MEDB KE ALAHELE EDUCATION FUND GRANT AWARDS 2007-2008

Waihe’e Beach Project - $5,000 Grant
Maui Waena Intermediate School
The grant funded the application of lessons on weather/beach erosion to hands-on experiences in monitoring beach erosion, capturing data and presenting results for 12-14 year old students.

GPS Technology - $5,000 Grant
King Kekaulike High School
The People Self & Society Course covers a broad spectrum of environmental science and the use of technology to help with environmental challenges in the community. Funding enhanced the program, creating an in-house GPS station to serve as a core to service-based learning on campus.

Botball Team - $3,360 Grant
King Kekaulike High School
The Fund provided professional development for teachers in robotics and assisted the team of 16 high school students with competing in the state tournament.

Maui Malama Kahakai - $2,000 Grant
Pomaikai Elementary School
The Fund provided a hands-on dimension and understanding of the watershed system by bringing students to the Waihee Preserve for hands-on engagement in marine debris monitoring activities and learning about impacts of debris on beach ecosystems.

Water, It Does the Aina Good - $2,500 Grant Kalama Intermediate School In the Water Does the Aina Good interdisciplinary course, students study the water cycle, watershed areas, and the construction of watershed models. Funding enhanced the unit by bringing students and teachers to the East Maui Watershed Partnership for field visits and activities. Funding also provided teachers the opportunity to take the professional development course Ho'ike o Haleakala as preparation for the course.

Waihe’e Watershed Investigation and Restoration: Global Warming - $4,100 Grant
Kalama Intermediate School
The Fund provided equipment and tools to incorporate GPS, GIS and other technology to study, document and present activities on the environment, particularly at Waihe’e.

Iao School Robotics - $3,800 Grant Iao Intermediate School The Fund provided professional development for teachers engaged in robotics, equipment for students designing robotic solutions to given problems and travel support to the state tournament.

Maui 4-H First Lego League - $2,600 Grant
Maui Girls 4-H Club
The Fund equipped student teams of 8 year olds with the kits and supplies to build robotic solutions and participate in the statewide tournament.

Maui 4-H First Lego League - $2,450 Grant
Bunnies 4-H Club
The Fund equipped student teams of 10 and 11 year olds with the kits and supplies to build robotic solutions and participate in the statewide tournament.

Beach Formation Change Research and Inquire Science - $800 Grant
Haiku Elementary School
The Fund provided hands-on activities for 2nd graders at Baldwin Beach where they measured and recorded changes in a sandbank over time.

Huli Au Ola - $3,100 Grant
Maui County Area Health Education Center (Molokai)
Since 2005, the Summer Leadership Program nurtures interest in high school students to continue on to higher education, with particular emphasis on native Hawaiian students. The program utilizes lecture, hands on activities and project development and will add biology as a focus. The Fund enabled Hana, Lanai, and Maui students to participate.

Summer Math Classes - $5,000 Grant
Kihei Charter School
For the second year, funding provided a 6-week summer math program for 6th and 7th grade students aimed to assist lower-performing students to achieve grade level in math.

Digital Media Production - $4,828 Grant
Kalama Intermediate School
The Fund provided equipment and tools to enhance student skill-building in digital media and production projects such as Public Service Announcements, school community presentations and yearbook applications.

Ho’okuleana Molokai - $5,000 Grant
Papini Innovations
The Fund provided funding for the 3-day Ho’okuleana professional development program. Grade K-6 educators learn how to cultivate environmental stewardship in their students through field-based, technology-rich scientific inquiry.

Hydroponics in Space - $4,999.66 Grant Kaunakakai Elementary School The Fund will provide supplies for students to explore NASA’s technology of Advanced Life Support program: food, water, oxygen, light, soil, and nutrients. The project simulates a journey in space for approximately one school year. During this “journey” the students will learn how to grow real plants through hydroponics to maintain an adequate food supply. Made possible by our Signature Sponsor, A&B Foundation, to promote agriculture and/or alternative energy, land planning/development, and the maritime industry.

Countdown to Launch - $4,996.36 Grant Kaunakakai Elementary School The Fund will provide equipment and supplies to build a multi-function greenhouse/butterfly house. The project is centered on the study of flight of insect (butterflies, dragonflies) and machine (hot air balloons, rockets, planes, and kites) groups.

Measures for Life - $2,008.80 Grant Molokai Middle School The Fund will equip students with drafting supplies to design their dream home. After the design of their dream home, each student will complete a plot plan, floor plan, elevations, and electrical/plumbing plan. Science, Math, Engineering and Technology to Second Grade Kilohana Elementary School - $1,462.26 Grant Funding will supply science kits for the second grade students. With these kits students will be able to discover, invent and investigate using tools and skills necessary to engage in the scientific process. They will learn the interrelationships of science, technology and society. Community Partners for Science Fair and the Environment - $3,570.00 Grant Molokai Middle School The Fund will enable students to go on a field trip to Mahana Produce to learn about hydroponic farming. The students will make connections with and be mentored by professional scientists in the community on their scientific studies. The project will also provide computer equipment to set up in the science lab that will enable students to research topics, develop reports, and produce high quality visuals for their display boards. Roots and Branches of Water - $4,090 Grant Molokai Middle School Funding for this teacher- and student-written grant will allow 80 middle school students to do a complete scientific analysis of the water supply on Molokai. They will create an I-movie to share the results with the community and inform residents and leaders as they address the serious issues related to water needs on Molokai.

LIS First Robotics Team - $3,640 Grant
Lahaina Intermediate School
The Fund will allow 24 Lahaina Intermediate School students to enter the extracurricular robotics team enrichment program, and prepare for competitions.

Apiary Management Program (bees) - $3,000 Grant
Lahainaluna High School
Funding will start a beekeeping program on Maui at Lahainaluna High School. Students will be creating a self-supporting business based on agricultural and science activities related to apiaries.

Robotics Curriculum and Vex Robotics Competition 2008 – 2009 - $4,000 Grant
Maui High School
The Fund will add a VEX competition to the Robotics Curriculum at Maui High School. This is an excellent introduction into the designing, building and programming for a robotics project.

MEDB KE ALAHELE EDUCATION FUND INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 2007-2008

As founding members of MEDB’s Ke Alahele Education Fund, our academic and non-profit partners contributed paid internship positions for summer 2008. Maui High Performance Computing Center and Pacific Disaster Center are providing critical opportunities for students to apply an emerging interest in science to real world problems and issues that will give them valuable insights into determining their future education and career paths.

MEDB KE ALAHELE EDUCATION FUND GRANT AWARDS 2006-2007

Project East - $5,000 Grant Molokai High School Fall 2006 launched the expansion of the proven EAST project-based learning model to Molokai High School. The Fund provided the required professional development and training for two facilitators for the high school program.

Math/Science Digital Lab Classroom and Teacher Resource Center - $5,000 Grant Kula Elementary School The Fund supported the hands-on learning and community experiential learning opportunities showing real world applications of math theory for Kula Elementary School students. The grant purchased three (3) lap top computers

Project EAST - $5,000 Grant
King Kekaulike High School
The King Kekaulike Project EAST program has won national awards since its launch in 2001 and top honors in 2006. Funding allowed the purchase of 10 new CPUs to enhance the school’s Project EAST computer lab.

HOSA Chapter - $4,000 Grant
Maui High School
The mission of the Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) is to “promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people.” The students participated in a number of district and state competitions and won a spot in the national conference delegation. Funding assisted the Maui High School HOSA students and their faculty advisor with the enriching participation in the HOSA National Conference in October 2007 in Florida.

Summer Math Classes - $3,000 Grant
Lokelani Intermediate School
In 2007, a Lokelani teacher presented a 6-week summer math program for 75 students, including 25 from Kihei and Kamali’i Elementary Schools. The program brings lower- performing students to grade level. It also targets low-income families who cannot afford a supplemental correspondence course or transport their child to central Maui where the only summer math program is offered. The Fund provided $3,000 in teacher stipends for the three program instructors.

MEDB KE ALAHELE EDUCATION FUND INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 2006-2007

Maui High Performance Computing Center
Internship $1,500
Taryn Takahashi supported the Bioinformatics Demonstration Project. She is joined the inter-disciplinary team by pairing biological research with the computational capacity at MHPCC to study avian flu. Taryn is a 2006 Baldwin High graduate, valedictorian and Women in Technology Project participant. She recently completed her freshman year as a pre-med major at Stanford.

Pacific Disaster Center
Internship $2,500
Jacob Davis used his 3-year EAST experience in GPS/GIS technology to assist in disaster mitigation projects. Jacob is a 2007 Maui High School graduate and a member of the award-winning team honored at national conference with a Founder’s Award recognition. He also recently presented a paper at the ESRI International Education Conference showcasing the use of GIS in mapping the Maui High School Campus.

In the news:

Maui Economic Development Board Announces 2008 Ke Alahele Grant Recipients (March 27, 2008)
Ke Alahele grants available for technology-related activities (November 19, 2007)
Ke Alahele Internships build education pathways for Hawaii’s future workforce (December 10, 2007)