May 6, 2015 | Education, Innovation
Sarah and Lily Jenkins have more in common than being sisters, fellow students at Molokai High School and winners at the 2015 Maui Schools Science & Engineering Fair 5 for their project, “March of the Mangroves.” The sisters also share a love of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and a strong ambition to succeed. They’ve taken a big step toward that by winning the Maui District Science Fair, which qualified them for competition in the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair, a contest that annually draws the nation’s best and brightest students.
The students used Geographic Information System software, known as GIS, to interpret satellite data, aerial imagery, historic maps and coastal surveys to determine the extent to which red mangroves have migrated seaward on Molokai’s south shore. The girls were also able to analyze the mangroves’ effects and predict their future impact on nearby reefs. “GIS mapping was able to prove that red mangrove will establish itself upon the fringing reef in approximately 72 years, consuming a total area of 46 square kilometers (about 18 square miles),” Lily Jenkins said. “If no management plan for red mangrove is adopted, this invasive species will overtake 35.67 percent of Molokai’s fringing reef in the next 100 years.” In the next year or two, Lily said she plans to create a nonprofit to start raising money to contribute and aid in the effort to remove and manage the invasive mangrove.
The GIS software used by the Jenkins came from the Hawaii K12 GIS Hub website, which has been made possible through a partnership of Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology and ESRI, the world’s leading GIS software developer. “Without that software, we wouldn’t even have a project,” Sarah Jenkins said.
WIT recently announced the kickoff of its new Hawaii K12 GIS Community Hub: www.gishawaii.com. The new hub promises to engage educators, students and industry partners with school projects, pictures, collected data, lesson plans, news events, tips and tricks, etc. For more information, contact Isla Young at 875-2307, or e-mail: isla@medb.org
Dec 17, 2014 | Education, Innovation
Kalama Intermediate School librarian Jody Brown said she underestimated the challenge of starting a robotics club yet still reaped rewards beyond her expectations. Thanks to a Ke Alahele Education Fund grant from the Maui Economic Development Board, Brown said she had “an amazingly positive experience. … I’m hooked. I’m ready for the next season.”
She said she found coding and building Web sites enjoyable and “naively thought this would translate well into starting a robotics club.” Brown quickly learned that there’s a lot more involved. “Luckily, my students had a variety of backgrounds and experiences and we all spent time teaching each other what we know so far.” Brown said she chose a platform based on training she received in August. “I got some free VEX IQ equipment at the training and bought a lot more with my Ke Alahele grant,” she said. She created two teams at Kalama Intermediate, one with four students and another with five. Both teams were eventually able to design and build a robot. For programming, the club used Modkit for VEX IQ, a free online program that offers a visual programming platform using color-coded and shape-coded boxes. The Kalama teams competed in the December 5-6 VEX IQ competition at Iao Intermediate School.
“The competition itself was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” she said. “The hosts and other teams welcomed us ‘newbies’ with open arms and helped us overcome a mountain of problems, including troubleshooting our robot brain. It turns out they were able to determine that one of the brains we bought was completely non-functioning.” The Kalama students did not take the overall award in their first competition, but they did reach the final rounds of play and were selected for the Inspire Award for innovative robot design. “Both of those accomplishments were more than I could have ever asked for or imagined,” Brown said. “It has been a delightfully rewarding activity!”
Nov 14, 2014 | Education, Innovation
Lahainaluna High School arts and communications teacher Nancy Young used her Ke Alahele Education Fund grant to create a new environment in her classroom. Now, instead of the traditional classroom setting with rows of desks for students, Young’s created more of an inspirational space for creativity and innovation. “The center of the room has a conversation area with upholstered benches, a table for art and design books and a set of drawers for cameras and iPads. I wanted my students to experience a taste of an inviting, stimulating room and to know what a career in the arts can offer. This is not just a classroom anymore. It is an environment and the kids love it and they produce really amazing work.”
Young said her second-year students are doing college-level work. They do commercial graphics projects, including banners for other schools. They’ve won awards for PBS HIKI NO television segments, and last year her students received special recognition on their diplomas plus placed second in the state in graphics. Young and her students have come a long way, with the help of Ke Alahele grants. When she began teaching full-time more than six years ago, she had only six large tables and 25 old 12-inch iBooks in a cart. But, by her third year, she had accumulated approximately 20 21.5-inch iMacs, a number of digital SLR cameras and a Canon 5100 17-inch printer that accepts roll paper or canvas. Still, there’s more to do, Young said. “What is missing is a pipeline to future education,” Young said. “I plan on visiting California design schools in the spring to see what I can do to connect us with advanced programs.” MEDB established the Ke Alahele Education Fund to power up STEM Education in Maui County.
Sep 3, 2014 | Education, Innovation
AJ Ramelb’s tenacity and technological innovation gave disabled students an independence they don’t often experience. “I really wanted my students to be able to paint their own pictures, and AJ made that possible,” said Hillary Watt, a special education teacher at King Kekaulike High School. Watt and an audience of 600-plus applauded Ramelb, a 2014 Kekaulike graduate, following his selection for this year’s Daniel K. Inouye Innovation Award from Maui Economic Development Board. Ramelb, now enrolled as a freshman at the University of Hawaii Maui College, was chosen for the award established to commemorate the late Sen. Inouye’s legacy. The honor, presented at the recent Ke Alahele Education Fund Dinner, recognizes an exceptional student-led project that applies science, technology, engineering and math solutions to community improvement.
MEDB gave Ramelb $3,000 for college and a pledge to assist him in applying for a U.S. patent for a special paintbrush grip design. King Kekaulike will also receive $7,000 for its STEMworks™ lab. There last school year, Ramelb studied and created the paintbrush grip design for students with severe and multiple disabilities. “In a STEMworks™ lab, you have so many resources at your disposal,” Ramelb said. “I’m really grateful for my teacher, Emily Haines, and for STEM because it really opens up your mind and allows you to think about what you can do for your community.”
Ramelb created two different styles of grips, accommodating both inward and outward wrist turns of students with disabilities. They mainly use the grips for art paintbrushes, but recently used it to hold mini-maracas for music. “These kids are used to having things done for them, but these grips have given them the opportunity to do something on their own, to express themselves through movement and through art,” Watt said. She said she was impressed by Ramelb’s dedication and attention to testing the grips and adjusting the design so it could fit her students’ needs. “He really went above and beyond. I really appreciated it and couldn’t be more proud,” Watt said.
Aug 27, 2014 | Community, Innovation
At Bump Networks, founder Arben Kryeziu says his staff operates on the premise that work is not all about them. “All my team members are non-ego centric,” he said as he explained why the business has been sustainable for almost 10 years now. “To me it’s about the execution and for us, it’s an art form. We are not your cookie cutter business. We start with focusing on our client’s services and how we can build it up,” he said.
A software and technology solutions company, Bump Networks’ clients include the Maui Food Bank, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, the Pacific Disaster Center and Maui Gold pineapple. Bump Networks is just one of several entrepreneurial ventures Kryeziu is engaged with today. Last year, he co-founded mbloom, a business incubator and technology fund. The 37-year-old lives in Kula with his wife, Crystal, and their five-year-old daughter. According to his posted resume at Pegasus Capital where he serves as an operating partner, Kryeziu’s entrepreneurial success “has always hinged on clearly identifying company goals, strategizing resources, and maintaining profitable business models.” He said he and his team follow online trends, analyze successful businesses, and then actively pursue them. He uses “word of mouth” to obtain clients. “To me, it’s a very exciting time to be an entrepreneur,” Kryeziu said. “I especially like working with ‘techies’ to create and ignite something.”
Outside of his business, Kryeziu coordinated in May Maui’s first Startup Weekend, an international movement aimed at inspiring and empowering individuals, teams and communities. About 52 developers, marketers, product managers, technical and technology experts and entrepreneurs – mostly from Maui – participated. Jeanne Skog, Maui Economic Development Board President and CEO, served as one of six coaches for the Startup Weekend participants. MEDB Vice Chairman Ned Davis, founder of fledgling business called Maui Water Solutions, said he benefited as a participant and was grateful for networking with other entrepreneurs. Kryeziu plans to hold another Startup Weekend later this fall on Maui. “Our island and our community are growing. We have the talent here, we just have to come together,” he said.
May 21, 2014 | Innovation
The Maui Economic Development Board is continuing to honor the legacy of the late U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye with an award program in his name. “Senator Inouye was a visionary who saw how important it is to affirm and invest in our students, the future of Hawaii,” said MEDB President and CEO Jeanne Skog. First presented in 2013, the Daniel K. Inouye Innovation Award advances Senator Inouye’s dream of empowering students who demonstrate an innovative use of STEM tools and capabilities to serve and improve our community.
Deadline for award applications is July 15. The winning project will be one that is ‘outside the box,’ but nevertheless has a practical function and value to the community. Last year’s first honoree was a STEM project conceived and produced by King Kekaulike students Lotus Chen and Sierra Harrell. Using GPS technology and practical applications of math and science, the students mapped out roads leading to and from their school campus. Then, they marked areas that needed crosswalks and sidewalks and took note of troublesome spots where motorists might lose sight of pedestrians. They shared their geospatial map with state and county officials, and their work resulted in Governor Neil Abercrombie releasing nearly $1 million for the Maui County Old Haleakala Highway Sidewalk project.
“Dan would have been pleased that these students worked on a project to potentially save lives,” said his widow, Irene Hirano Inouye. “He was always delighted to see the talented and articulate students display their science, technology, engineering and math projects.” The award will be presented at the annual Ke Alahele Education Fund dinner on August 23 at the Grand Wailea Resort & Spa. All Maui County middle and high school students are eligible to submit applications. Students need not be in a STEMworks lab to be considered. Each team must have a teacher adviser who will need to sign the project application. For more information on how to enter, or to make reservations for the Ke Alahele dinner and auction, visit: 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/.
Jan 22, 2014 | Education, Innovation
Maui Waena Intermediate School media teacher Jennifer Suzuki shows how hard work and support from the Maui Economic Development Board can make a difference in the education of the island’s young people. After graduating in 1988 from Baldwin High School, Suzuki was hired as a rental car sales representative. She learned that work in sales was not her passion. So, she began looking for a new career, knowing in her heart that “I always liked helping people.”
Suzuki enrolled in college, earning a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Hawaii at Hilo in 1997, followed by a post-baccalaureate education certificate from the University of Hawaii Maui Center. While at the center, she was encouraged by her mentor, Victor Pellegrino, to tutor college students in English. “I just realized I could help people,” she said. She had stints as a teacher for hospitalized, mentally ill students and for those facing family and substance abuse challenges. Eleven years ago, she was hired at Maui Waena where she’s taught 8th-grade Language Arts, and in the last 3-1/2 years taught computer introduction, media and news writing to 6th, 7th and 8th-graders.
Suzuki’s association with MEDB began when she sought to establish a new media lab. She initiated a student newspaper and TV broadcast and built a STEMworks computer lab. “I never want to be considered a teacher of technology,” she said, “more like one who used technology as a way to teach how to communicate and be creative.” Suzuki’s new lab contains a variety of computers, software and cameras with at least half purchased through MEDB and its Women in Technology Project. “MEDB has been phenomenal,” she said. Suzuki and her students have also attended MEDB trainings, and her students have gone on to share their know-how with peers on Lanai and with elementary-aged pupils.
Suzuki’s career exemplifies the Focus Maui Nui value of education and fostering the well-being of young people, enabling them, if they choose, to live on Maui and become valuable, contributing members of the island’s community and good stewards of local treasures.
Nov 20, 2013 | Education, Innovation
A team of Molokai middle schoolers had different takes on what they most enjoyed about competing at the 2013 Maui Nui FIRST Lego League tournament. “It’s just really cool,” said Marianna Campos of the Molokai Wizard of Bots team. Teammate Kaitlin DeRouin said she liked building robots, and Taye Mowat said she wanted to see how other students built their robots. For Lana Domingo, a four-year Lego League veteran and previous winner said: “It’s awesome to win.”
No matter what the reason for competing, Wizard of Bots coach Jenn Whitted said the four girls are engaged and excited about science and math and school in general. “They are career focused. They are college focused,” she said. “They’ve really learned how to carry themselves and how to be confident in who they are and what they do.” Momi Afelin, a Molokai high school sophomore and former champion of robotics competition, served as a mentor to her younger sister, Kai’ina, and her team the Molokai Skywalkers from Kaunakakai Elementary School. “You might not walk away from here being an engineer, but you definitely will gain a lot of skills that you need for the rest of your life,” Afelin said. “I know I learned a lot of skills through robotics,” she added. Kimberly Svetin, President of Molokai Drugs, accompanied her 4th-grade son to his FIRST Lego League contest. “This teaches him stress management. All the kids are learning coping skills, and that’s awesome,” Svetin said.
The Carden Academy Mindreapers surpassed 15 teams to be crowned the overall champions of the 2013 tourney. They will represent Maui at the Dec. 7 state competition on Oahu along with the Seabury Hall Spartanbots and the Fruit Ninjas, an independent team of students. Sponsors of the local competition included Maui Economic Development Board with its Women in Technology and Ke Alahele Education Fund programs, Seabury Hall, Maui Electric Co., Friends of Hawaii Robotics and the Robotics Organizing Committee.
