motivation, and all of the possibilities that are out there as they advance in age.”
Pukalani 5th grader Kamaha`o Akana explained, “I learned so much from the Oahu Waialua Robotics Team before the start of competition. Watching the Waialua students work and seeing their drive and motivation was the greatest lesson of all. They kept on trying to adjust without giving up– which was helpful for us to notice when we ran into our own obstacles at the competition. We adapted quickly and tried our best.”
Robotics team member Kayden Volner added, “I enjoyed watching how the robots at the state level functioned. Our team observed different designs and changed our robot to be more efficient so that it would be competitive at the Create U.S. VEX National Championships. Most importantly, I learned that working together will get the job done.”
Hisashima said, “The second Pukalani School grant was written for our afterschool STEMworks™ teachers to attend the Hawaii State STEM conference on Oahu. It was the teachers turn to learn and we were really excited! Six of us participated in various STEM-related classes, which allowed us to network with other teachers from around the state. Three of our teachers ran mini-STEM sessions in the STEMworks™ Playground and gained valuable presentation skills in the process. With the funding from MEDB, our STEM teachers were able to meet with industry leaders and take new ideas back to our campus and our children.”
“Join us Saturday, August 25, for our annual Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction at the Grand Wailea Resort. The Fund provides tools for our students and training for our teachers, investments that will make a difference in our community.” For more information call (808) 875-2300 or email cari@medb.org.
Leslie Wilkins MEDB President and CEO
Jul 11, 2018 | Education, Innovation, Stemworks
A recent talk at the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy focused on Listening to Planetary Orbits. Dan Tepfer, master pianist and astrophysicist, said to a captivated audience, “With most things, I’ve found, what’s very interesting is not the thing in itself, but rather its relationship to other things. Everything is relative, which is why harmony, pitch, and rhythm are so stunning in the relationships among the orbits of the planets around Trappist-1, a dwarf star about 40 light years away from us.”
Tepfer told how it is only in the past 25 years that we have been able to detect planets in orbit around stars other than our own, by measuring faint dips in a star’s brightness as planets pass in front of it. What makes the Trappist-1 system unusual is the existence of harmonious relationships among its planetary orbits. The farthest planet completes an orbit every 18 Earth days and the next farthest once every 12. Tepfer explained, “In the time it takes the farthest planet to go twice around the star, the next farthest has gone around three times. This same ratio can be expressed as a musical interval, which allows us to hear the structure of the planetary system.” In other words, we can listen not only to our own solar system, but to other planetary systems as well. Tepfer used a sound synthesizer to play this and other orbital harmonic intervals for the audience, an unforgettable experience for many of those present.
“We hear sound when the air around us vibrates and those vibrations reach our ears. Vibrations are like orbits: they repeat at a certain frequency,” Tepfer said. “With the Trappist-1 system, it is not only the outer two planets that orbit in resonant harmonic relationships. Surprisingly, all seven do—the only planetary system discovered so far with so many resonant orbits. Without approximating the orbits in any way, by just presenting the data scaled up to our range of hearing, we hear what we readily identify as harmonious music.”
Trappist-1 is located 39.6 light-years from the Sun in the constellation Aquarius. Seven terrestrial planets have been detected orbiting the star, a larger number than detected in any other planetary system.
Dan Tepfer, Astrophysicist and Master Pianist
Jul 4, 2018 | Education, Stemworks
On Saturday, August 25, 2018, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) will hold their annual Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction, I ♥ STEM, at the Grand Wailea Resort to celebrate the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) achievements of students in Maui County and statewide. “The Ke Alahele funds 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. “MEDB partners with the private, public and nonprofit sectors to reach its goal of helping the next generation soar into the future.”
MEDB recently announced that recipients received Ke Alahele Education Fund STEM grants totaling more than $142,000 during the 2017-2018 school year. The Ke Alahele event celebrates the Fund’s impressive giving which enhances education and training. MEDB will also present the Daniel K. Inouye (DKI) Innovation Award honoring the late Senator who inspired our youth and provided STEM opportunities throughout Hawaii.
“The DKI awards are presented to a Maui County student or team that demonstrates the most innovative use of STEM tools to improve our community,” Wilkins explained. “Students select a societal issue and then, by using sophisticated technology and possibly inventing their own tools, they create a real solution to address the community challenge.”
Agreeing, Curtis Tom, Maui County Senior Vice President Bank of Hawaii and Chair of the MEDB Education Fund, said, “Jobs today and in the future depend on the preparation of our students in critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity—all skills nurtured by STEM education. Those who support the MEDB Ke Alahele Fund through our annual fundraiser are helping to make this investment in our state’s future workforce.”
This year’s popular “Apples for Education” Silent and Live Auctions offers a great opportunity for donors to showcase their products and services to the 550+ guests, and for both donors and guests to contribute to a great cause! For more information call (808) 875-2300 or email cari@medb.org.
The MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction will begin at 4:30 pm, followed by Dinner and Live Auction at 6 pm. Please join us!
Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President & CEO
Jun 20, 2018 | Education, Innovation, Stemworks
Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Women in Technology Program (WIT) recently presented their 2nd Introduce a Girl to Astronomy Day (IGAD) for Maui girls, grades 7-8. For the past decade, MEDB and WIT have been at the forefront of providing cutting-edge STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) programs across the state to meet 21st century workforce demands. “IGAD stimulates girls’ interest in astronomy as a viable and exciting career choice that requires STEM education,” said WIT Project Manager Mapu Quitazol. “It’s important to expose our girls to endless STEM opportunities and build their confidence level to know they can achieve their dreams.”
Dr. J. D. Armstrong, Maui Technology Education and Outreach Specialist at University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy, agreed, “It is important to develop future leaders in our planning for Maui’s future. For example, during IGAD the students learned about the Faulkes Telescope North, a two-meter-aperture telescope that can be accessed over the internet by any students in Hawaii and globally for their science projects. Owned and operated by Las Cumbres Observatory, this unique worldwide network of robotic telescopes engages students in real science via their computers. They become active participants in a range of astronomical research projects, from observations of the solar system to distant stars and galaxies.”
Krystle Dunn, science teacher from Lahaina Intermediate, said, “I was impressed by the variety of information that students got to take in: astronomy, satellites, telescopes and hands-on activities with sensors. One of my students learned that being a part of the Air Force doesn’t always mean you have to be in combat–you can be involved through technology and other STEM fields. Many students made connections that might directly impact their future decisions.”
Jaycie Iha, Maui Waena Intermediate student, concluded, “I’m so grateful to MEDB and WIT for this chance to learn more about astronomy and engineering. IGAD was such an extraordinary and valuable experience. After visiting the observatories, I see there are opportunities for girls on Maui to reach for the stars!”
Seventy-five middle school girls from Maui County enjoyed learning about optics by touring the Maui Surveillance Space System facilities atop Haleakala.
Mapu Quitazol, MEDB WIT Program Director
Jun 6, 2018 | Education
Dr. Paul Schumacher, Principal Investigator in Astrodynamics for Space Situational Awareness, Air Force Research Laboratory in Maui, recently gave a talk at the Institute for Astronomy in Pukalani, about the future of the satellite catalog. In recent years, the increasing numbers of objects in space has made the job of monitoring them more challenging—and more essential. “Many persons do not know that the U.S. military carries on an extensive world-wide satellite tracking operation to maintain a complete inventory, or catalog, of all known man-made objects in orbit around the Earth,” Schumacher explained. “Besides its military applications, the satellite catalog serves a variety of commercial, civil and even diplomatic functions. At present, more than 20,000 objects are being tracked routinely.”
The launch of Sputnik in 1957 marked the beginning of the Space Age. It also marked the beginning of a space race that brought a remarkable rate of rocket launches. “This created a host of strategic challenges, including the need for space surveillance,” Schumacher noted. “These needs led to the establishment of a mission to maintain a catalog of all Earth-orbiting objects, active payloads, rocket bodies, and debris, along with detailed information about trajectory and point of origin. Tracking space objects promotes space flight safety, protection of the space environment and the peaceful use of space worldwide. We reduce the risk of collision by sharing information with Governmental and commercial satellite operators, U.S. allies and others.”
The growth of the satellite catalog will certainly trigger a greater number of collision-risk alerts. Proper response to these alerts will require greater confidence in predictions along with better decision-making. Certainly, the space pioneers never envisioned that the vast majority of orbiting objects would be debris, nor would they have envisioned that alerting satellite operators about potential collisions would be a full-time job. “Nevertheless, this is the environment in which satellites currently operate,” Schumacher concluded. “A robust catalog and space surveillance tracking network are the cornerstones for ensuring a safe operational environment in space.”
The future satellite catalog is a topic that Dr. Schumacher and others often discuss at MEDB’s annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference. Satellites are essential to the technology we use in our everyday lives.
Sandy Ryan, Maui Economic Development Board Program and Conference Director
May 30, 2018 | Community, Education
Founded on the values and priorities for Maui County’s future as articulated by Maui County’s residents through the Decisions Maui and Focus Maui Nui visioning processes, Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows is a year-long program dedicated to preparing community-nominated young leaders for the unique challenges and opportunities in Maui County. To date, over 100 accomplished professionals have graduated from the program. The current Fellows are a diverse cross-section of residents drawn from business, government, academia, and nonprofit organizations. Each month, the program offers halawai (meetings) focused on in-depth introductions to Maui County’s infrastructure and array of community leaders coupled with workshops to expand leadership skills.
Last December, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) hosted Project Weekend, an intense, team-based experience in which the Fellows go hands-on to create a community project. “MEDB was thrilled to guide the Fellows as they navigated the many layers of project development. It was fun to see the concepts unfold as the Fellows gained a first-hand understanding of what it takes to turn their idea into a viable community-based project,” shared Amber Hardwick, Ka Ipu Kukui alumna and MEDB’s lead on Project Weekend.
“What I went through was so valuable because it allowed me to realize that even though I have these fears going into it, none of that came about because we had such a great team that we just persevered together and created something that was even more special than I originally thought we could do,” said Snehal Patel who came up with the idea for the winning project called ‘We The People’. “Moving forward we are going to see if we can proceed with our project as a pilot program.”
“I enjoyed the collaboration,” said Sayble Bissen. “We got to learn a lot about how our co-worker Fellows think and how they see Maui as a whole and what can be done to help.” Discussing the future of her team’s project called Literacy for Financial Education (L.I.F.E), Sayble added “Our plan is to hopefully to follow through with our project – I am pretty positive that it can happen.”
As this year’s cohort celebrates their May graduation, Ka Ipu Kukui is accepting applications for the 2018-19 program. Learn more at http://www.kikfellows.org/
I think that we all have such great ideas, and Project Weekend helped us to execute that into a real live MVP (Minimum Viable Project), which I never knew about before going through this process.
Snehal Patel
