Feb 12, 2014 | Education
Ellen Federoff
With no regular classroom to call her own, Ellen Federoff said her 12 new computer tablets have helped tremendously in ensuring she can teach in any location on the Kihei Charter School grounds. Federoff purchased the tablets through a grant she received from Maui Economic Development Board’s Ke Alahele Education Fund. “I’m like the nomad. I don’t have a classroom but I really can take any space with my students since we have the technology support,” she said.
Federoff applied for and received a grant to purchase12 Samsung Galaxy computer tablets. “Without them, I would be struggling big time,” she said. Tasked with teaching 130 7th- and 8th-graders about health and physical education, Federoff was using the tablets most recently for a student research project about the nutritional value of energy drinks. “They can’t just Google it. It’s a directed research (project.) I give them up to 12 Web sites to read and research,” she said. Her students enjoy being able to do their school work on computer tablets that also have protective cases. “My students are so tech savvy. They love their tablets, they think they’re cool and they’re very comfortable with using them.”
Kihei Charter Middle School has two computer labs, but it does not have a computer or laptop for every student, according to Federoff. That’s why the Ke Alahele Education Fund grant is helpful in supplementing school equipment and helping a greater number of students access the Internet, and at Kihei Charter, their very own Web sites and electronic portfolios. “Everything today in education, in our school for sure, is technology based,” she said. Aside from her classes, Federoff said she’s working on a check-out system for the tablets so that other teachers and classes can use them. “We’re definitely going to be using these to the fullest,” she said. MEDB established the Ke Alahele Education Fund to support the growing need for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills in Maui County.
Jan 22, 2014 | Education, Innovation
Maui Waena Intermediate School media teacher Jennifer Suzuki shows how hard work and support from the Maui Economic Development Board can make a difference in the education of the island’s young people. After graduating in 1988 from Baldwin High School, Suzuki was hired as a rental car sales representative. She learned that work in sales was not her passion. So, she began looking for a new career, knowing in her heart that “I always liked helping people.”
Suzuki enrolled in college, earning a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Hawaii at Hilo in 1997, followed by a post-baccalaureate education certificate from the University of Hawaii Maui Center. While at the center, she was encouraged by her mentor, Victor Pellegrino, to tutor college students in English. “I just realized I could help people,” she said. She had stints as a teacher for hospitalized, mentally ill students and for those facing family and substance abuse challenges. Eleven years ago, she was hired at Maui Waena where she’s taught 8th-grade Language Arts, and in the last 3-1/2 years taught computer introduction, media and news writing to 6th, 7th and 8th-graders.
Suzuki’s association with MEDB began when she sought to establish a new media lab. She initiated a student newspaper and TV broadcast and built a STEMworks computer lab. “I never want to be considered a teacher of technology,” she said, “more like one who used technology as a way to teach how to communicate and be creative.” Suzuki’s new lab contains a variety of computers, software and cameras with at least half purchased through MEDB and its Women in Technology Project. “MEDB has been phenomenal,” she said. Suzuki and her students have also attended MEDB trainings, and her students have gone on to share their know-how with peers on Lanai and with elementary-aged pupils.
Suzuki’s career exemplifies the Focus Maui Nui value of education and fostering the well-being of young people, enabling them, if they choose, to live on Maui and become valuable, contributing members of the island’s community and good stewards of local treasures.
Jan 8, 2014 | Community, Education
The new year is an opportune time to embrace the potential for shining a light on our community, a business, a nonprofit or individuals who showcase the values of Focus Maui Nui. Our Maui community is a model of innovation, always striving for sustainable island living with the resources available in the middle of the Pacific. These have helped make Maui an incubator for new energy technology and exploration. Focus Maui Nui strengthens our community by featuring the efforts of individuals and groups who strive to foster and respect the spirit of aloha in everything they say and do. We look forward to 2014 by returning to the Focus Maui Nui vision statement devised a decade ago:
Maui Nui will be an innovative model of sustainable island living and a place where every child can grow to reach his or her potential.
The needs of each individual, the needs of our natural and cultural assets, and the needs of the whole community will be brought into balance to reflect the extremely high value we place on both the land and its people.
The education and well-being of young people will be fostered to ensure that those born on these islands can, if they choose, spend their whole lives here – raising children, owning homes, enjoying rewarding jobs, and taking advantage of opportunities to contribute to this community and to be good stewards of our local treasures.
Maui Nui will be a leader in the creation of responsible, self-sufficient communities and environmentally sound economic development.
That which makes Maui Nui unique in the world will be preserved, celebrated, and protected for generations to come.
We invite you to visit us at www.FocusMauiNui.com; call 875-2300, check us out on Facebook or sign up for a RSS feed. We value your input, and we thank you for all you do to make Maui Nui, no ka oi and unique in all the world.
Dec 18, 2013 | Education, Environment, Sustainability
Ka Honua Momona means “abundant Earth,” and a Molokai nonprofit of that name is reawakening the fertile Friendly Isle through the restoration of ancient Hawaiian fishponds on the island’s south shore. “Molokai was once known as the breadbasket of the islands due to the momona (abundance) of the land and sea,” said Kauwila Hanchett, the nonprofit’s executive director. “We believe Molokai can return to momona and become a model of sustainability for others.”
In fact, “sustainability is at the heart of all we do,” Hanchett said. “We are driven by our passion to ensure that the natural and cultural beauty of Molokai remains vibrant and strong for future generations.” Rooted in sustainability, the group is also actively engaged with nurturing young people, she said. “Training young people to become leaders through year-round and summer internships, as well as working with youth of all ages through our environmental education programs is an important part of our strategy to ensure that the resources we care for today continue to be protected in perpetuity,” Hanchett explained.
The nonprofit has 14 staff members and volunteers forming its “core team,” Hanchett said. Local school and community groups also donate more than 10,000 hours of service annually to fishpond restoration. “Together, we are removing invasive species, rebuilding the ancient rock walls surrounding the pond, and restoring the momona of Alii and Kalokoeli fishponds,” she said. The group carries out its work with five core principles: hoewe, or cultural rootedness; kahu hoilina, environmental stewardship; kuka’I ka ha, deep sharing; ka ‘imi ‘ike, lifelong learning; and mahuaola, health and well-being, Hanchett said.
Ka Honua Momona hosts Community Work Days on the third Saturday of each month. For more information, call (808) 553-8353 or visit the nonprofit’s website at www.kahonuamomona.org.
Sidebar quote
“Sustainability is at the heart of all we do.”
Kauwila Hanchett, Ka Honua Momona Executive Director
Nov 20, 2013 | Education, Innovation
A team of Molokai middle schoolers had different takes on what they most enjoyed about competing at the 2013 Maui Nui FIRST Lego League tournament. “It’s just really cool,” said Marianna Campos of the Molokai Wizard of Bots team. Teammate Kaitlin DeRouin said she liked building robots, and Taye Mowat said she wanted to see how other students built their robots. For Lana Domingo, a four-year Lego League veteran and previous winner said: “It’s awesome to win.”
No matter what the reason for competing, Wizard of Bots coach Jenn Whitted said the four girls are engaged and excited about science and math and school in general. “They are career focused. They are college focused,” she said. “They’ve really learned how to carry themselves and how to be confident in who they are and what they do.” Momi Afelin, a Molokai high school sophomore and former champion of robotics competition, served as a mentor to her younger sister, Kai’ina, and her team the Molokai Skywalkers from Kaunakakai Elementary School. “You might not walk away from here being an engineer, but you definitely will gain a lot of skills that you need for the rest of your life,” Afelin said. “I know I learned a lot of skills through robotics,” she added. Kimberly Svetin, President of Molokai Drugs, accompanied her 4th-grade son to his FIRST Lego League contest. “This teaches him stress management. All the kids are learning coping skills, and that’s awesome,” Svetin said.
The Carden Academy Mindreapers surpassed 15 teams to be crowned the overall champions of the 2013 tourney. They will represent Maui at the Dec. 7 state competition on Oahu along with the Seabury Hall Spartanbots and the Fruit Ninjas, an independent team of students. Sponsors of the local competition included Maui Economic Development Board with its Women in Technology and Ke Alahele Education Fund programs, Seabury Hall, Maui Electric Co., Friends of Hawaii Robotics and the Robotics Organizing Committee.
Nov 13, 2013 | Education
Following in the footsteps of her retired drama teacher and mentor Sue Loudon, Linda Carnevale strives to build life skills and create a family atmosphere for students at the Baldwin High School Performing Arts Center. “Most of my life has really been in the drama room and we pride ourselves on being a family here,” said Carnevale, a 1978 Baldwin grad who has been involved in one time or another with nearly every theatre group on Maui. At Baldwin, she leads the state’s only designated performing arts center on island and teaches drama in what was once the school’s auto mechanics workshop.
Prior to coming to Baldwin in 2005, Carnevale directed drama productions for all ages from kindergarteners to adults, in public and private schools and in theatre groups such as Maui Youth Theatre and Maui Community Theater. “Everybody has creativity in them,” Carnevale said she’s learned about potential performers. “They just need to have a safe environment where they can risk and let their imagination fly.” Carnevale said her goal is not to train Broadway stars, but to teach students that they can perform if they work hard at it. “Remember this is education. There are kids who are going to walk into the drama room without the perfect talent but they have the desire and wherewithal.”
Linda Carnevale, Baldwin High School performing arts center coordinator
Carnevale directs the performing arts center with a small budget that allows her to hire a choreographer, master carpenter and music director. Aside from directing the students and ensuring that music royalties are paid, she oversees publicity, programs, props and costumes. She said she relies on families and parents of students to help and grow with their student in drama. “It’s a good opportunity for moms and dads to spend time with their kids and see them shine,” Carnevale said. The drama room, Carnevale said, “is a home away from home.” Students learn to act and sing, build sets and sew their own costumes. “Not only will you learn about the magic of theatre, you will learn about working as an ensemble and about yourself.”
Oct 2, 2013 | Education, Innovation
Teachers seek new, innovative ways to stir curiosity in their students’ young minds. Soon, 5th-grade teacher Wendy Wells and 4th-grade teacher Carolyn Bush will have webcam/video access to a telescope on the Maui Research and Technology property via the Aloha Explorations Outreach Project. “We plan on using the telescope with our students for observation of the moon, sun and planets,” the teachers said. “We feel it will help promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and space explorations … It will be motivational for students as we know they will have a high interest and curiosity.”
The explorations project is a collaboration of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy and Maui Economic Development Board. The project will allow students on Maui to access the telescope via the Internet. The telescope gives K-12 teachers and college instructors real-time video-imagery of the moon and other celestial objects. Any teacher trained to use the telescope webcam may reserve a time slot, and then – while viewing the moon, for example, will have the ability to move the telescope at will to any desired location. Physical scientist Stacie Williams, who oversees community outreach activities for the Air Force Research Laboratory on Maui, said the telescope project has been in the works for two years now. Selected schools in Georgia and on Maui such as Kamalii Elementary where Bush and Wells teach will be the first to use the telescope. By fall 2014, the project hopes to offer telescope time to others on Maui as well as classrooms in Ohio and Oregon.
“I hope this telescope will get students engaged and think about what they can do in space and in science,” Williams said. “The way you connect students with science is to connect them with real world examples … This gives them a shot at being a real scientist and that’s exciting.” Bush said her students are excited about the opportunity. “Parents who’ve also heard about it are interested and glad for the opportunity for it to be used at our school,” she said.
Sep 4, 2013 | Education
“STEM career paths are the most lucrative out there.” — Ryan Churchill, MEDB Education Committee Chair
When he’s not hard at work at his job as president of Maui Land & Pineapple Co., Ryan Churchill serves as Education Committee chairman for Maui Economic Development Board. The committee oversees the Ke Alahele Education Fund and approves grants for educational projects in STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Churchill said he’s been involved with Ke Alahele for six years and during that time, more than $750,000 has been granted. “STEM initiatives are making a big difference in our schools,” he said.
Students have been inspired not only to excel in school but also to pursue STEM careers, and that provides Maui County with a skilled workforce for its burgeoning high-technology industry. “STEM career paths are the most lucrative out there,” Churchill said. It’s important to expose students early to the opportunities provided by such careers, he said. Churchill shared he has two children, ages 8 and 10, and they’re about the age when they can start exploring robotics and other science and math-related activities. “If you can start educating them at a young level about the fun of engineering, the fun of science, and then as they get older and pick their career paths or their majors in college I think you can help guide them and then after college you have great opportunities out there,” he said.
The 2013 Ke Alahele Education Fund Dinner and Auction at the Grand Wailea Resort exceeded the goal and assured MEDB’s ability to sustain its level of granting. This year’s event featured student STEM project displays, robotics challenges and a tribute to the legacy of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, a staunch MEDB and Ke Alahele supporter. Also, the crowd of more than 600 attending the dinner enjoyed Mayor Alan Arakawa and his wife, Ann, hosting a game show called “Who’s Smarter than a STEM 5th Grader?”
For more information about Ke Alahele, visit medb.org or call 875-2300.
Aug 21, 2013 | Education, Stemworks
Jasmine & Janelle Feliciano
With her eyes set on a future in engineering, 17-year-old Jasmine Feliciano worked on advancing her computer aided design (CAD) skills during a six-week summer internship. Her twin sister, Janelle, completed a separate internship at a radio station where she edited videos and designed graphics. Both said they gained valuable lifelong lessons during the STEMworks™ summer internships coordinated by the Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology project and funded in part by the Universities Space Research Association.
“This internship will help me pursue my future goals because it has already helped me achieve real working experience in the digital media field,” said Janelle, a Maui High School senior who plans to major in either graphics or journalism in college. “It pushes me to work harder because you never know where opportunities such as this internship may take you.” Janelle worked for the Pacific Media Group in Kahului where she was challenged with creating their new Real Estate Maui Now Magazine videos. “I learned that you cannot always have the video the way you pictured it because there will always be changes that need to be made,” she said. Meanwhile, Jasmine worked at Goodfellow Brothers in the Kihei baseyard where she was assigned to work on modeling the Airport Access Road and the Lanai Airport in a CAD format. She said she’s gained a better appreciation for civil engineering and that the internship has peaked her interests in mechanical and electrical engineering.
The twins said they would recommend the internship to other students interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. “I would encourage STEMworks™ student to apply for an internship because they will gain more experience and knowledge in the field they will be working in,” Jasmine said. “More importantly, they will figure out whether they like it and want to pursue it, or try something else.” Internships were also supported by the Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company, Ardent Management Consulting, Esri, the Institute for Astronomy, Waipoli Farm, Hawaii P-20, and US Department of Labor.
*STEMworks is a project-based course developed and administered by MEDB applying technology tools to service-learning
