Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™ Solutions program brings month-long industry-based challenges to 7th-12th grade STEMworks students. The participants use STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) tools and the entrepreneurial mindset to develop innovative solutions for real problems. During the February 2021 challenge, Hawaii students learned about NASA’s Artemis Program to return us to the Moon, and cubesats from experts at the Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL). The second challenge was to create an Artemis mission patch design. “We are so proud of all of the submissions we received,” said Katie Taladay, STEMworks Program Manager. “The selection for the best mission patch design award went to Jadynne Zane, MJ Dinong, Jenna Payba, and Erinrose Salacup of Maui High School. The team featured a simple design that incorporated the moon as the bow and the line in the A of Artemis as the arrow. We will print this design on a patch for all participants who completed the challenge.”
The HSFL payload design winner was “Exploring the Potential of Solar Winds as a Power Source” by Jalen Matsuda Williams, Derek Takeno, and Justin Paul Alejo, also from Maui High. In addition to a $500 prize, this team will have a chance to work with a real Artemis CubeSat kit to bring their idea to life under the guidance of HSFL scientists during the MEDB STEMworks Summer Internship.
“Our team used the cubesat to determine the viability of a new power source on a lunar base, using solar winds,” said Williams. “This will help NASA’s Artemis mission to determine and investigate the viability of a Dyson-Harrop Satellite (DHS) as a power source. The DHS has a wire at the end of the satellite which points at the sun and creates a cylindrical magnetic field. The charged wire can divert electrons from the initially charged plasma, which then get funneled into a metal sphere receiver, and creates an electric current. With this is mind, our satellite will give the mission valuable information, possibly enabling astronauts to have an abundance of energy that can be used to power a lunar base outpost, space vehicles, and more.”
We appreciate the opportunity from MEDB to share our research with the STEMworks students. Inspiring the next generation and building Hawaii’s aerospace workforce is so important for diversifying Hawaii’s economy.
Amber Imai-Hong, HSFL Avionics Engineer and Outreach Specialist
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) partnered with Oahu’s YWCA Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) Women of Color Business Center to present a ‘Women in Business’ seminar series. In the introductory seminar, “Getting Small Business Administration (SBA) Certified as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB): Opening New Doors of Opportunity”, business owners heard about the benefits of becoming certified, such as the opportunity to qualify for grants specified for women-owned businesses.
MEDB was joined by guest speakers, Shan Wirt, MBDA Director; Gary Albitz, Business Consultant with MEDB; Wayne Wong, Maui Director, Hawaii Small Business Development Center (SBDC); and others. The panel shared how certification as a WOSB will open doors for businesses, how to access contracts and grants exclusive to WOSB, and highlights of the steps in the process.
“These workshops help business owners understand the benefits of becoming WOSB certified,” said MEDB President and CEO Leslie Wilkins. “Our MEDB team will also help participants evaluate which projects to pursue, from farm loans to government contracts to research grants, to name a few.”
Albitz added, “It is not about the journey to get certified but what benefits are available once you get there. The SBA provides the training and the certification, and MEDB would like to encourage business owners to take the steps so that they can open doors to new projects.”
The MBDA Enterprising Women of Color Business Center at YWCA Oahu is funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is one of five new business centers established across the nation in September 2020 to help minority women-owned businesses grow through financial and business counseling, workshops and other resources.
Wirt noted, “We are excited to work with MEDB and SBDC to expand our reach across the state and promote the significant opportunities that certifications offer to women-owned businesses. This series is the perfect complement to our focus, which is to help minority women-owned businesses grow through business analysis, market access and access to capital. Opportunities are abundant. We are here to level the playing field.”
Further workshops will help participants use their SBA certification to take advantage of the opportunities with various agencies. All presentations are online and registration is free. Sign up at medb.org for updates.
Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) 12th Annual Hawaii STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Conference will be virtual this year. Employing the online Hopin conference platform, on April 28th-30th from 9am-12pm, the venue will allow students to experience real-world STEM training applications and see career availability throughout the islands. “STEM education has the power to improve all of our lives,” said MEDB President and CEO Leslie Wilkins. “Our hope is that by equipping our youth with the right skills, tools, and opportunities, we can inspire the next generation of innovators, ensuring a bright future for our community and our world.”
MEDB’s STEMworks™ students and teachers, along with community and business leaders across the state, are invited to celebrate the student’s service-learning projects, hear stories of inspiration, engage with some of the biggest names in the STEM field, and experience the excitement of a regional technology conference. The students will showcase their acquired skills, analyzing information and applying the latest high-tech industry tools in an innovative and successful approach to environmental and cultural issues.
“STEMworks initiatives focus on empowering students with 21st century skills to prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow while solving their communities’ problems of today,” said Wilkins. The students collaborate in teams to tackle an issue within their community through service learning.”
Jessica Salva, STEMworks Program Assistant, added, “This year, students and teachers can choose among 12 interactive professional development sessions. During the three days, they will have the opportunity to engage with over a dozen STEM Playground Vendors to learn about exciting new industry-related products and resources. There are seven STEM competitions, with a chance to win the famous STEMMY award and prizes. The contests include: Creative Media Moguls, STEMworks Solution Student Spotlight, STEMworks Designer, Game On!, STEM Tank, Shaka! in partnership with Bizgenics Foundation, AGOL StoryMap Competition in partnership with Esri, and a virtual Hackathon in partnership with NOAA. We hope that these experiences will encourage Hawaii’s middle and high school students to pursue a STEM education and discover the skills needed to strengthen the local economy.” For more information on conference attendance, go to http://hawaiistemconference.org
The Hawaii STEM Conference is honored to work with community partners and sponsors to create meaningful learning experiences to impact the lives of Hawaiian students today and into the future.
Ho’oulu Maui Nui is an online resource directory that helps Maui County’s small businesses find local services and products during COVID-19. Ho’oulu means ‘to grow’ and the directory, launched as part of the 2020 Adaptability Fund, was created to help Maui County businesses grow and adapt in a new business climate. A partnership among the Maui County Office of Economic Development (OED), Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), and various community organizations, the Hoʻoulu Maui Nui Business Directory is a one-stop, online resource for small businesses looking for local service providers, and businesses wanting to reach potential customers by publicizing their services and products.
“This business directory is a great opportunity for local businesses to connect and support one another as we take on the challenges brought by COVID-19,” said Mayor Michael Victorino. “Reinvesting in our local economy and vendors ensures we’re getting the most out of our CARES Act funds, while still getting quality work and products.”
Businesses listed are specifically geared towards retooling and responding to COVID, helping businesses to: conduct business safely, including personal protective equipment (PPE); adapt operations to alternate business strategies; and to invest in technology infrastructure to help businesses operate virtually. Many businesses have had to expand their online visibility with web-based marketing and increase their capabilities to sell online through e-commerce. Some of the types of business listed in this directory are Business Leasing, Business Finance Consultant, Cleaning Restoration, Commercial Printer, Design, Remodeling, and Construction, Employee Recruiter, Export Consultant, Food Scientist and Technologist, HVAC Filtration Expert, IT Consultant, Marketing, PR, and Social Media Consultant, PPE Provider, Photographer, Videographer, and other services. There is no cost to participate.
According to Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO, “We want to make sure that the companies know, through the Ho’oulu Maui Nui business directory, what resources are available here at home.”
You can learn more about the Hoʻoulu Maui Nui Business Directory, search for businesses or apply to promote your business at https://www.hooulumauinui.org/
Maui County-based companies interested in signing up and being included in the business directory can visit www.HoouluMauiNui.org. There is no cost to participate.
Jocelyn Romero Demirbag, Ed.D., Director of Development at the University of Hawaii (UH) Maui College, works to expand the college fundraising efforts through the UH Foundation. The Foundation, a private 501(c)(3) non-profit, was established in 1955 to encourage private support for the university. Today, it is the central fundraising organization for the UH System. “Our work is to unite donors’ passions with UH aspirations,” said Demirbag, “We raise philanthropic contributions and manage private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaii, and our future generations. The university is supported by numerous individuals from Maui Nui, the state and the mainland, as well as a diverse range of organizations and businesses that include non-profits and foundations, hotels, and cultural groups.”
“UHMC welcomes contributed support of all types,” Demirbag noted. “Funding is needed for scholarships, endowments, faculty development, and instructional resources including facilities, equipment and technology upgrades. Our vision is to inspire giving and partnership by fostering UH pride among donors, alumni and the community.”
Demirbag pointed out, “One gift is all it takes to make a difference in the life of a UHMC student. With one gift, Maui residents can complete a degree and provide for their family, retool for a more satisfying career, or apprentice in the field of their dreams. One gift can be a game changer for both the college and students.”
Recently, the Wailea Community Association became a UH Foundation community partner. The Association felt that the Maui health issue is critical for everyone. They realized that when you directly help a nurse you are improving the care that any patient is going to be receiving. “Not only did they pay for the licensure of our nursing class that graduated in May 2020, but they are also funding the costs associated with taking the examination for the May 2021 graduating class,” said Demirbag. “We are so grateful to Wailea’s Community Association and to all our supporters! We hope other potential community partners will learn more about the program and other ways they can support us. These partnerships are so needed during these challenging times.”
Community partnerships allow UH to provide more career-related opportunities that might otherwise never happen.
Jocelyn Romero Demirbag, Ed.D., Director of Development, UHMC
Ke Kula o’ Pi’ilani School of Maui, surrounded by the beauty of ‘Īao Valley, is a rare treasure in the community. The independent, nonprofit Hawaiian language school, founded in 2016, is located on the Hawai’i Nature Center campus. Ke Kula o’ Pi’ilani is the only school in the state to offer a curriculum of Hawaiian language, culture, and a common core grading system created entirely by the kumu (teacher).
“Our goal is to ensure our students can be successful in anything they choose to be in the future because of the solid and well-rounded Hawaiian culture and language foundation that connects them to each other and to these lands,” said Kahu Kekai Robinson, Po’o Kula (Head of School). “Wailuku has historically been a hub for literacy and education , and we are doing our small part to honor and continue that here in the heart of ‘Īao Valley.”
The schools current program, a COVID-19 hybrid 20 percent online, 80 percent on-campus schedule with a shortened school day, supports 20 keiki in grades kindergarten through grade four, with the hope to accommodate twice that number of students in the coming years. Beginning next year, the school will add a fifth grade to accommodate the graduating fourth graders. “We strive to inspire a lifelong love of learning by cultivating an enriching environment in which diverse students grow to be united, confident, and globally competitive servant-leaders who think critically and creatively to contribute to the betterment of Maui, Hawai’i, and the world,” said Robinson.
Kumu Kehani Guerrero, Po’okumu Lead Teacher & Curriculum Director, explained, “Our curriculum is supplemented by Hawaiian practitioners in the classroom to leverage community resources and provide real-life cultural experiences. Alongside the Hawaiian cultural enrichment classes, we are able to contextualize the hands-on work into lessons in math, science, reading, writing, and art. Ka Piko Kaiao (family classes) are also designed to integrate with the school curriculum to enable family members to learn alongside the students and extend their education into the home. We hope to offer our Hawaiian language and cultural courses to the community in the 2020-21 school year.”
We get to use what we learn from being outdoors in this beautiful valley and connect it to all our studies. Plus, we learn Hawaiian culture, language, history, and values. We love this school!
Throughout the pandemic, the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center offered a once-a-month Ta-Ke Leadership Series. They asked outstanding leaders in the community to share their insights on current issues and how we can get past today’s obstacles as we begin to resume our daily lives after months of social distancing.
Invited speaker David Lassner, the 15th president of the University of Hawaii (UH), gave a virtual talk on his current UH agenda. Lassner, who leads the UH 10-campus system and the flagship research university at Manoa, is focused on helping more Hawaii residents earn college credentials, on developing an innovation sector to strengthen the state’s economy, and on creating high-quality jobs. Also, he is advancing UH’s commitments to sustainability and to becoming a model indigenous-serving university.
“My aim is to help take the state to a better place post-pandemic,” said Lassner. “Recently, the salaries of UH employees were reduced as we continue to prepare for the significant budget shortfall caused by COVID-19. The salary reductions follow other cost-saving measures across the system as UH invests in diversification of our revenue sources to enhance opportunities and growth.”
UH provides a transformational environment that brings learning and discovery to life, allowing students to embrace the practical applications of their chosen fields. Lassner wants to further develop economic sectors for a resilient and sustainable economy that includes computer science, engineering, astronomy, climate change, energy, green jobs, sustainable tourism, creative media, agri/aquaculture, and much more. He praised Maui Economic Development Board for decades of innovative services supporting Maui County start-ups, jobs, investments, and STEM programs, as well as for their Kama’aina Come Home Program.
Lassner concluded, “COVID showed us a silver lining that remote work is now possible, which is an extra push towards a technology economy for the state. Like much of the country over the last seven months, UH also emphasized online distance learning. Now, we need to work as a community to diversify and strengthen our economy. Our future must be more sustainable and equitable than the economy shattered by the pandemic. We need to build it together.”
I truly believe that UH is the most important institution to shape a more positive, sustainable and thriving future for our state.
Neutron-1, a 3U CubeSat small satellite involving more than 100 University of Hawaii students, faculty, staff and volunteers, successfully launched as part of an International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday, October 2. Neutron-1 was aboard the Northrop-Grumman 14 rocket that included other satellites, and will be in space for approximately one year. Around mid-November, when astronauts set up the deployer pod for launch out of the ISS, the satellite will study the relationship between the Earth and the Sun by mapping neutrons in low Earth orbit.
The science mission was proposed in 2011 by Peter Englert, a Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology researcher and principal investigator for the Neutron-1 Mission, and Lloyd French, Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) researcher and project manager for the Neutron-1 Mission. The Neutron-1 project was funded by a NASA EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Development award.
“This is a great achievement of the UH Neutron-1 team of students, staff, and faculty,” saidEnglert. “It demonstrates the quality of undergraduate education and research in space science and engineering at the university.”
French said, “This mission development demonstrates that HSFL can deliver flight hardware and work collaboratively with other institutions regarding NASA planetary exploration. Small spacecraft and cubesat architectures are the next generation of planetary robotic exploration, and HSFL is poised to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Amber Imai-Hong, an avionics engineer at HSFL, ground station coordinator for the Neutron-1 mission, and member of Maui Economic Development Board’s 2020 EMER-GEN® planning committee, noted, “Watching the launch live on NASA TV was an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as a team, how many students in Hawaii were inspired by the project, and all of the lessons that we learned along the way.”
Imai-Hong concluded, “The HSFL team is now gearing up for mission operations. We will control Neutron-1 via the GlobalStar network, and partner with amateur radio operators to communicate with the satellite through HSFL’s Kauai Community College Ground Station to receive and send messages to the satellite when it is released from the ISS in November.”
It was an extraordinary experience for UH and all of Hawaii to watch Neutron-1 launch. It can still be viewed on the HSFL website.
Amber Imai-Hong, HSFL Avionics Engineer, Neutron-1 Ground Station Coordinator
Presented by Maui Economic Development Board, (MEDB), the 3rd annual EMER-GEN® program, which preceded the 2020 Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS), is a joint initiative of AMOS and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). A global non-governmental organization (NGO) and non-profit network, SGAC represents university students and young space professionals, ages 18-35, to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia.
“EMER-GEN for young professionals builds on the capabilities and network of the AMOS Conference,’ said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “The 2020 program, with a cohort of 37 participants from 13 countries in 13 time zones, went virtual this year. It was great exposure for the ten Hawaii-based participants in a program that aims to foster commercial space entrepreneurism in Hawaii.”
This year’s EMER-GEN program was developed with the help of the young professionals on the planning committee, including two representatives from the SGAC—Quentin Verspieren, Intelligent Space Systems Laboratory, The University of Tokyo, and Michael Barton, a.i. solutions, Inc. and past participant in 2018 and 2019. They were joined by Amber Imai-Hong, a participant in the 2019 cohort and avionics engineer with Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory.
Imai-Hong reflected, “I thought it was interesting that although our cohort was diverse in background, both technical and ethnic, the traits we valued in leadership were similar and complementary. With the help of mentors from industry, government, academia and NGOs, EMER-GEN® was filled with critical-thinking exercises. The cohort came to understand how nations reach agreements, and how the objectives of different stakeholders enhance effectiveness in a global environment”.
Barton added, “Thanks to MEDB, SGAC and our sponsors for providing the cohort with a successful development program. Additionally, thanks to the mentors for sharing their wisdom on cross-cultural communication, leadership, and career development.”
Tom Kubancik, founder and Executive Vice President of Trusted Space, Inc. and EMER-GEN mentor concluded, “Members of the cohort, distributed all over the globe, had remarkably diverse cultural backgrounds, but similar scientific and career interests in space. All the delegates were interested in making a difference for themselves, their country, and moving the science forward.”
Through the whole program, participants were challenged to create new opportunities for space-based technologies aimed at key issues
