Maui Waena Intermediate School, a Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) STEMworks™ (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Program participant, won big in the largest student video competition in the nation. Thirty two Maui Waena students attended the 2023 Student Television Network (STN) convention in Long Beach, California over spring break. They competed against students from digital media programs around the nation, taking home 12 awards after participating in 11 on-site competitions and one pre-contest. Their weekly show, Falcon Features, was awarded an outstanding rank, coming in second among all entries.
“Maui Waena students always work very hard to prepare for STN, and always do well,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “They, along with their STEMworks teacher Jennifer Suzuki, deserve acknowledgement for their efforts and quality productions. Congratulations!”
STN was started in 1999 by a group of teachers who wanted to support and encourage scholastic broadcasting and to provide a forum for students to share ideas, ask questions, and learn from professionals in the industry. Over the past 20 years, STN has expanded to include film, multimedia and other forms of communication taught in grades 6-12 in middle and high schools across the nation.
Suzuki recalled, “For the past 12 years, MEDB has supported our after-school program and has helped to provide countless experiences and opportunities for our students. “This year’s STN convention was just the most recent. It also happened to be our most winning year yet! It was almost embarrassing when they kept calling our name, but the students put in hundreds of hours of practice and on Sunday, March 19, it all paid off. I think the most important thing that they learned was that if you put in the time and effort, it doesn’t matter if someone has better gear, telling the story is all that matters.”
Maui Waena student and news anchor Capriana Nozaki added, “The STN trip taught me how to be a good leader, how to communicate effectively, and how to stay organized. But above all, I got to connect and bond with people who work hard and share the same interest. I will never forget this experience!”
STN was a wonderful opportunity for the students. They had extra excursions and got to network with over 2,500 students. I’m so proud of them!
Jennifer Suzuki, Maui Waena, Media Teacher, Coordinator STEMworks AFTERschool Program
Most small businesses are not familiar with the Hawaii State Small Business Regulatory Review Board (SBRRB) and their work towards a regulatory environment that encourages and supports the vitality of small business in Hawaii. As part of Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Business Assistance Webinars, a recent online Zoom event with the Hawaii SBRRB discussed rights and rules for small businesses. The one-hour webinar, led by Vice-Chair of the SBRRB, Mary Albitz, and Jet’aime Ariola, SBRRB Office Assistant, informed the community on SBRRB’s advocacy for “for-profit’ small business owners and entrepreneurs.
“We believe that small businesses are the pathway to a stronger economy for Maui and the State of Hawaii,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “Along with SBRRB, MEDB works diligently to assist small businesses with the tools they need for success.”
The SBRRB is an eleven-member board appointed by the Governor from among small business owners and officers from across the State. Its main activities include reviewing and making recommendations to State and County agencies on any proposed new or amended administrative rules, and responding to small business requests for assistance with administrative rules. The Board ensures that regulators do not burden small businesses disproportionately by imposing regulations unfairly. They invite all to get involved as rules are being written.
Albitz explained, “The Board reviews administrative rules that impact small business, and advocates for changes. It is vital for all business owners to learn about the Hawaii Small Business Bill of Rights—what they are and how they affect the way business is done. If you have ever dealt with departments like Environmental Management, Liquor Control, Planning, Public Works, Transportation or Water Supply, then you want to know all about the SBRRB.”
“The SBRRB encourages all Hawaii small business owners to get involved if and when their small business is affected by burdensome rules or regulations,” noted Ariola. “Since the SBRRB’s inception in 1998, it has been perhaps the single most important voice within the government for employers with fewer than 100 employees. If you have any legislative issues or concerns go to https:/sbrrb.hawaii.gov/resources, or contact the SBRRB at 808-798-0737 for assistance.”
Our vision is to make Hawaii the most business friendly state in the nation.
Mary Albitz, SBRRB Vice-Chair
The well-attended U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hybrid workshop, sponsored by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and USDA, brought together an inter-island team of specialists to advise Maui residents seeking to know more about energy efficiency programs, loans, and grants. The USDA Rural Development initiative operates over 50 financial assistance programs for a variety of rural applications in housing, business and critical infrastructure.
“I thought the workshop provided very helpful information on a number of federal grant and loan programs,” said Michele McLean, representative for Council Chair Alice Lee. “The USDA supports farms and ranches for solar, wind or energy efficiency; business or marketing plans; working capital for value-added products; disaster and drought assistance for crops and livestock; organic certification; and operations, ownership and manufacturing. MEDB hosting the workshop was an important contribution in providing this information to those who will benefit from it.”
Denise Salmeron, USDA Business Programs Director, explained, “Our mission is to increase opportunities and quality of life throughout the Hawaiian Islands and the nation, We have USDA personnel available on Maui and other islands to assist with the application process.”
Walter Enomoto, Hawaii Energy Maui County Manager, noted, “Our organization helps educate island families and businesses about the many and lasting benefits of energy efficiency and conservation. We encourage and reward smart energy decisions that allow our state to reach 100% clean energy faster and cheaper, while lowering energy costs.”
Workshop participant Gigi Voiland from Johnny V. Enterprise said, “I came today to learn about the programs available to help my ag business. I have a four-acre farm in Kaupo and I need solar to get everything to run. I am so grateful to MEDB for hosting this workshop with such valuable information on every level.”
Participant Ron Viloria added, “I learned about Hawaii Energy rebates, USDA opportunities such as Farm Loan Programs, and financing from the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority. MEDB reaches out and alerts the public about seminar and workshop opportunities that engage members of the community in a genuine and helpful way. Their wide variety of programs, networking events, and workshops have touched thousands of people.”
“We conduct regular one-on-one and group consultations to help individuals get their financial numbers and details together that they will need to apply for a USDA loan or grant.” For more information, visit https://www.medb.org/business-assistance/ OR email info@hightechmaui.com.
Gary Albitz, MEDB Business Program Manager
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
