Dec 1, 2011 | Education, Stemworks
Eleventh-grader Cheska Liwag never dreamed of a career in engineering until she enrolled in the Maui High School robotics program. Robotics has been at the heart of many opportunities for Cheska, one of 45 students at Maui High immersed in robotics and in competitions across the county and in the state. “Robotics has helped me to grow and make new friends. I’ve learned a lot about team work and what it takes to compete,” Liwag said. The Maui High School Robotics Program is one of a dozen recipients receiving grants totaling more than $51,000 in the final quarter of 2011. Funding comes from the Maui Economic Development Board’s Ke Alahele Education Fund.
The latest distribution of funds has gone to support a variety of programs that encourage hands-on experiences and learning in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields. The money enables students to compete in state robotics tournaments, provides professional development for teachers and helps to procure needed equipment for various projects in science and technology. For Maui High, the grant money has been the means to compete at the upcoming Pan Pacific tournament on Oahu. Liwag serves as captain on a team of six students from her school. “We’re excited,” she said.
Among others receiving grants this past quarter are:
Molokai Robotics (FIRST Lego League), $4,991; to support three teams from Kaunakakai Elementary and Kualapu’u Elementary schools to compete in a Maui tournament, as well as robotics equipment and supplies.
Kalama Intermediate School PLUG-INN project (Problem- Based Learning Using Geodatabases: Innovative Native Network), $5,000; for STEM collaboration between Kalama students and schools in Alaska, including shoreline field trips, use of GIS wireless technologies, and shared collaborative data analysis.
Maui Navigators (FIRST Lego League), $3,655; for robotics equipment and supplies for Central Maui robotics club for 9-14 year olds.
Hawaii State Science Olympiad, $5,000; for participation by approximately 200 students from 10 Maui County schools in statewide hands-on, team-based science competition and program.
Iao School VEX Robotics program, $3,989; for competition by middle school team at VEX competition at the Maui Fair and regional tournament on Oahu.
Oct 27, 2011 | Education
Retired educators Pat and Richard Endsley of Lahaina have built an after-school tutoring project that serves more than 300 children a year in West Maui. They say they could not have achieved success without the generosity of some 100 adult tutors and 70 high school students. They also give credit to their major sponsors — the County of Maui, Susan Bendon and her family in Paia, Debbie and Stuart Katz and their nonprofit Beyond the Rainbow and Aina Nalu. The Rotary Clubs in West Maui have also chipped in money and the Old Lahaina Luau and the Ritz-Carlton have provided volunteer tutors.
“You have to have a whole gamut of people who will help you,” Pat Endsley said. “Without them we could not do this.” The tutoring itself is free. In addition to being tutors, the Endsleys oversee other duties including tutor recruitment and training, ordering of books and supplies and maintaining a budget. The tutoring project costs approximately $26,000 to operate but none of the money is used for salaries. Expenses covered by a County grant and donations from businesses and residents include bus transportation, snacks, books and other tutoring supplies for the students.
Pat and Richard Endsley welcome volunteers from the Kaunoa Senior Service Volunteer Program while also being participants themselves. They say the majority of their tutors are retirees, of which only a handful are experienced in education. In addition, Lahainaluna High School students also help 4th-graders with math assignments. While the tutoring program focuses on skills in math and reading, the Endsleys were able to fulfill Pat’s dream to add extracurricular activities including lessons in history, ukulele and other creative arts. “To me the program’s perfect now,” Pat Endsley said. The Endsleys started ‘Wednesday Is Tutoring Day’ at one school in the year 2000 and have expanded it to three days of the week at all four public schools on the West Side.
Oct 13, 2011 | Education
Science teacher Maggie Prevenas working on location at Portage Glacier, AK
Award-winning science teacher Margaret “Maggie” Prevenas shares her passion for learning by escorting her students outside the classroom. “As a teacher, I need to bring my students outside and into their environment so they can really see how it works,” she said. Over the course of one school year, the Kalama Intermediate School teacher and a colleague took 7th graders to the Waihee coastline and a protected reserve to see and study first-hand the richness and resources of the land and ocean in the area. This particular exercise was made possible through a Ke Alahele Fund grant administered by Maui Economic Development Board. Prevenas deemed the project “wildly successful,” particularly with “rascal” pupils who turn into engaging students. “Outside in the environment, they are wizards, they are leaders,” she said. “Not all kids are going to be scientists but science is going to play an active role in their future on Maui and they can learn how to be good stewards of their environment.”
Prevenas continues to improve her eight-year teaching career by learning more about how she can best serve her students. Earlier this year, she was awarded an Endeavor Fellowship with NASA. The project provides live, online training for K-12 educators who are working to earn a certificate in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. “I’m trying to understand how my students learn so I can light their fire and get them to take over stewardship of the Earth and the environment they live in,” she said. Her lessons in Waihee have focused on global climate and ocean acidification. Prevenas’ mantra has been “let no child be left inside” which represents her stance that students learn best by engaging and connecting with the world they live in. “They all get to see how unspoiled, how beautiful Maui truly is and then they can become aware of this when global climate changes happen.”
Aug 24, 2011 | Education
The Ke Alahele Education Fund has freed Iao School robotics advisor Jayne Hori from worries about fundraising and allowed her and her students to focus on learning. “It fits perfectly with STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) standards and learning opportunities,” she said. Both of Hori’s children, Taylor, a high school senior, and Trent, a sophomore, have benefited from a grant in their middle school days and now in high school. “They both are not afraid of taking STEM type classes or programs in and out of school,” Hori said. Instead of raising funds for travel, Hori said she and her students pour their energy in preparing and then participating in robotics tournaments.
“The Ke Alahele Education Fund has impacted me personally and professionally,” Hori said. Grants have helped pay for registration fees, robotics kits, extra robotic equipment and parts, laptops and travel. According to Hori, a lot of grant making institutions do not pay for travel. “It takes a lot of the worry out of the way when you receive funding from Maui Economic Development Board. The students can concentrate on their project and the parents don’t have to worry about how they going to come up with the money to pay for their child’s travel expenses.” She said it would be hard on students if they worked on robotic projects and then didn’t have a venue to share and test their knowledge. Hori said MEDB’s Ke Alahele Education Fund opportunities are also open to community civic groups such as 4-H and Boy and Girl Scouts, and fund all kinds of STEM activities, not just robotics.
“A Pathway to the Future,” a benefit dinner and auction for the fund, will be held on August 27th at 4:30 p.m. in the Grand Wailea Resort. Guests include U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye and Ms. Irene Hirano, and Mayor Alan Arakawa and Ann Arakawa. For tickets, which are $150 per person, call 875-2300 or visit medb.org.
Jul 27, 2011 | Education
With 30 years of teaching experience, Karolyn Mossman knows what works in the classroom. Yet the Kalama Intermediate School teacher says that what happens outside of the classroom — at home — can really make a difference in the academic success of students. Parents and guardians can help by showing they care about their children’s school work and by creating a home environment that sets them up for success.
Keiki thrive on consistent routines, she says. “Bedtime, meal time, study time and leisure time are essential for most children,” Mossman says. “It also means building in adequate time for eating and resting. Sleep is a regenerative process. Children’s brains need rest for learning, retaining, thinking and using all the information we want them to take in.” She also recommends parents try to free their children of distractions, like television, and check on homework. However, says Mossman, “They don’t have to get everything right all the time. Avoid the temptation of doing it for them. If they rush through it at home without effort, correct them by focusing on the effort, not on the product. “If they have no homework, or say they have no homework, have them read, or write a journal entry for an age-appropriate period of time — TV off, video games not allowed. Get them into the routine of completing an academic task at home for a specified period of time daily.”
As students head back to school, Mossman recommends checking their backpacks daily during the year for notes from teachers. “Communication is best when both the family and the school can share perspectives and collaborate for the student’s best progress,” says Mossman, a longtime leader in the Hawaii State Teachers Association. She reminds parents and guardians not to forget about their child’s stomach. “Eating properly increases your children’s wellness and school success,” she says. “Worry less about weight than about healthy food habits.”
Jun 29, 2011 | Education
Maui students compete in the First Lego League VEX competition
Our children today are more sophisticated at younger ages. They are using advanced technology in their classrooms and are setting directions for themselves even before they enter middle school. To keep up with this trend, building skills in STEM needs to begin at an earlier age.
A recent study by an MIT Aerospace Engineering assistant professor, Dr. Annlisa Weigel, reinforces that point. Weigel’s report, “Survey of Aerospace Student Attitudes,” analyzes causes of a shortage of aerospace engineers.
One element stands out: two-thirds of the engineering students reported they became interested in their career choice before they were teenagers. Weigel found 35 % of the students developed an interest in aerospace engineering when they were 5 to 9 years old; 27% at 10 to 13.
Her study focused on aerospace engineers. But her findings on recruiting students validate the significance of programs that introduce students to STEM at an early age, such as the FIRST LEGO League Robotics programs for students beginning in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Half of the 10 Ke Alahele grants awarded to Maui Robotics programs in 2010-11 were to elementary and intermediate school LEGO League teams.
The MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund is just one of multiple MEDB programs that work to nurture STEM skills in our students. Whether that foundation inspires a student to create the next IPad app for telemedicine, to become the best EV mechanic on Maui, to improve water resources or to grow our own food cost effectively, a STEM education broadens the life-long options for our children.
Fund The Journey
Help to empower Maui County’s youth by joining us for “A Pathway to Our Future” benefit dinner and auction which supports the MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund.
Held at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa on Saturday, August 27th, the event will headline Distinguished Educators U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, his wife Ms. Irene Hirano and Mayor Alan Arakawa and his wife Ann. The Reception will begin at 4:30 pm with hand-on activities for guests and a silent auction; followed by dinner and a live auction at 6:30 pm.
Sponsorships are available and event tickets are $150 per person. For reservations or for more information, contact Maui Economic Development Board, Inc. at 808-875-2300 or visit www.medb.org.
Grantees Progress Report
Fund recipients have been working hard on various STEM-related programs. Here’s a look at their progress.
4-H Dirt Devils
The 4-H Dirt Devils scored big during the 60th annual National Land and Range Judging Contest in Oklahoma City. Members tested their individual and team skills against teams from 38 states evaluating land characteristics (topsoil, subsoil slope and plant life). Team member Tyler Yamada was named National Champion in the Homesite Evaluation, Individual category. In Land Judging 4-H competition, the 4-H Dirt Devils team of Ashley Malek, Devin Vinoray, Jared Shimada and Taylor Hori placed fourth. Ashley Malek placed 8th in the individual category.
4th grade class at Kula Elementary
This past semester, students in Mrs. Gordon’s 4th grade class at Kula Elementary learned how to properly care for their new microscopes, and also worked on identifying and comparing animal cells and plant cells, and identifying protozoa: ameba, paramecium, and euglena.
During the 2nd Annual Maui District Arts and Communication Performance Based Assessment on April 28-29 at UH Maui College, 12 Teams from Baldwin High, Hana High, King Kekaulike High, Maui High, Maui Waena Intermediate and Molokai High competed to create an advertising campaign for a program at UHMC. A five student team from Maui High took first place honors. The winning team included Ryan Bartolome, Kaizzer Fernandez, Eli-Ana Dickson, Aaron Lopez and Regina Prudenciano.
Jun 2, 2011 | Education
Fund recipients have been working hard on various STEM-related programs. Here’s a look at their progress.
On March 7-13, Maui Waena Media Club members competed in a national competition in Florida where they created a news show based on the word “obsession.” It was their first year competing and they had only 16 hours to plan, shoot and edit the entire show. View their video on School Tube.
Fun, 2, 3 Preschool in Kula are excitedly counting down the days until the eggs in their new incubator start hatching. The teachers and students are delighted with their new learning tools – books, incubator and printer – which have enhanced their school’s curriculum.
Students at Pomaikai Elementary School continue to grow their “Green Dream” project. The Green Dream outdoor classroom is a garden area at their school which not only helps students propagate plants for Waihe`e, but it is also teaching our budding youth about sustainability through hands-on experiences. Visit the Pomaikai Elementary School website to learn more.
Jun 2, 2011 | Education
For the third consecutive year, the Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, will be a Tutor Sponsor for the MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund benefit dinner and auction.
“Any investment in our keiki will pay dividends for generations to come,” said Matt Bailey, Grand Wailea’s managing director. “In this regard, MEDB leads the charge and works tirelessly to help Maui educators provide our keiki with the skills they will need to lead our community into the future. Grand Wailea is proud to play a small part in this effort.”
Matt Bailey
In addition to serving as venue for the August 27 event, Grand Wailea is also generously offering a special rate for this year’s attendees.
- $169 per night (plus portage, housekeeping + applicable taxes)
- Daily resort charge waived
- Overnight valet parking waived (if used)
- Room rate available between August 24-31, 2011
Call Grand Wailea at 808-875-1234 to make your room reservations. Mention the MEDB event rate and reference “MEDB” when booking your room. Limited number of rooms available. For more information on this year’s MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund benefit dinner and auction, click here.
Apr 21, 2011 | Education, Stemworks
In Celebration of EARTH DAY and in honor of teachers, students and parents worldwide, download the Clean Energy Hawaii STEM iPad App from iTunes on April 22nd!
Download the app on iTunes ->
Read the Press Release ->
Eleventh-grader Cheska Liwag never dreamed of a career in engineering until she enrolled in the Maui High School robotics program. Robotics has been at the heart of many opportunities for Cheska, one of 45 students at Maui High immersed in robotics and in competitions across the county and in the state. “Robotics has helped me to grow and make new friends. I’ve learned a lot about team work and what it takes to compete,” Liwag said. The Maui High School Robotics Program is one of a dozen recipients receiving grants totaling more than $51,000 in the final quarter of 2011. Funding comes from the Maui Economic Development Board’s Ke Alahele Education Fund.
