Since 2020, Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks team and its partners have delivered a highly successful Agriculture (Ag) Business and Technology Internship program, placing 179 Maui County high school and college students with host companies in the ag industry. The internship experience provides valuable work-based learning for STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) students, who not only to gain technical skills but also have the chance to explore a new career pathway while working on real-world projects. The 2024 summer cohort of 25 interns recently wrapped up their 6-week program with a virtual showcase highlighting their experiences. This summer, STEMworks worked with 17 host companies on Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lāna‘i to make these internships possible, and the interns’ projects covered everything from conservation to food production. Thanks to funding from the County of Maui, STEMworks is able to pay every intern a competitive stipend.
“This program allows students to obtain work-based learning experiences in different ag fields and shows them that there is a lot more to agriculture besides farming and ranching,” said Britney James, MEDB’s program manager for agriculture, education, and business development. One of the intern mentors, Korey Harris, co-owner and co-founder of Simple Roots, added, “It’s great for the younger generation to be working in any aspect of the agricultural field. It teaches about hard work, patience, and, most importantly, gratefulness.” Tyson Kongsil, Simple Roots intern from King Kekaulike High School, said, “As I shadowed Korey, I learned a lot about taking care of chickens, how to build a hen house, and what quality looks like in food production. I also learned about regenerative farming practices that enrich the soil to help maintain a healthier way of life for our community.” Grow Some Good (GSG) intern, tenth grader Keala Rodriguez, also shared, “Each day, I did a variety of tasks in the garden that included learning the different properties of plants and how to effectively grow and harvest them. I also enjoyed working with the kids at the YMCA GSG garden. We donated our harvest to them, so my project greatly impacted the community.” To read profiles of all the STEMworks summer interns and see updates about applying for the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 cohorts, follow STEMworks on Facebook, facebook.com/STEMworksHI, and Instagram, instagram.com/stemworks/.
To keep Hawai‘i’s agricultural industries strong and sustainable, we need to engage our youth in experiential learning. They are our future leaders.
Britney James,
Program Manager for Agriculture, Education, and Business Development, MEDB
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is excited to host its annual Ke Alahele STEM Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction on October 26 at the Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui. This year’s event, themed “Pathways to Our Future,” will bring the community together to celebrate and support Maui County’s youth as they explore educational and career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
The evening will begin at 4:30 pm with a reception, during which attendees can participate in the much-anticipated Apples for Education Silent Auction. Adding an element of fun and excitement, the evening will also feature MEDB’s signature STEM trivia game.
Throughout the evening, guests will be inspired by stories from local students who have been guided by MEDB’s comprehensive and free STEMworks educational programming, which includes afterschool activities, field trips, summer camps, and paid internships. These young innovators represent the future of Maui, showcasing the profound impact that community-supported education can have on their lives. Their achievements are a testament to the power of investments in STEM to create pathways that lead to success.
Proceeds from the event will directly support STEM programs, which provide Maui Nui students with opportunities from kindergarten to college and beyond. For more information on sponsorship opportunities and to make reservations, visit www.medbpathways.org.
Investing in STEM education is investing in our future. By equipping our youth with the skills and knowledge they need to face a wide range of challenges, we’re strengthening our community and ensuring a vibrant and sustainable future for our islands.
Brighten Tantisira, a King Kekaulike High School alumnus, recently wrote and graphically designed a book, Why Look Up? An Introduction to Our Fascinating Universe for Young Students and Novices. Tantisira is a former Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) STEMworks™ intern who worked with the UH Institute for Astronomy (IfA) last year. While interning at IfA, he experienced a fascinating branch of science not offered in his high school curriculum and published a peer-reviewed paper, “Consistency and Precision Measurements of Seven Double Stars,” in the Journal of Double Star Observations. He also felt compelled to write a non-fiction astronomy book geared towards elementary and middle school students.
“I chose this age group because I wanted to inspire the next generation about this amazing field,” Tantisira explained. “However, novices of all ages can benefit just as much by reading my book. The book covers various topics, including stars, moons, galaxies, exoplanets, nebulae, protostars, star clusters, galaxy clusters, supernovae, and why we study all of them. By the end, you’ll have a strong foundational understanding of the most captivating astronomical objects and phenomena in our universe.”
In Why Look Up?, Tantisira stimulates curiosity about our fascinating universe through careful explanations and engaging images, including original photos. “With permission to use them in my book, I obtained my astronomical photos through the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network by programming observations into their portal,” Tantisira recalled. “My experience at IfA is what inspired me to create an astronomy book introducing this field in a simple and entertaining way to young audiences who might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about the cosmos.” He added, “Being able to intern at the IfA through the MEDB STEMworks Internship program was a one-of-a-kind opportunity. I not only learned about the fascinating field of astronomy, I also attained new insights about careers in the field, such as monitoring asteroids near our Earth for safety reasons. My internship also exposed me to the importance of the scientific method and provided me with a strong introduction to astronomy and its techniques. Basically, I learned what scientific research is all about, and I hope to major in astronomy, or something along this line.”
Thank you MEDB for all the opportunities offered through the STEMworks Internship Program!
Brighten Tantisira
King Kekaulike High School Alumnus
Astronomer and Author, Why Look Up?
This spring, Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks™ program organized three Healthcare Exploration Day events with Maui Health. The events, hosted by the Maui Health team at Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) and made possible by generous funding from the County of Maui, aimed to inspire and educate students from middle and high school campuses across Maui, Molokai, and Lāna’i. In total, 11 schools, 260 students, and 20 healthcare professionals participated in hands-on activities, seeing first-hand how students can make a difference in their communities by learning life-saving skills.
The events began with moving pules by Kumu Iolani Kuoha and Kumu Luana Kawa’a, which acknowledged the land served by Maui Nui’s healthcare professionals. The students then learned about the dangers of distracted driving from MMMC nursing staff. Additional breakout sessions were held on stop the bleed skills, hands-on compressions, automated external defibrillator (AED) use, recognizing signs of stroke, trauma resuscitation techniques, the role of respiratory therapy in healthcare, imaging technology, and volunteer opportunities at the hospital.
The third event in the series also featured Marian Horikawa-Barth, Chief Nurse Executive for MMMC. She spoke to the students about her role and the critical need in Maui County for more medical professionals. “As we face a growing shortage of healthcare professionals, this event is not just an educational opportunity, but a crucial step towards inspiring the next generation,” said Lalaine Pasion, STEMworks program specialist. “By bringing together Maui’s health professionals to demonstrate a variety of medical fields, we aimed to spark interest in healthcare careers at an early age.”
Lynn A. Fulton, Maui Health CEO, noted, “Maui Health provides a great opportunity for students to be able to build a career. There is nothing like seeing what happens in a hospital through interactions with the people who work here.”
Maui Health Human Resources Leader Tara K. Cole shared, “Healthcare Exploration Day is designed to provide students, who are interested in healthcare but are perhaps not sure which field will best suit their gifts and goals, a chance to learn about all that our programs have to offer. Positions are available right out of high school.”
For more information, visit mauiheath.org/careers online or call 808-242-2251 on Wednesdays to speak to a recruiter.
I’m very interested in the medical field. Today I learned the importance of vital life-saving skills and that emergencies can happen to anyone, at any time. I want to be prepared!
Jaiden Ibañez, 8th grader, Maui Waena Intermediate School
