Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) STEMworks™ recently led its 21st annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED). Held in conjunction with National Engineering Week, IGED helps to build and strengthen Hawaii’s workforce by encouraging girls, women, and underrepresented groups into STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education and careers.
“Virtually every field in every sector of the economy is needing STEM professionals—people who are literate and fluent in various technology subjects,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “To meet this need, STEMworks empowers our youth to be self-directed learners, to be resilient, to stay current and be adaptive to change, and, most importantly, to have the confidence that they can succeed.”
Designed to create interest in the field of engineering, IGED inspired over 50 middle-school-aged girls from across Maui County to pursue engineering and technology careers and raised awareness of the contributions engineers make to the community. “This memorable day-long event included an educational video showcasing the various types of engineering careers, as well as a fun, hands-on engineering activity,” said Katie Taladay, STEMworks Program Manager. “It is important for STEMworks to provide and develop innovative community-based events, such as IGED, which are designed to plan for Hawaii’s future generations.”
Due to the global pandemic, this year the IGED event was virtual, free, and open to 6th – 8th grade girls. The agenda included a welcome with helpful information about STEM opportunities, and panel discussions followed by breakout sessions with female engineers and female students majoring in engineering. The speakers shared the pathway into their careers, role models they had, and challenges they faced. Each participant who registered ahead of time was mailed a kit to create a robot circuit popup card.During this activity, students learned about the engineering design process, simple circuits and problem solving.
Wilkins added, “STEMworks continues to train students as well as teachers in industry-standard software and engineering design practices using hands-on curriculum, regional conferences, and workshops. We work with educators, industry partners and the community to build a thriving STEM education-to-workforce pipeline throughout Hawaii. We are making a difference!”
The Mayor of Maui made an official proclamation for February 25th to be IGED Day for Maui County. Ashely Otomo, a professional civil engineer; Alyza Leyva, a student from Maui Waena; and I met the mayor to accept the proclamation
The first in-person Maui TechOhana meeting in 2023 on ‘The Future of Work’ reflected the pent-up demand for these discussions. Maui TechOhana meetings, organized by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), Inc., and supported by the County of Maui, provide an informal networking opportunity open to anyone interested in Maui County’s innovation industries. Events include a presentation on a topic in business or technology, followed by the opportunity to talk with others with similar professional interests.
TechOhana’s guest speaker, Jen Chiu, has worked on a Design-Led Innovation team at Google that explores how the future might look in a hybrid/remote work environment through immersive experiences such as virtual reality. Chiu has led teams to create innovative products that deliver on strategic objectives. She loves the challenge of using design and motion to translate complex ideas into creative messages, and has been nominated for an Emmy for her broadcast design work. She was awarded a Platinum Hermes Creative Award for a video she edited and animated.
In addition to the future of work, Chiu also talked story about her winding and diverse career path in technology. Coming from a management consulting, UX strategy and planning, and an entrepreneurial background, she has led cross-functional teams across high-tech, start-ups, media and non-profits such as Facebook, HBO, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and government organizations. Discussion topics on the future of work included the need to stay close to profit centers, understand the political climate, and to be aware of AI automating many of our work roles.
“The future of work is unpredictable,” Chiu explained. “How it gets done over the next decade, will be influenced by technological, generational and social shifts. The pandemic-driven changes in work models have created a range of challenges and opportunities for employers and the workforce, including how best to attract, retain and engage employees and offer them the value and purpose they now expect from work.”
TechOhana participant Bogdan Udrea said, “There were so many valuable takeaways from hearing and sharing personal experiences with challenges and successes. This is an amazing community gathering for networking.”
It is important to know how to recruit, re-skill, and retain technology talent for the future of work, and build organizational resilience through a hybrid workforce.
Jen Chiu, Senior Program Manager
On Maui, Black History Month began with the reading and presentation of a proclamation by County Managing Director Kekuhaupio Akana on behalf of Mayor Richard Bissen, Jr., declaring January 16th Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Meeting at the Stone of Hope monument fronting the County building, organizers of the commemorative gathering were led by the African Americans On Maui (AAOMA) vice-president Leslee D. Matthews, Esq., andothers from the community. The mission of the association is to enlighten and inform communities across Hawaii and the globe about the history, culture, contributions, and experiences of people of African descent.
AAOMA also celebrated Black History Month with community service programs and an online event featuring keynote speeches, prayers, poems and songs. The theme for 2023, “Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems”, is also the vision of Matthews. Attorney, social worker and advocate, Matthews is president of the Maui County Bar Association, is the immediate past president of the African American Lawyers Association of Hawaii, and also serves as Special Counsel to the Judiciary. Additionally, she is a lecturer at the University of Hawaii, where she earned her Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law.
As founder and managing attorney of Speak Out & Up Law, LLLC, Matthews’ legal empowerment law firm, her focus is on working to end violence against women and girls and enhancing services provided to underserved communities.
“Growing up on Maui, I always believed that the law should be used to do more helping than harming,” Matthews noted. “As an advocate for social justice, it is a blessing for my law firm to partner with members of the community, and to speak out for and elevate the voices of those who have been silenced. As vice-president of AAOMA, I hope to continue serving the community with nonprofit organizations, schools, and whomever calls on us. From time spent planting and harvesting kalo, to helping restore native forests in Kahikinui, to spending time working in communities, I am so thankful for all the life lessons that ‘ohana along the way have taught me.”
AAOMA guest speakers gave a heartfelt overview of the importance of African American history, culture and education, all bringing more awareness to what really matters: a community where love prevails.
Leslee Matthews, Lawyer, Social Worker, Advocate
Through the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) STEMworks™ Ag Business & Technology Internship program, students in grades 9-12 and college undergraduates have the opportunity to gain experience in multiple industries within the agriculture sector of the economy to find their interests, build their resume, and become career ready.
“During this time, our STEMworks interns are busy using industry-standard technologies to develop a service-learning project to improve their community,” said Britney James, STEMworks Agriculture Program Specialist. “The program is designed to prepare students with real-world, hands-on career exposure, college and employability skill-building opportunities, and industry networking experiences. Along the way, interns worked tirelessly on creative and critical thinking as well as their professional and software skills.”
James added, “The students who participated in the recent Internship Program gained many workforce readiness skills, including time management, having to balance full-time school and the internship. Some of them even had a second job! They are all exceptional individuals and I am excited to say that many of them now plan to pursue careers in agriculture after participating in this internship.”
“The showcase featured 11 interns from seven host companies with eight mentors,” explained Aileen Kim, Baldwin High School 9th grader. “I interned at WaiPono Farm at the University of Hawaii Maui College Sustainable Living Institute where I learned aquaponics and hydroponics greenhouse. During this time, I was able to raise tilapia fish and grow community resources, while also learning about the systems which help create a healthy life for both our fish and plants. Our greenhouse grows community resources such as bok choy, lettuce, tomatoes and zucchini, and shares these resources with others.”
Lei’ohu Turley, Seabury Hall 11th grader, reflected on her experience, “My internship was at Noho’ana Farm, an energy self-sufficient, family-run farm situated on two acres of kuleana (privileged responsibility) land. Along with kalo, other important Hawaiian crops are cultivated at the farm using traditional, sustainable, and organic farming practices. I learned about irrigation and water resource management, using farm equipment, and planting and harvesting crops. Now, I also have a deeper appreciation for cultural values and environmental issues.”
I hope to continue my internship. Mahalo to STEMworks and Noho’ana Farm for this opportunity!
Lei’ohu Turley, Seabury Hall student
Tai Baird, a special-education fourth-grade inclusion teacher at Lihikai Elementary was a speaker at the 2022 Schools of the Future conference (SOTF) in Honolulu. SOTF is the largest annual event of its nature in the State and enables teachers and administrators across the islands’ public, private, and charter schools, to reflect upon how schools can better serve Hawaii’s children. Baird’s talk was about ‘My Digital Voyage’ (MDV), an online software program she helped create to teach children about internet safety. The Hawaiian characters in MDV, Hoku, a sea star, her parents, her tutu, and other classmates, learn lessons on how to be digital citizens.
A dedicated kumu, Baird always goes out of her way to make sure her students get the best opportunities available. “MDV is a thoughtful elementary learning series in digital citizenship and internet safety,” she explained. “Led by University of Hawaii specialist Thanh Truc T. Nguyen, it is part of a larger project called Web and Internet Safe Educated (WISE) Kids created by the Curriculum Research & Development Group at the University of Hawaii College of Education. We encourage schools and parents to visit the MDV online stories with children to engage in conversations about online safety measures. There is also a complimentary version of the program with a coloring book that contains lessons about being respectful and considerate when talking to others online, cyberstalking and bullying, and the continuous act of harassment, embarrassment, or intimidation via digital communication devices such as the computer, the cell phone, and other online social networks.”
Baird added, “The team intentionally included student developers, which increased teacher understanding of how the students are experiencing their blended realities of online and offline presence. The MDV lessons and curriculum are designed for all learners. You can use it as you wish and also expand it with math and science crossword puzzles, writing exercises, and more. Plus, there is an MDV student pledge to be a safe and responsible user of technology, to make healthy decisions online and offline, to check with trusted adults, and to listen, learn and respect different ideas.”
Throughout MDV, the student-teacher teams lead participants through curriculum units that can be adapted at their schools. Families are also encouraged to engage in these conversations.
Tai Baird, Lihikai Elementary School
One hundred and fifty middle school students and their STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) educators were welcomed by the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference on September 30 at the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott. The conference and the Space Exploration Student Session, presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) thrilled attendees who got to meet astronaut Scott “Scooter” Altman and experience hands-on, space-related presentations by the AMOS exhibitors.
Altman, a retired United States Navy Captain and naval aviator, engineer, test pilot and former NASA astronaut, is a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions. Before retiring from NASA, his final mission was servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. He is also known for his aerial acrobatics in the 1986 Top Gun movie with Tom Cruise.
“It is an honor to be here at AMOS,” Altman said. “I like to engage with students because it’s important that we connect with the next generation and get them interested in space-related issues. The students in this age group are our future. Maybe someone here today will be the first one on Mars.”
‘Iolani Kuoha, Vice-Principal of Molokai Middle School, noted, “To greet astronaut Altman, our students performed an oli lei presentation traditionally given to honor visitors. They enjoyed all of the different companies at AMOS, and the various careers they represent. They will go back to the classroom so inspired by all of today’s activities.”
Healohameleleināhōkū Merino, Moloka’i Middle School 8th grade, said, “The exhibits and experiments inspired me to learn more about the world and what I can do to improve it. I really enjoyed the flight simulator at Civil Air Patrol too!”
Kaimalie Stone, Molokai Middle School student, added, “Astronaut Altman showed us a video of his time in space and explained how dangerous space debris is for the Space Station and other satellites. At the SAIC STEM Project in the exhibit hall, we learned there is so much man-made debris floating around that can cause problems for astronauts, satellites, and other important pieces of equipment circling Earth. It made me realize my generation is also responsible for making space safe.”
From space, the earth is an incredible organism. I saw the edge of the horizon. The thin blue line, the atmosphere, holding everything that keeps us alive. It brought on feelings of stewardship, sustainability, and respect for the planet.
Scott Altman, U.S. Navy Capt., NASA Astronaut, retired
Hawaii residents contributed to key space-related discussions at the 5th annual EMER-GEN® Conference held at the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott. The program, presented by the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) in a joint initiative of the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), represents young professionals and university students (ages 18-35) who are enthusiastic about careers in space. SGAC, a global non-governmental organization partners with the United Nation and organizations from around the world to nurture the next generation of space leaders.
Excellent speakers and mentors joined the EMER-GEN event on September 7th with a series of pre-event webinars with a focus on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among the cohort. The group met in-person on September 26-27 for the main program that featured sessions in Celestial Navigation, Space Traffic Management, Mentoring, Consensus Building and a Hack-A-Thon. Teams of participants were challenged to find innovative ways to apply space-based technologies.
“This year’s EMER-GEN program welcomed 47 young space professionals, half of whom call Hawaii home, and the rest were from all over, as far away as India,” said Annette Lynch, MEDB Program Manager. “Scholarships were available for Hawaii residents as the program looks to help build the Hawaii aerospace sector.”
Four young professionals on the planning committee helped the MEDB organizers shape the program. Two representatives nominated by SGAC, Rishin Aggarwal, Indian Space Research Organization, and Eniko Molnar, Satellite Applications Catapult (UK), were joined by 2021 alumnus Zachary Stein of The Boeing Company, a resident of Maui. A 2020 alumnus, Quentin Verspieren of the University of Tokyo, returned to the committee to provide his experience and knowledge of space policy and consensus building.
Hackathon Mentor Tom Kubancik, founder and Executive Vice President of Trusted Space, Inc., said, “EMER-GEN employs the creativity and vigor of our youth in advancing humanity through the peaceful uses of space. It is vital for the future generation to develop methods to operate spacecraft safely in the increasingly congested and contested space environment.”
Christianne Young, Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory, said, “I have been working on launching cube satellites at the University of Hawaii. EMER-GEN opened my eyes to the need for international policy and cooperation for space safety.”
Discussion topics ranged from effective multi-cultural communication and leadership qualities to international cooperation in space and the long-term sustainability of the space environment.
On September 27-30, the 23rd annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference, a program of the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), had its highest-ever registration of 1,212 in-person attendees at the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott─ Maui. An additional 259 participants viewed the livestream of the premier technical conference in the nation devoted to Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA).
The conference represented a cross-section of government, military, industry, and academic participation that fueled important discussion on space sustainability at local, national, and international scales. Keynote presentations, SSA Policy Forums coordinated with Secure World Foundation, invited talks, poster presentations, exhibits, technical sessions and short courses were featured in the program.
“The AMOS Conference is experiencing astronomical growth on all fronts: attendance in-person from around the world, partnerships with our sponsors and exhibitors, and the technical contributions by our authors and presenters,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “This year’s gathering mirrors the growth we have seen in the space economy across the globe. Our international participants, from 23 countries, included our neighbors from the Indo-Pacific region as well as Europe and Central America. Additionally, MEDB continues to support the Air Force’s mission on Maui which, in turn, supports our mission of economic diversification.”
Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director for Secure World Foundation (SWF) and an AMOS Conference panel moderator, noted, “AMOS provides the opportunity for networking and knowledge-sharing within the SSA community. The keynotes and SSA policy forums at AMOS offered collaboration on space security and stability by looking at how SSA can promote space safety among all nations. Space has become an increasingly complicated domain and it is vital to have a cooperative approach for space sustainability in order to benefit all people.”
Conference Technical Chair Paul Kervin, Air Force Research Laboratory (retired), noted, “In collaboration with the American Astronautical Society (AAS), the AMOS Conference provided participating authors the opportunity to be published in a well-respected peer-reviewed Journal of Astronautical Sciences. At the close of the conference, AAS also recognized outstanding efforts by presenting awards for Best Paper and Best Student Paper.”
The continued growth in attendance and participating countries at AMOS reflects the growing interest in space sustainability and space commerce initiatives.
For more than two decades, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) has worked with local industry partners to provide internships. Two years ago, STEMworks™ focused on the Agriculture sector to expand its work-based learning experiences for students and since then, with its partners, the program has delivered a highly successful Ag Business and Technology Internship program. This has consistently aligned the abilities and interests of Hawaii’s students with industry professionals throughout the islands. The experiences continue to provide invaluable work-based learning for STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) students not only to explore career pathways, but also to assess job opportunities. As a project-based, service-learning initiative, STEMworks is an innovative and hands-on STEM educational approach designed to produce critical thinkers and problem-solvers.
“With regard to the Ag Program, I think it is important for everyone to understand where food, clothing, and other everyday items come from and that they should thank a farmer or rancher,” said Britney James, STEMworks Program Specialist. “Without agriculture, our future is bleak, which only drives my passion to encourage keiki to consider the various Ag careers available to them. To keep Hawaii’s agricultural industries strong and sustainable, we need to engage our youth in experiential learning within Ag. Only then can we grow our future leaders. Along the way, interns work tirelessly on their professional and software skills.”
Kahenawai Hirata, Molokai High School, noted, “I am currently interning at Sust’āinable Molokai where I learned that we have to re-prioritize the meaning of ‘consumption’. We live on an island surrounded by ocean and import about 90 percent of our food and goods. We need to be self-sufficient. Understanding our island’s resources and how our environment is changing is important for our future needs. To become responsible and sustainable farmers of the land and sea, we, as the next generation, need to get involved!”
Ag Intern alumnus Drake Breitback, a recent Baldwin High School graduate, said, “I learned so much from my internship with Native Nursery. I worked a great deal with native plants and discovered how to take cuttings from plants, how to prune, propagate, and properly water them, how to correctly transplant them into bigger pots, and how to identify different native species. My future hope is to give back to the community in a helpful and sustainable way.”
Internships are available for fall, spring, and summer semesters with participating STEMworks schools. For more information, email britney@medb.org.
