Thirteen Molokai High School juniors and seniors will grow strawberries hydroponically this school year in a new program funded in part by a grant from the Maui Economic Development Board's Ke Alahele Education Fund.
"It will be a scientific test of issues of productivity and quality," said Jeanne Unemori Skog, MEDB president and chief executive officer.
The students, who were chosen for their interest in careers in natural resources, will germinate seeds and plant strawberries in the ground and in a hydroponic system. They will learn how to farm in both methods and "the potential for the different ways of producing fruit," she said.
Since farmers also need to be in business, the students will harvest and sell their products in line with a business plan for their farming operation, Skog said. The plan will require students to conduct market research as well.
Strawberries and hydroponics were selected for the program because the fruit and the method were unfamiliar to the island, said Molokai High School language arts teacher Karen Harada, one of four teachers involved in the project. The other project instructors are Malia Lee, science teacher; Weldon Wichman, agriculture/aquaculture teacher; and Kai Sawyer, technology/business teacher.
The $5,000 Ke Alahele grant was used in part to retrofit the Molokai High greenhouse to accommodate the hydroponic system.
The Molokai hydroponic strawberry project is among more than two dozen programs in 17 Maui County schools that received more than $70,000 in Ke Alahele funding for the first half of the year. Grants support a variety of programs and curricula that encourage hands-on experiences and learning in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
A fundraising dinner to replenish Ke Alahele funds - featuring U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye and his wife, Irene Hirano, and Maui County Mayor Charmaine Tavares - will be held Aug. 21 at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa.
"A Pathway to Our Future" is the theme for the dinner put together by MEDB. The reception will begin at 5 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for the fundraiser are $150 per person. Sponsorships are also available. For reservations or for more information, contact MEDB at 875-2300 or see the Web site www.medb.org/KeAlahele/annualevent.cfm.
Since 2006, Ke Alahele Education Fund has helped to stimulate community investment in broadening career pathways for Maui County residents, said Skog.
"Today, students need a solid educational foundation in STEM areas so they are prepared to both work and live in the 21st century," she said. "Whether a student is attracted to auto mechanics, creating information products for the Internet, doing research on renewable energy or studying the stars, the skills of STEM will be essential to their success. MEDB's Ke Alahele Education Fund was created to unleash the creativity in our community that will strengthen these skills."
Donations to the fund from businesses and individuals provide grants to teachers, students, schools and agencies for programs, equipment, facilities and curriculum in STEM education. Grants also have gone toward internships for STEM training by technology companies and agencies.
A program last school year involved 13 Baldwin High School students, who began the school's first media and video production group by expanding the SCHWA campus broadcasting group.
When SCHWA coordinator Trisha Roy developed a business plan for the project, she discovered $25,000 was needed for equipment alone. The school was allocated funds for media education, which was enough for essential gear to set up a broadcasting control unit. Basic editing systems and software were loaned from the Maui District offices of the state Department of Education.
A $5,000 Ke Alahele educational grant bought the program two Panasonic camcorders, key components in training students in video production.
With the equipment in place, students developed instructional videos aimed at helping the Maui Medical Group instruct its staff members in dealing with situations they may encounter.
In time, Roy said she hopes the class can be offered as an elective for students interested in broadcast journalism and media production.Restrictions on school funding for now will keep the program as an extracurricular activity, meaning teachers like Roy must volunteer to coordinate it.
She said it's worth it.
"The kids are getting so much out of the production program. It's really fun for them, and they are learning a lot," she said.
"Trisha Roy's dedication to her students is an inspiration to MEDB as we seek to promote science, technology, engineering and math education programs in the schools," Skog said.
