Aug 7, 2019 | Environment, Events, Sustainability
The first community forum on 100% Renewable Energy: What Will Maui Look Like? took place recently at the Cameron Center in Kahului. Coming on the heels of the 2019 Hawaii Energy Conference and Exhibition, the standing-room only event, presented by Maui Electric Company (MECO) in partnership with Maui Tomorrow and the Sierra Club, outlined the challenges and some solutions for Maui’s renewable future.
“We’ll have different ideas on how to achieve our clean energy future,” said Sharon Suzuki, president of Maui County and Hawai’i Island Utilities. “Achieving the goal of 100 percent renewables by 2045 requires all of us working together. As Maui Electric starts to put more bids out to procure more renewable energy projects for the island, it will require informed energy developers, available land resources, and ongoing dialogue with our communities, regulators and government leaders.”
Moderator Mahina Martin, Manager, Government and Community Relations at Maui Electric, led the forum featuring the following panelists: Kumu Kapono’ai Molitau, Kumu Hula; Albert Perez, Executive Director, Maui Tomorrow Foundation; Chris Reynolds, System Operations Director, Maui Electric Company; Alex De Roode, Energy Commissioner, County of Maui; Dana Sato, Asset Management Director, Kamehameha Schools; and Rob Weltman, Chairperson, Sierra Club Maui Group.
Weltman said, “Maui can and must be powered by carbon-neutral, local, environmentally friendly technologies, including solar and wind. Contributing to sea level rise and extreme weather events through continued dependence on fossil fuels is not an option for our vulnerable island community.”
Perez described a community solar program. “The project provides solar energy to residential and commercial customers without access to privately-owned rooftop solar, including many renters and apartment dwellers.”
De Roode, on electrification of transportation, said, “Ground transportation today accounts for one quarter of Hawaii’s fossil fuels consumption and over one quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. MECO is focused on initiatives to advance the switch from gasoline to electric vehicles, helping to reduce Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil.”
Molitau and Sato agreed, “It is our malama ‘aina to care for the land− physically and spiritually. Together, we must understand the need to preserve and protect our natural resources for our future generations.”
As of 2019, private rooftop and utility-scale solar, biofuel and wind resources boosted the amount of renewable energy used to generate electricity in Maui County to 38 percent. We’ve exceeded the state’s goal of 30 percent renewables by 2020, lowered greenhouse gas emissions from our generators, and reduced the amount of oil we used.
Sharon Suzuki, President of Maui County and Hawai’i Island Utilities
Jul 31, 2019 | Education, Innovation
The annual EMER-GEN™ Program, introduced in 2018 as a joint initiative of the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), was designed especially for those age 18 to 35 who are enthusiastic about a career in space. Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) created the two-day program with the help of advisors from industry, government, academia and non-governmental organizations. EMER-GEN offers mentoring with renowned space specialists drawn from an array of fields related to Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Traffic Management (STM). Networking with other young leaders, the participants join in professional development and skill building sessions to enhance their success in a global space environment.
“Everything about the first annual EMER-GEN was extraordinary,” said Victoria Samson, Director, Secure World Foundation. “There were new ideas and perspectives on SSA and STM policy and challenges for young professionals and students to grapple with. It forced us all to look at things differently.”
Tom Kubancik, General Manager at L3 Applied Defense Solutions, said, “We are about to enter the commercialization and civil habitation phase of man’s space adventure and our young professionals need to take us there and keep us safe. EMER-GEN will ensure our thoughts and knowledge pass on to the next generation.”
Diana Agdeppa, a young professional working with the telescopes atop Haleakala said about her 2018 experience, “I appreciated the short courses offered at EMER-GEN including “Operational Analytics: Demystifying Machine Learning” and “Observing and Characterizing Space Debris”. After acquiring some general knowledge from both courses, I found how an Artificial Intelligence-based system may play a key role in SSA and STM. Considering the increasing number of spacecraft and satellites being launched into space, and how fast they are moving, it’s becoming more of a priority to predict collisions further in time with accuracy and precision. Additionally, we took part in a session where we assumed the responsibilities of key people involved in space policy which allowed me to see a bigger picture regarding SSA and STM. I’m looking forward to the next EMER-GEN!” The 2nd Annual EMER-GEN™ Program will be held September 15-17, 2019.
MEDB is happy to partner with SGAC to launch EMER-GEN™. This new program is designed to bridge the gap and nurture our young professionals, the future of space innovation and sustainability.
Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President & CEO
Jul 24, 2019 | Education
Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™, in partnership with the University of Hawaii and Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training, presented a series of week-long summer GenCyber camps for students on Maui and statewide. Funding for the camps was provided by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation. Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These cyber-attacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information, extorting money from users, or interrupting normal business practices.
“The GenCyber camp provided cybersecurity basics through interactive, hands-on-activities to expose middle- and high-school students to cybersecurity as an education and career pathway,” said Manda Tong, STEMworks™ Special Projects Coordinator. “Students learned what it means to be good digital citizens making ethical choices in the ever-changing technology world, and how to secure their personal information safely to their internet devices.”
Starting in 2014, the GenCyber program has currently grown to 150 camps nationwide. The NSA is developing curricula and lesson plans to cultivate the next generation of experts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Partnering with universities, public and private schools, and nonprofit organizations, they are broadening the pool of skilled cybersecurity professionals who can protect our nation from cyberattacks.
Iokepa Meno, Lokelani Intermediate STEM Teacher and VEX IQ Robotics mentor noted, “This camp showed our students the doorway to a rewarding and vital career for national security here and abroad. The students had the opportunity to meet the NSA Hawaii director and his staff, who explained in great detail how today each person needs to protect themselves against potential online threats. The students were also exposed to soft and hard skills that included programming Raspberry Pi devices, utilizing Micro Bits, and coding Ozobot robots, all while exploring and engaging GenCyber’s Ten Cybersecurity Principles.”
Maui High School senior Maya Hickman concluded, “Learning cybersecurity is important because in a time when internet and computer usage is at an all-time high, so is ignorance of the dangers behind these technologies. GenCyber Camps give students basic safety skills for using computers, help inspire an interest in cybersecurity, and teach STEM as a whole.”
High school and college students can apply for NSA work-study programs and internships at https://www.nsa.gov/resources/students-educators.
Manda Tong, STEMworks™ Special Projects Coordinator
Jul 17, 2019 | Events
Enjoy a festive evening of food, fun and camaraderie this Labor Day weekend while investing in STEM education. MEDB invites you to the annual fundraising dinner, “Pathways To Our Future.”
- BID on over 150 fabulous items during the Apples for Education Auction
- COMPETE in teams during MEDB’s signature interactive game
- ENJOY memorable presentations by Maui County’s STEM stars
- CONGRATULATE this year’s student and teacher award winners
Proceeds go to advance MEDB’s STEM programs from kindergarten to careers; as well as enabling MEDB to continue to pursue meaningful pathways that benefit the lives of our residents in Maui County and statewide.
Where: Wailea Beach Resort–Marriott, Maui
When: Saturday, August 31, 2019
4:30 pm: Reception and Silent Auction
6:00 pm: Dinner and Live Auction
Individual seats are $200.
Sponsorship opportunities are available.
For information and reservations, please visit: www.medb.org/KAH
Jul 10, 2019 | Community
Pono Shim, President and CEO of Oahu Economic Development Board and a notable speaker at Maui Economic Development Board’s 3rd annual Hawaii Small Business Conference (HSBC), is a gifted storyteller and speaker in Hawaii and internationally. He is well-known for his belief that the majority of social issues facing individuals, organizations, and communities are symptoms of deeper problems that can and must be addressed today.
“A true leader works to bridge the members of the community, giving dignity to whom they are and what they have to offer,” said Shim. “I believe that Aloha is the practical application of respect and reciprocity needed to restore personal and professional health, and drive entrepreneurship and professionalism forward.”
Shim shared Aloha insights with attendees at the HSBC and provided them with techniques he learned at a young age from Lahaina-born Auntie Pilahi Paki. In 1986, Hawaii lawmakers passed the Aloha Spirit Law (Hawaii Revised Statutes, Section 5-7.5), which the late Auntie Palahi wrote. A visionary foreseeing a 21st century world in strife, Auntie Pilahi knew the world would look to Hawaii for healing. “Aloha would be its remedy,” she said.
In 1970 at a Governor’s conference, Auntie Palahi introduced Hawaii to the five values that make up the Aloha Spirit Law. A: Akahai, meaning kindness, expressed with tenderness; L: Lokahi, meaning unity, expressed with harmony; O: ‘Olu’olu, meaning agreeable, expressed with pleasantness; H: Ha’aha’a, meaning humility, expressed with modesty; and A: Ahonui, meaning patience, waiting for the moment, expressed with perseverance.
Shim noted, “A person cannot do one of the principles without truly doing all. If you are not doing one you are not doing any. So, to be living Aloha is to live all of the principles. Another deep spiritual meaning of Aloha which Auntie Palahi shared can be found in a 1917 quote from Queen Lili’uokalani, ‘To gain the kingdom of heaven is to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen, and to know the unknowable—that is Aloha. All things in this world are two; in heaven, there is but One.’ ”
According to the Aloha Spirit Law, all Hawaii citizens and government officials must conduct themselves with aloha, which is a real commitment to accepting others.
Pono Shim, President and CEO, Oahu Economic Development Board
Jul 3, 2019 | Community
In June, students from Maui, Moloka’i and Lana’i took part in Summer Adventures in Healthcare. The three-day event was presented by the Maui County Healthcare Partnership (MCHP) and Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™. MCHP, originally launched in March 2017, is an alliance of healthcare organizations across Maui County− coordinated and staffed by MEDB. Together, they are motivated by the shared needs of the County’s numerous participating healthcare providers.
“The state of Hawaii has a shortage of physicians right now and an even greater shortage in most other health professions,” said Lalaine Pasion, STEMworks™ Project Manager. “The MCHP event introduced Maui County middle- and high-schoolers to the healthcare systems within their communities.”
Fueling their curiosity for possible careers, the students toured local healthcare facilities including Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC), Hale Makua, the Pacific Cancer Institute, and the University of Hawaii Maui College Nursing Program. Throughout the event, mentors and volunteers created inspiring and memorable experiences for them. Participants learned essential life skills with a variety of medical instruments and hands-on practices. They met with patients, took vital signs, and learned how to cast a broken arm. Additionally, students joined a public health team designed to combat malaria around the world. They learned how to extract DNA from a strawberry and how it relates to vaccinations.
Brenton Turner, MSHA, CMD, RT(R)(T) Pacific Cancer Institute, told the students, “Identify how you can turn a passion into a healthcare career, and recognize that healthcare offers many career options beyond doctors or nurses.”
Chaenel Deluna, Moloka’i High School, said, “Our visit to the hospital made such an impact on me. We learned about the different careers it takes to run one. I didn’t realize how many people worked for MMMC!”
Baldwin High School student Kazzandra Anton noted, “Our final Summer Adventures in Healthcare experience featured six hours of CPR, First Aid, AED, and HIPAA training and certification. This valuable hands-on experience provided us with skills we can always use to save lives. I’m thankful to MCHP and MEDB for this opportunity to learn about possible healthcare careers right here in Hawaii.”
MCHP strives to improve the healthcare delivery system of Maui County. During Summer Adventures in Healthcare they provided students with an interactive healthcare experience in an exciting and fun way.
Lalaine Pasion, STEMworks™ Project Manager
Jun 26, 2019 | Education, Stemworks
STEMworks™, the flagship program of Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), announced their 2019 Summer Internship Cohort during a STEMworks™ Orientation Kick-Off event. Over the course of six weeks, 33 qualifying STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) students will apply their knowledge in the workplace under the guidance of industry professionals. The company’s mentors will help the students build experience in their technological skills while developing deeper insights into STEM career pathways.
“Virtually every field in every sector of the economy is needing STEM professionals, people who are literate and fluent in various technology skills,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President & CEO. “To meet this need, STEMworks™ empowers our youth to be self-directed learners, to be resilient, to stay current, be adaptive to change, and, most importantly, to have the confidence that they can succeed. We work with educators, industry partners and the community to build a thriving STEM education-to-workforce pipeline throughout Hawaii.”
Lalaine Pasion, STEMworks™ Project Manager noted, “STEMworks™ provides a work-based learning opportunity that helps build critical and creative thinking. Students are matched with a host company or organization based on the company’s needs and the interest and skills of the student. We train students in industry-standard software and engineering design practices using hands-on curriculum, regional conferences and workshops.”
At the Kick-Off, students had a unique opportunity to network with STEM professionals during the high-energy networking session called 5×5− a meeting with five different industry professionals every five minutes. Students questioned professional scientists, filmmakers, coders, engineers, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, software developers, and others.
“Meeting with industry experts helped me re-set my goals,” said Peyton Gillespie, Hui O Kuapā intern. “We were taught crucial skills regarding team building, leadership, resumes, public speaking, networking, and more. My favorite part of the day was participating in the mock-interview− with professionals asking questions and providing feedback. This helped me tremendously in preparing for a real-world experience in the near future”.
Pasion concluded, “It is important to engage our youth in what they need for their own professional development. We want our interns to feel inspired, with their horizons broadened and challenged to keep growing professionally.”
The STEMworks™ Summer Internships connect our students to our local workforce, and provide an additional level of interaction they simply can’t get in class.
Lalaine Pasion, STEMworks™ Project Manager
Jun 12, 2019 | Environment, Sustainability
Molokai High School senior, Cameryn Rae Kahalewai won numerous awards, including first place overall in the senior division at the 60th Maui County Regional Science & Engineering Fair held at the Maui Beach Hotel. Kahalewai’s project, “The Effect of Soil Type, Salt, and Feral Animal Fencing on the Plant Distribution and Abundance on Kalaupapa Peninsula, Molokai”, also won her an invitation to represent Maui District in the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona in May.
“My project examined the effect of feral animals, soil type, and salt on the distribution of coastal vegetation,” Kahalewai explained. “Using quadrat plant surveys and soil conductivity measurements in two 100-hectare (250-acre) areas with and without deer, I found that soil salt levels were similar across all soil types except for sand. Lower readings for sand could be due to the prevailing wind patterns or soil drainage. Without deer, mineral and organic soil had larger percentages of plant cover, while the sand and mixed soil types had higher percentages of native species present. Comparing the impacts of deer on either sides of the fence, both native and non-native plant cover decreased when deer were present. Four key plant species were selected in the grass, forb, or shrub life form categories. All experienced a decrease in average percent plant cover when deer were present. Based on these results, we can conclude that deer are negatively impacting the coastal salt spray vegetation and species richness regardless of soil type. Fencing appears to improve plant cover, especially for native species growing abundantly in the sand.”
Kahalewai found that both invasive plants and free-roaming ungulates (hoofed animals) are causing detrimental impacts to native plant species. “I wanted to show that if ungulate problems are addressed in time, the remaining native coastal vegetation in damaged areas has a better chance to survive,” she said.
Biology teacher Jeannine Rossa said, “I saw Cameryn’s enthusiasm and understanding of the material develop throughout the semester. This is wonderful field-based science. Kahalewai hopes to major in both environmental science and business marketing in the Fall.”
I hope my research can inform both the Kalaupapa land management and the entire community of Hawaii about the effects of coastal salt spray, soil type and feral animals on coastal vegetation and offer plausible solutions.
Cameryn Rae Kahalewai, Molokai High School senior
Jun 5, 2019 | Education
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) will present their annual Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction, Pathways to Our Future, on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at the Wailea Beach Resort–Marriott, Maui. Proceeds raised will help to advance MEDB’s K-12 STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education programs−benefitting the lives of residents in Maui County and statewide.
STEM education is important for MEDB grantee Pukalani Elementary School. Debbie Hisashima, Pukalani Academic Coach said, “The school’s robotics teams have been competing in VEX robotics since 2014, advancing to state championships each year. Our students design, build, and program their robots, using mathematical concepts such as geometry, statistics, and algebra. We are grateful to MEDB for supporting our competitive teams for VEX IQ Robotics, Math Matters, Science Olympiad programs, and much more.”
Recently, the students had a wonderful experience competing in the 2019 CREATE US Open VEX Robotics Championship in Council Bluffs, Iowa. They took 6th place in the teamwork challenge, which involves two teams partnering to complete tasks to gain the most points possible; and 4th place in the skills contest.
Hisashima noted, “Additionally, a team of seven students, Blake Yatsushiro, Israel Enriquez, Lydia Jackson, Brayden Kitagawa, Aaden Tokushima, Pono Hodges, and Carson Rosenthal took 1st place in the STEM research project—a separate aspect of the robotics competition. Their research project presented the possibility of aquaponics (AP) as a solution to the problem of food insecurity. They did extensive research interviewing many of Hawaii’s experts. The students believe that if everyone had an AP system, Hawaii wouldn’t have to be as dependent on outside growers and waste resources on shipping.”
Concluding, Hisashima exclaimed, “Then, the moment that we were all waiting for had arrived− the awards. Before they announced the winning STEM research project team, the judges said that the winning students showed great passion and enthusiasm for their topic; researching a real-world issue that could have great impact in their community. Then, they called out our team’s number. The students jumped out of their seats and ran down to the stage to receive their trophy. They haven’t stopped jumping yet!”
Along with MEDB, we believe that STEM education will be a determining factor in Hawaii’s future viability.
Debbie Hisashima, Pukalani Elementary School Academic Coach
For Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction reservations, donor and sponsor opportunities, visit www.medb.org or call 808-875-2300.
May 29, 2019 | Education, Innovation, Stemworks
Pukalani Elementary School, a Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) Women in Technology STEMworks™ AFTERschool participant, celebrated this year’s Leadership Day with a moving and inspirational message. During a morning presentation, educators and students showed visitors what is possible when schools are given the tools needed to create learning environments where positive experiences accumulate and empower students.
“As a ‘Leader in Me’ school, the staff at Pukalani Elementary believes that all students can be leaders,” said Amy Strand, Pukalani School Principal. “Based on Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the ‘Leader in Me’ program gives students opportunities that will help develop leadership skills as well as prepare them to be successful in college, career and life. Leadership Day is student-designed, student-prepared, and student-led. They demonstrated some of the projects and opportunities that are helping them grow and develop into the future leaders of this community.”
Working together in groups, students practice all of the Seven Habits. The habits naturally become the framework for behavior expectation and are practiced intrinsically and successfully, because the motivation is in their interest. As a result, students are not only thinking critically and working collaboratively, they are also producing work that is meaningful to them, ultimately acquiring the lesser known 8th Habit, Finding Their Voice.
Feeling good about themselves and others, students are ready to tackle their school curriculum, including STEMworks™ AFTERschool classes provided by MEDB. Pukalani 4th grader Blake Yatsushiro said, “STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) classes teach me so much. I’ve learned how to work as part of a team in Robotics, Aquaponics, and throughout my school day. I’m learning about ratios, volume, chemistry and currently how to normalize the pH for our aquaponics to make it safe for both fish and plants. I hope we can get another grant from MEDB to continue STEM in our school.”
Yatsushiro’s dad, Ryan concluded, “At Pukalani, they are being taught good morals and ethics, along with an amazing education. This integrated way of learning produces leaders who see that their voice is important in the community and in the world.”
I’ve learned a lot from STEMworks™. Not only the science, but life skills like patience, teamwork, and always to keep trying. I hope other kids will get to have this great leadership and STEM experience.
Blake Yatsushiro, 4th grader, Pukalani Elementary School
