Malama the Aina – $5,000 Grant
Kilohana Elementary School
Ke Alahele funds will be used to teach Kilohana 3rd and 4th grade students about native plants, taking care of our aina and being self-sufficient. The students will grow native plants, learn about the affects of erosion, replant the hillside with a native plant, and will grow a variety of vegetables while keeping track of the growth in experiment logs.
Baldwin High School Media Production Inauguration – $5,000 Grant
Baldwin High School
Ke Alahele funds will provide essential equipment to support the building of the Media Production program where students will integrate science and technology as they learn to properly use and care for state of the art equipment in video journalism. These funds will support the production of public service announcements and vignettes educating the community on STEM topics.
Land Judging-Maui Conservation Awareness Contest – $1,100 Grant
4-H Club Dirt Devils
Ke Alahele funds will help 9th grade students to learn how to analyze the physical properties of soil and the environmental factors affecting the land. They will make conservational recommendations for all classes of land, judge land for home sites, and to think and problem solve like scientists and engineers using PDA and GPS units.
Solar Energy & Self Sustainability – $5,000 Grant
King Kekaulike High School
Ke Alahele funds will provide a small on-campus Photovoltaic System with which 100 students, ages 13-17 will perform different experiments. Students will be involved in the installation of the system and researching the proper maintenance. They will create a web page so the students and community can monitor the performance of the system. They will use the electricity generated from the system to run small water pumps and a fish pond on school grounds.
4H Junior First Lego League – $2,900 Grant
Wailuku Elementary School 2nd graders
Ke Alahele funds will support hands-on STEM projects by providing the WES 2nd grade robotics team essential supplies and kits, exposing these early-age students to Maui’s sub-competition level. Students will work closely with the WES 4th and 5th robotics teams as they aim to collaborate on building a sustainable program.
4H Junior First Lego League – $2,100 Grant
Wailuku Elementary School 4th & 5th graders
Ke Alahele funds will provide necessary Lego robotics supplies and kits to establish articulation and pathways with programs. These 4th and 5th graders will mentor the younger 4-H First Lego League participants and teams by making school and community presentations.
Team V.I.P.E.R. – $825 Grant
Valley Isle Professional Engineers in Robotics
Ke Alahele funds will support supplies costs to establish the first robotics team with special needs/special education students. Team coaches are proven industry leaders/volunteers/recruiters and promotional partners in STEM initiatives. MEDB will request presentations and demonstrations, post competition, to build positive examples for further special education opportunities.
VEX Robotics – $2,669.61 Grant
Iao Intermediate School
Ke Alahele funds will support a new robotics program, which builds on Iao Intermediate School’s capacity by incorporating VEX robotics competitions, which offers an international competition component. The grant will enable Iao Intermediate to continue to champion robotics initiatives, including the Robofest Expo at the County Fair, community presentations and broader recruitment endeavors.
Lego Robotics Program – $4,999.80 Grant
Kihei Charter School
Ke Alahele funds will provide robotics kits and supplies to establish a fully integrated classroom where 150 6th-8th grade students will be provided project-based learning activities, full-class participation and access, aligned with standards.
VEX Robotics & Botball Teams – $2,669.61 Grant
King Kekaulike High School
Ke Alahele funds will support the purchase of VEX supplies, parts, game board and t-shirts with MEDB and Ke Alahele logos. Funds will continue to build capacity of King Kekaulike’s STEM initiatives. Team mentors will be able to participate in mandatory Botball training that is held only on Oahu and have their tournament travel offset with these funds, as the other grants that applicant aggressively pursued and received, expressly disallow neighbor island travel.
Molokai Hydroponic Strawberry Cultivation – $5,000 Grant
Molokai High School
Ke Alahele funds will support the retrofitting of the existing Molokai High School greenhouse to accommodate hydroponic cultivation studies by 30 to 50 students. The project will provide students with materials to carry out experiments, to germinate strawberry seeds in hydroponic systems and traditional field cultivation. Students will conduct market research and construct a business plan for the sale of the fruit.
Careers in Science – $4,048 Grant
Hui Malama Learning Center
Ke Alahele funds will support the development of a new vision for Hui Malama which is to become a vocational school focused on sustainability. While studying energy reduction, renewable energy, and self reliance through locally grown food, 60 students will benefit from funded activities to include: professional development, culture and science integration field study, and purchasing of supplies to implement organic gardens at Hui Malama’s Mahalani site.
Navigating the Future – $3,217.64 Grant
Huli Au Ola – Maui County AHEC
Ke Alahele funds will provide travel, housing, and transportation for students and educators to attend the statewide AHEC Navigating the Future event on Oahu at the John Burns School of Medicine in March. Activities also include touring the University of Hawaii Engineering Department with Dr. Song Choi and Dr. Kelly Withy. Participants will submit a report about how the experience has impacted their lives.
Waihe’e Watershed Investigation and Restoration Year 3 – $5,000 Grant
Kalama Intermediate School – 7th Grade Class
Ke Alahele funds will support the funding of scientific instruments, staff and ground transportation to continue engaging approximately 160-7th grade students in scientific research. Students will continue gathering and analyzing information, following protocols established in previous years, and continue research on water quality and plankton sampling. Students will use technology to document the location and cultural history of Waihe’e and create presentations (movies, PowerPoint presentations, a project website, and interactive learning stations) that will inform the Maui community of this special place.
Exploring Technology Through Art – $4,713.56 Grant
Kalama Intermediate
Ke Alahele funds will support the acquisition of software and hardware that will allow students to experience another high-level of creative technology by producing art via digital mediums. Students will create works that visually convey the meaning of each of the five Focus Maui Nui key strategies using drawing tablets and software, still and video cameras, as well as software such as iPhoto, iMovie, and Keynote.
FIRST Robotics Competition 2008 – 2009 – $5,000 Grant
Baldwin High School Robotics
Ke Alahele funds will purchase equipment and supplies that will support preparing 18 students to construct and program a robot fabricated to set specifications and guidelines that accomplish tasks for the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition. This equipment and supplies will allow mentors and educators to train students on campus in machine operations and will be shared with the automotive tech, agri-science and construction tech educators and students.
Professional Development – Dell desktop computer
Molokai Middle School
Ke Alahele resources will support Molokai Middle School teachers in pursuing advanced degrees that help equip them with the most current research-based pedagogical theories, instructional strategies, and best practices for teaching young adolescence in middle grades. The award will help increase content knowledge and understanding of how middle level students’ best learn science. Through furthering their education and training, teachers become more of an asset to the school and community, enabling them to better assist students in attaining their goals in STEM fields.
Figures of Fitness – 2 Dell desktop computers & $2,695 Grant
Molokai Middle School
Ke Alahele funds and resources will support Molokai Middle School students in gaining hands-on experience in collecting and analyzing health data using heart rate monitors, body composition scale, pedometers, and blood pressure apparatus. The project will investigate the connections between diabetes, obesity, race, and how inherent traits are determined by one’s genetic makeup. Students will learn concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention, and will report on short and long term effects of poor nutrition and lack of physical activity.
Alice Kimura – $950 Grant
Wailuku Elementary School
Ke Alahele funds will support Wailuku Elementary School Educator Alice Kimura to travel to Carlsbad, California to participate in the Science Teachers Lego Robotics NXT Workshop at Legoland. The Conference develops teacher competency in Robotics using Lego NXT and Mindstorm software and hardware. The recipient will assist MEDB’s WIT team in providing future Robotics training to colleagues from Maui Nui.
Race the Sun: Scientific Inquiry Using Solar Cars – $2,916 Grant
Maui Waena Intermediate
Ke Alahele funds will support 325 7th graders at Maui Waena Intermediate School to investigate renewable energy technology and use ethically as it develops in society. Students will generate and test hypothesis relating to uses of a solar-powered engine used as a car motor then modify the engine into items such as a personal fan, cell phone charger, flashlight, and hopefully new and innovative uses of solar technology. Maui Waena students typically matriculate to Maui High, which features the award-winning automotive tech program specializing in electric cars.
The Ho’okuleana Project – $4,969.30 Grant
Educator-PBCSE Hawaiian Studies 7-12/Special ED K-12 Lahainaluna High School
Ke Alahele funds will support approximately 40 Lahainaluna High School students enrolled in the special education program to help students understand the importance of the watersheds to sustain the people of Hawaii and to improve their technology skills by using state of the art scientific equipment in field-based activities. Activities involve a year-long study of an ahupua‘a system, monitoring the West Maui watershed, data collection and comparisons from different areas of Maui, and a comparison study of current ahupua‘a systems to those described by participating kupuna. Funding additionally supports the acquisition of monitoring tools and transportation to the watersheds.