Jul 16, 2014 | Education
In reflecting on how young people are encouraged to tell stories in Akaku’s Youth Broadband Education and Awareness Mentoring program, Akaku Education Director Kat Tracy pointed to the Apple computer company founder and visionary Steve Jobs. Jobs “envisioned putting the tools to create stories on devices that we carry with us, in essence, to democratize the media,” she said. “Pew Reports indicate that up to 89 percent of the public own smart devices with video capability, outnumbering ownership of desktop computers. That is how we are encouraged to use the technology to tell stories, by owning it. But, owning it alone won’t be enough, we need training on how to effectively, and responsibly, use those tools.”
Tracy said STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) “embraces technology, and in video what sits between your idea or message is technology. It is the bridge you must cross to share your story.” Akaku’s youth education and mentoring program received a grant from the Maui Economic Development Board’s Ke Alahele Education Fund. “MEDB demonstrates a true intention of supporting STEM education and training for Maui Nui youth through support of numerous innovative initiatives. I feel like we stand among giants! This support also enables us to be good community partners, as well as create new ones.”
Tracy said the grant was instrumental in allowing Akaku to expand its mobile journalism program, Project YBEAM, to Molokai through purchase of additional equipment and support for curriculum training of its part-time Molokai educational coordinator. “Seeing the launch projects there and the enthusiasm from the youth and public there really solidifies that this expansion will be well served,” she said. Tracy said Akaku’s students continue to speak about learning how to interview people for stories and how that builds their self-confidence. MEDB established the Ke Alahele Education Fund to power up STEM Education in Maui County. This year’s Ke Alahele Education Dinner and Auction will be held Aug. 23 at the Grand Wailea Resort. For more information, call 875-2300, or visit www.medb.org
Jul 9, 2014 | Education
HNu Photonics is reinforcing its growing reputation as a leading high technology company in Hawaii. Recently, the Maui-based company was selected by the Biotech International Organization for its “Buzz of BIO” Award for “Technologies of Tomorrow.” HNu received 1,921 online votes en route to winning the award for its cutting-edge technology designed for use aboard the International Space Station, according to Dan O’Connell, the CEO of HNu Photonics. O’Connell said the “Buzz of BIO” award is a testament to the tremendous support his company receives from Maui’s business and technology community.
“This award is a demonstration of Hawaii’s commitment to community and partnership,” he said. “This award is a win for all of us, and we hope to bring attention to Hawaii.” In 2013, the HNu-nanoPOINT Division exhibited its patented microfluidic system in the state-supported Hawaii Pavilion at the BIO conference in Chicago. Executives from the Center for Advancement of Science in Space “were overwhelmed by the capabilities of our technology and discussions ensued,” he said. “CASIS is NASA’s sole manager of the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory. The mission of CASIS is to maximize use of this unparalleled platform for innovation, which can benefit all humankind and inspire a new generation to look to the stars.”
HNu-nanoPOINT was eventually selected to deliver two fully space-ready microfluidic systems to NASA – one for deployment aboard the International Space Station and the other for astronaut training, he said. Designed with stem-cell studies in mind, the microfluidics system is “a multipurpose in-vivo platform, where cell maintenance and reagent delivery are automated and cells imaged with varying time-course options viewed remotely through a wireless connection at the researchers’ convenience.” Calling it a “laboratory-on-a-chip platform,” O’Connell said it “incorporates the size and durability characteristics that make it ideal for space-based deployments such as onboard the International Space Station. Its miniaturized and automated sub-components … are uniquely designed for space-based applications and are capable of many other biological analyses in microgravity conditions in addition to stem cell research.” HNu has a long-standing relationship with MEDB, covering a broad spectrum of entrepreneurial ventures and renewable energy projects. Most recently, Hnu is responsible for the design and installation of another photovoltaic system at MEDB’s center.
Jul 2, 2014 | Education
Driven by her love for math and desire to give back to the community, 17-year-old Jasmine Doan founded the Maui Math Circle. She completed the first year of the project with the support of Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology Project; her school, Seabury Hall; and the new Puu Kukui Elementary School in Wailuku, where the community service program is held. It works like this: Middle and high school students like Doan and her peers get together once a month to teach advanced math concepts and problem solving skills to 3rd, 4th- and 5th-graders during after-school hours. There are as many as 15 volunteers matched up with 50 to 75 younger students.
Doan describes the project as a math enrichment, not a tutoring session. “It’s supposed to be for students who really want to learn more about advanced math. We try to make it fun and encourage the students to be creative in how they approach math,” she said. Doan has long enjoyed math, having finished Advanced Placement Calculus in the 6th grade. She hopes to work either as a computer science engineer or an entrepreneur, like her parents, Jason and Shirley Doan of Kahului. “I just love math. I think a lot of people don’t see that math is such a creative process,” she said. “I like how it’s kind of like a puzzle.”
Heading into her senior year, Doan serves as a competitor and coach for middle and high school-aged students in a variety of math competitions. As captain of her school’s math team, Doan spearheaded a win in state competition this past May. Maui Math Circle is on summer break and will return in September when Doan will serve on an advisory board with the goal of continuing the project even after she leaves the island for college.
For more information, visit: https://www.sites.google.com/site/mauimathcircle808/home or https://www.facebook.com/MauiMathCircle
Jun 11, 2014 | Education
A Ke Alahele Education Fund grant for Montessori School of Maui was intended to support its engineering and robotics programs plus help provide a practical learning environment for students to enhance their skills in science, technology, engineering and math or STEM. But it went beyond that, according to Thomas Daubert, the school’s director of development. “In its first year, our after-school Robotics and Engineering studios have provided a fun learning environment for up to 16 students each session,” he said. “The students came away with increased skill development and a new way to perceive themselves and the physical world around them,” Daubert said.
At Montessori, students work in teams to learn the mechanics of simple machines, basic electronic circuits, polarity, magnetism and more. Jason Verkaart, the Robotics studio coordinator, is also a parent of a student at the school. Each session culminates in a fun competitive race or game using the vehicles and systems constructed throughout a course. “Our students have become very excited about seeing the physical application of math, engineering and science coursework and have personally experienced the enthusiasm of a parent working within his profession,” Daubert said.
Daubert said the program was a good fit for a Montessori school with its strong emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning. “As a Montessori school, on a daily basis, we work to develop the interests of each unique student through practical collaborative work, which is the basis for a successful Robotics program. This is a great fit for our school, and we look forward to finding even greater connective points between this after-school studio and our core curriculum activities in the coming year.” MEDB established the Ke Alahele Education Fund to power up STEM Education in Maui County. This year’s Ke Alahele Education Fund Dinner and Auction will be held Aug. 23 at the Grand Wailea Resort. Call 875-2300, or www.medb.org
May 14, 2014 | Education
Kualapu’u School teacher Susan Forbes began her Ke Alahele Education Fund grant project with a goal – field a competitive robotics team. It was a building year at the Molokai K-6 charter school and this year the students were not ready to compete. The hope is that soon the returning students will have enough foundational knowledge to handle the robotics materials and that program hours can be expanded to give students enough time to complete their projects, Forbes said.
While she was unable to immediately field a competitive robotics team, Forbes was able to adapt how she trains the students. “I no longer ‘train’ the students individually,” she said. “Instead, I train one student at a time, with the expectation that the student will go on to train another student and so on. This works well and results in students becoming better listeners and observers during the initial teaching,” Forbes explained. All the team members, except two, were exposed to robotics for the first time this school year, Forbes said. “At the end of the year, all participating students learned how to build, program and operate a robot. In addition, the problem-solving format of the challenges promoted perseverance, higher-order thinking, and teamwork – since difficult problems are best tasked out to groups. The students also learned “how to work with one another and to develop their own values and character,” Forbes said.
STEM education incorporates knowledge of science, math and technology with creativity in design and engineering, she said. And, by incorporating the components into one, “student engagement and learning are enhanced.” Forbes said schools should support education in science, technology, engineering and math “not only so that their students see the connection between problems, ideas and solutions/products, but also that their students are better prepared for the types of careers that await them.” MEDB established the Ke Alahele Education Fund to power up STEM Education in Maui County. This year’s Ke Alahele Education Fund Dinner and Auction will be held August 23 at the Grand Wailea Resort. Call 875-2300, or go to www.medb.org.
May 7, 2014 | Education, Innovation
King Kekaulike High School students used their developing skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to help special needs students overcome a lack of fine-motor skills to create works of art. The project was one of the highlights at the Hawaii STEM Conference held May 2-3 at the Wailea Marriott Resort. “I really enjoy science. I really enjoy art, and STEM shows you that you can bring science and art together,” said sophomore Maya Ooki. She and her classmates Jeremie Amano and junior Rosie Kulhavy-Sutherland made up King Kekaulike’s Program Impact Assessment (PIA) Team. The team was tapped as the overall winner of the PIA competition at the conference.
Using 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD), senior A.J. Ramelb created a paintbrush using Solidworks – a 3D CAD program. The 3D CAD design was then printed with their 3D printer allowing Kekaulike’s students with special needs to grip a paintbrush well enough to paint. “It was a really cool project because we used STEM to benefit our community,” Ooki said. King Kekaulike students also won several of the conference software competitions – including the Hackathon competition, the on-site 3D CAD contest and the on-site video competition. Overall, the students from King Kekaulike’s STEMworks lab were those who exemplified the qualities of a successful lab – high-tech resource integration, teamwork, service learning, professional skills, project development and community impact, among others. Each school team developed and gave a 10-minute presentation to judges, including five minutes for questions and answers. Students were judged on self-directed learning, critical thinking and problem solving, teamwork, resource integration, community involvement and collaboration.
The two-day conference drew more than 400 students and educators, and about 75 industry professionals. The event hosted representatives of some of the world’s most innovative technology companies – Google, National Geographic Education, Apple for Education, Chevron and more. The conference’s theme was “Innovate, Empower. Impact the World through STEM.” Presented by the Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology Project, the statewide STEM conference allows students to have first-hand exposure to advanced in-demand technologies, the latest software training and real world challenges in the form of fun, hands-on team competitions. For more information visit http://womenintech.com/HawaiiSTEMConference/.
Apr 30, 2014 | Education, Stemworks
A STEMworks™ internship turned out to be a launching pad for Andres “AJ” Ramelb and his pursuit of a career in computers. Putting it in the words of the King Kekaulike High School senior, Ramelb said: “When I had all this technology through my STEMworks™ program at my disposal, it really boosted my interest.” Ramelb sought and earned a STEMworks™ internship at Ardent through the Women in Technology Project, a statewide workforce initiative at Maui Economic Development Board.
The STEMworks™ program provides students with access to high tech tools, software training, project design, career exposure, and internship opportunities to learn from mentors and gain real-world job experience, knowledge and skills they’ll need when they join the 21st century workforce. Following his internship and his experiences with his school’s robotics team, STEMworks™ and a course in design technology, Ramelb said he acquired a “good feel” for the work behind computer programming, software analysis and Web site design. He said the summer STEMworks™ internship led to his decision to devise a senior project that featured converting a broken arcade machine into a MAME cabinet. MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. Ramelb used the old shell of the broken arcade game to house a new one. “I wired and programmed the control panel for the cabinet and found an open source platform to run three games – Pac-Man, Galaga and Street Fighter III,” he said.
Ramelb said he’s always liked math and computers, but it wasn’t until the STEMworks™ internship that he realized a career in computers was possible. His plans after high school graduation are to seek a liberal arts degree from the University of Hawaii Maui College and then pursue more studies in either engineering or computer technology. “I can see myself with a future in computers and technology,” he said. In order to be eligible for a STEMworks™ internship, applicants must be STEMworks™ program participants. Slots are available on every island throughout the state. For more information, call MEDB at 875-2300, or visit: www.medb.org
Apr 23, 2014 | Education, Stemworks
Sadie Mossman holds a perfect attendance record at the Hawaii Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Conference presented by Maui Economic Development Board. “MEDB always brings in great resources at the conference and I come away every year learning something,” said Mossman, a 13-year teaching veteran from King Kekaulike High School.
For the fifth consecutive year, the STEM conference is expected to draw hundreds of students statewide to Maui to celebrate STEM learning projects and connect with others who share their interests in science and technology, math and engineering. Experts from innovative companies such as Google and National Geographic provide hands-on STEM lessons and help conference participants apply their STEM skills in competitions. Professional development workshops for teachers are also offered at the conference. A limited number of spots are still open for the first day of the conference – May 2nd from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Wailea Marriott Resort & Spa. Cost is $20 per teacher and includes lunch. The online registration link is: http://stemconference2014.eventbrite.com. Contact Lesley Bristol at bristol@medb.org or call 875-2332.
Mossman, who teaches biology and bio-technology to 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders, said the annual conference has challenged her and her students to approach lessons in science, math and technology in ways they’ve never done. “For me in science, it’s helped me get comfortable with the Internet and the different resources and teaching tools available,” she said.
“It also helps to create a bridge between what my students want to do and what resources are available.” Mossman said she appreciates the opportunity to connect with experts in the science and technology field as well as teaching peers from around the state. “MEDB and the STEM conference really provide an opportunity for teachers to create connections and collaborate,” she said.
Apr 9, 2014 | Education, Stemworks
Baldwin High School robotics team captain Joey Albright has been accepted into six colleges with plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. He says his experience with robot building and the task of writing grants to fund the robotics team helped him to succeed. “STEM education is important. It paid off for me,” said Albright, who has been on the Baldwin robotics team since his freshman year.
Albright took charge in his junior and senior year with applying for monetary support from the Maui Economic Development Board’s Ke Alahele Education Fund Program. “Getting money was number one for me. We can’t be competitive without funding,” Albright said. He said he gladly accepted the duties of grant writer because he wanted to improve his writing skills. “I thought it was a great opportunity to get experience and skills to apply for colleges and for scholarships,” he said. “I learned the importance of meeting deadlines, of dealing with different types of people and just working with a team. I think it was definitely worth it.” Albright said his fellow Baldwin Robotics Club members helped with writing for other private grants including Sean Endo and Aubrey Unemori.
Albright graduates in a few weeks, having competed on the state and national level. He said he would encourage new students to sign up for robotics. “The best thing for freshmen is to stick with it, no matter how much it takes,” Albright said. Since 2007, more than $740,000 in grants has been awarded to schools and students and their STEM education programs and projects. This year’s Ke Alahele Education Fund Dinner and Auction will be held Aug. 23 at the Grand Wailea Resort. Sponsorships opportunities are available. Contact MEDB at cari@medb.org; call 875-2300, or visit: www.medb.org/KeAlahele/overview.cfm
