8th Annual Hawaii STEM Conference Empowers New Generation of STEM Innovators

HONOLULU – On May 1-2, more than 1,000 students, educators, industry partners and community leaders throughout the state and the nation gathered for the 8th Annual Hawaii STEM Conference – an empowering STEM event dedicated to engaging a new generation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) innovators in Hawaii.

Presented by Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Women in Technology (WIT) project, the conference was held for the first time at the Hawaii Convention Center on Oahu. This year’s theme, “Download Knowledge. Upload Service,” invited students to demonstrate and showcase the skills and abilities they have gained to help create a thriving future, not only for Hawaii, but the world.

Students and teachers representing intermediate and high schools from every island across the state of Hawaii participated in this regional technology conference which featured 40+ student breakout sessions, 30+ teacher breakout sessions, 14 software competitions, a STEM playground, a formal awards banquet (“The STEMMYS), and exhibit presentations.

This year’s Hawaii STEM Conference competition winners were:

• CAD Showcase Application Competition – Brandon Marcos, Mayumi Fulgencio (Kauai High School)

• Digital Storytelling Competition – Brandon Marcos (Kauai High School)

• Game Design Competition – Henry Lonborg (Roosevelt High School)

• GIS – Storytelling with Maps Competition – Pag-asa Fulgencio (Kauai High School)

• Music – instrumental Competition – Trey Metoyer (King Kekaulike High School)

• Music – lyrical Competition    – Emma Rich (King Kekaulike High School)

• Photography Competition    – Czhara Jan Saclayan (Maui High School)

• T-Shirt Design Competition – Shanelle Ancheta (Maui High School)

• STEM Career Interview Competition – Janine Harris (King Kekaulike High School)

• On-Site Video Competition * – Caleb Soo Hoo, Chris Kau (Baldwin High School)

• On-Site Royer Studios Competition – Micah Ban, George Villanueva, Taylor McCary, Taniya Whittman-Valdez, Kalia Kapisi (Maui High School)

• ArcGIS Online U.S. School Competition (Hawaii finalists): Pag-asa Fulgencio (Kauai High School); Courtney Cadiz, Jett Bolusan, Braiden Paa (Maui High School); Amanda Schiff (Kealakehe High School); Kau’iwai Poepoe-Mollena, Kamahina Kaiama-Kanuha (Molokai High School HLIP)

• Intermediate School PIA Competition – Czerena Bayle, Jadynne Zane, Cynthia Mercado Santana, Jaycie Iha (Maui Waena Intermediate School)

• High School PIA Competition – Haven-Luper-Jasso, Brooke Kanna, Marlena Lang, Leanna Thesken (Kauai High School)

• 3Cs Intermediate – Maria Inong, Alyson Kar, Logan Tsukiyama, Hannah Okamoto (Maui Waena Intermediate School)

• 3Cs High School – Yasha Ronquillo, Carissa Pagan, Summer Montehermoso, Tiffany Banggo (Maui High School)

To view all the winning videos, visit http://www.hawaiistemconference.com.

During the conference, Hawaii State Governor David Ige announced the offering of a Digital Alliance program for high school students across the State of Hawaii in the summer of 2018.

A partnership between Microsoft, Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology Project (WIT) and the State of Hawaii; the Digital Alliance program will provide students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in computer science and/or in any STEM-related careers. The program is designed to promote critical and creative thinking; encourage collaboration with other students; and intersect with industry professionals in various Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

“Microsoft has done so much in our community and they are committed to assuring that many of you will have access to a lot of the great technology that is really defining the future for all of us,” said Hawaii State Governor David Ige. “And so the Maui Economic Development Board, State of Hawaii and Microsoft have formed a Digital Alliance partnership because we do understand that software development and access to the latest and greatest software tools gives our young people opportunities to explore all of these technologies. In today’s world anything can be done anywhere and it really is about who is brave enough to take it on and solve our world’s challenges.”

While this year’s conference excelled in engaging students and educators on a myriad of hands-on STEM activities, competitions, and access to the latest technologies; it was the overarching mission of the state’s largest STEM conference that brought home the true impact of STEM education.

According to Leslie Wilkins, MEDB Vice President, “Virtually every field in every sector of the economy whether a small business or major industry is needing STEM professionals – people who are literate and fluent in various technology skills. But just teaching current technology applications does not serve our children well, because technology changes so rapidly. So we need to focus on empowering our youth to be self-directed learners, to be resilient, to stay current and be adaptive to change and not be scared by it. And, most importantly, to have the confidence that they can do it. Instilling these values are at the heart of MEDB’s STEMworks™ program and what this conference is all about.”

The 8th Annual Hawaii STEM Conference is sponsored by:

Office of Naval Research
U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Department of Labor
County of Maui
MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund
Microsoft
Strada Education Network
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Hawaii Energy
21st Century Community Learning Centers
Esri
Hawaii Geographic Information Coordinating Council (HIGICC)
Hawaiian Electric Company
Opterra Energy Services
Trimble SketchUp
Central Pacific Bank
Apple Inc.
Creative Industries Hawaii
Creative Lab Hawaii
Autodesk
National Security Agency
STEM Pre-Academy
Monsanto
Ozobot
King Kekaulike High School
Maui High School ACOM
Searider Productions
Ben Franklin Crafts/Ace Hardware by HouseMart
Blue Planet
Camp CenterStage
DevLeague
Drone Services Hawaii
Elemental Minds
3D Innovations
Hawaii HCM Creative Media Team
Hi FusionEd
Iolani School
The Janus Group
Momilani Elementary School
Maunakea Scholars
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Regional SATCOM Support Center-Pacific U.S. Army Space and Missle Defense Command
Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership
Seaglide
Robonation
STEMJOBS
State of Hawaii Department of Labor
State of Hawaii Department of Education
University of Hawaii Manoa College of Engineering
University of Hawaii, Maui College
The Women in Technology Project is a statewide initiative of the Maui Economic Development Board. WIT is funded in part by the U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture, Office of Naval Research, State of Hawaii, and the County of Maui.

For more information on the 2017 Hawaii STEM Conference, visit http://womenintech.com/HawaiiSTEMConference or contact WIT Program K-12 STEM Education Director Isla Young at isla(at)medb(dot)org or 808-250-2888.

First “Ideation Weekend” For Animated Content Coming to Maui

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HONOLULU – The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) Creative Industries Division (CID) is looking for creative entrepreneurs for its ideation weekend on Maui next month.

The department’s Creative Lab Hawaii (CLH) program is bringing industry mentors in animation to the Valley Isle this June for the launch of its inaugural animation track.

Creative Lab Hawaii (CLH) Animation Ideation Weekend on Maui

June 10 and 11, 2017

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

MEDB, Malcolm Training Center

1305 N. Holopono Street, Suite 5

Kihei, Maui 96753

The deadline to apply is June 2, 2017.

The free intensive in developing animated content is part of DBEDT’s efforts to increase business opportunities to expand markets for locally originated content with animation as its vehicle for storytelling. The workshops focus on writing and the creative, non-technical side of the animation content industry and are led by executive director for CLH, writer/producer Michael Palmieri.

“This program allows our local creative talent to show their potential and position Hawaii as a hub for content development in the Pacific,” said DBEDT Director Luis P. Salaveria. “Developing our creative community is critical to diversify our state’s innovation economy and create new job opportunities.”

Together with CLH partners, Women in Technology/STEMWorks; Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB); the Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development; Maui Film Office and the Maui Visitors Bureau (MVB), the CLH Animation Ideation Weekend is designed for individuals who have a written idea, concept, fully developed story, script or other content who are interested in taking the next step in getting their animation content developed, produced, sold or distributed across multiple platforms (motion pictures, television, games, web-series, publishing, etc.).

“We are looking forward to the partnership with Creative Lab Hawaii, and bringing this caliber of mentoring to our creative community” adds Isla Young, who heads up the Women in Technology’s STEMWorks program for teachers and students. “We see this as a win-win to show the potential of our creative sectors and the pipeline from education to workforce.”

The two day weekend workshop features mentors from the animation industry, including Jeff Gill, an American animator who has worked Comedy Central’s South Park, and who along with Evan and Gregg Spiridellis of JibJab, won an Emmy for Netflix children’s series, “Ask the StoryBots;” Andrew R. Robinson of Blizzard Entertainment who was awarded the Golden Clio award for “Overwatch: Dragons” in 2016, and was nominated for an Emmy for Writing in Children’s Animation for Transformers: “Rescue Bots” in 2015; and Kaaren Lee Brown, who is currently the showrunner for a Netflix Original Series, the highly anticipated animated preschool show, “Super Monsters,” launching in Fall 2017, as well as the credited creator, writer, producer and/or executive producer on 20 live action and animated children’s television series.

The CLH Animation Weekend is an intensive, curated workshop designed for 30 creative entrepreneurs, who are dedicated to furthering their craft in writing and producing animated content. Three months of mentoring follow the weekend program.

CLH was developed in an effort to accelerate the export of creative content developed in the state alongside industry professionals as mentors.

“The CLH Animation Ideation Weekend is for individuals who are committed to moving their ideas forward,” said Michael Andres Palmieri, an industry veteran who is the executive director of CLH.

The program is also a feeder program for the CLH Immersive year-round programs which are held three times per year in Screenwriting, Producing, Interactive and Web Series Media, Music and Fashion.

Since its inception in 2013-14, CLH has provided mentorship by film, television and new media industry leaders, adding to the offerings the new Animation Development track this year.

“This workshop was developed for individuals who are seriously interested in learning and taking steps to develop and position an idea or existing project to maximize its market potential for investment and export in a local, regional and global marketplace,” said Georja Skinner, division chief, DBEDT’s Creative Industries Division and founder of CLH.. “We are excited about the stellar coaches that CLH is bringing in to mentor and build business relationships with our participants”.

For additional information to register, email: creativelab808@gmail.com or go to: creativelab.hawaii.gov/

About DBEDT (Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism)

DBEDT is Hawaii’s resource center for economic and statistical data, business development opportunities, energy and conservation information, and foreign trade advantages. DBEDT’s mission is to achieve a Hawaii economy that embraces innovation and is globally competitive, dynamic and productive, providing opportunities for all Hawaii’s citizens. Through its attached agencies, the department fosters planned community development, creates affordable workforce housing units in high-quality living environments, and promotes innovation sector job growth.

About CID (Creative Industries Division)

CID, a division within DBEDT, is the state’s lead agency dedicated to advocating for and accelerating the growth of Hawaii’s Creative Economy.  Through initiatives, program development, and strategic partnerships, the division and its branches implements activities to expand the business development, global export and investment capacity of Hawaii’s arts, culture, music, film, literary, publishing, digital and new media industries.

Conference Organizers Invite Male Speakers Over Equally Qualified Women

Source: The University of Washington.

Study: Accomplished female scientists often overlooked. Conference organizers invite male speakers over equally qualified women.

Invited speakers at neuroimmunology conferences in 2016 were disproportionately male, and not because male scientists were producing higher quality work, according to a new study. Instead, qualified female scientists were overlooked by organizing committees.

Robyn Klein, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine, of neuroscience, and of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, discussed the findings, published online April 18 in Nature Immunology.

Why did you start investigating this issue?

A postdoctoral fellow in my lab pointed out that the preliminary speaker list for an international neuroimmunology conference included only 13 female speakers out of 93 total. I contacted the conference organizers, and they responded that there weren’t enough accomplished female neuroscientists at senior ranks to invite. So I thought, “That’s a hypothesis that I can test.”

How did you test the hypothesis that there is a larger pool of accomplished men than women in neuroimmunology?

I began by assembling an ad hoc committee of neuroimmunologists and asked them to send me the names of women neuroimmunologists who would be good speakers at an international meeting. After receiving 29 names — the number that would achieve gender balance for the meeting — I analyzed the number of publications in relatively high-impact journals in the last two years for each of the invited speakers as well as my list of female scientists. I found that while there was no gender difference among the investigators with the very highest impact publications, there were many more women with papers in the next tier of journals compared with men. Importantly, 21 percent of the men had no publications that met my criteria in the past two years, compared with only 5 percent of the women. So I concluded that the hypothesis was not correct; there were plenty of women who had published high-impact papers recently who could have been invited and would have improved the scientific impact of the meeting.

Why does this problem exist?

I learned two things while doing this study. One, the composition of the organizing committee matters. I looked at all the neuroimmunology conferences held in 2016 worldwide, and I found that as you approach 50 percent women on the organizing committee, you approach 50 percent female invited speakers. So if you want gender parity in speakers, first you need to include more women in organizing and planning committees. Two, speaking out about gender balance makes a difference. The organizers of the first conference asked for my list of overlooked female neuroimmunologists and invited several of them. They ended up doubling the number of female speakers at their conference, and that raised the quality of the conference. The speaker list was much stronger once they included more women. But it would not have been improved if we hadn’t spoken out. It’s important to notice if people are being overlooked because of unconscious bias and to bring that to the attention of others who are seeking speakers, and leaders. This also is required to combat bias due to race, ethnicity, and nationality. Naming the problem is the first step in solving it.

How do your findings fit into the larger question of gender bias in the sciences?

There’s a growing body of research showing that female scientists’ contributions to their fields are often not reflected in the number of speaker invitations they receive, and that this under-recognition hurts their careers and slows the pace of scientific progress. While this bias may be unconscious, data from sources such as BiasWatchNeuro — founded in 2015 to track the proportion of female conference speakers relative to the proportion of female faculty in the relevant field — show that it is widespread. Encouragingly, the data also show that bringing such biases to light helps to reduce their impact.

Registration to the 2017 Hawaii STEM Conference is now open to all Hawaii public and private middle and high schools!

Join us for the 8th Annual Hawaii STEM Conference as students, educators, industry and community leaders from across the state and nation join together to celebrate the positive impact that Hawaii STEM students create in their communities. Expect to be inspired in this two day regional technology conference by the awesome convergence of shared ideas, knowledge, and skills!

Location and Times:
The conference will take place May 1 & 2 at the Hawaii Convention Center on Oahu.
Monday, May 1: 10am – 8:30pm
Tuesday: May 2: 8:30am – 4pm

Conference Student Rate:
Registration fee for Public DOE and Charter Schools is $150 per student.

Registration fee for Private and Independent Schools is $200 per student.

Meals:
Lunch & Dinner provided on Monday
Lunch provided on Tuesday

Please contact Mapu Quitazol at mapu@medb.org or 808.875.2343 for more information.

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MEDB Request For Proposal (RFP): VR Video Project – Hawaii Renewable Energy Sites

Maui Economic Development Board, Inc.
Request For Proposal 
VR Video Project: Hawaii Renewable Energy Sites

Overview

The Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology Project (WIT) is seeking proposals to create a Virtual Reality hosting platform, as well as an interactive VR app, showcasing renewable energy sites throughout Hawaii. The project will include the development of interactive 360 degree video content featuring 3D photos, videos and interactive educational activities/games related to the various sites.

Background Information

The Women in Technology Project is a workforce development project launched in 1999 by the Maui Economic Development Board and funded in part by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Office of Naval Research, Industry, Private donors, and the County of Maui.

Its mission is to build Hawaii’s science, technology engineering and math (STEM) education-to-workforce pipeline, using an inclusive model that engages girls, Native Hawaiians, and other under-represented groups. WIT’s statewide STEM infrastructure served 40,000 participants last year, and reached each island throughout the state.

In 2009 WIT developed and launched Island Energy Inquiry (IEI) to address the critical issue of fossil fuel dependence and the need for renewable energy solutions in the state of Hawaii. IEI is a place-based, culturally competent Professional Development (PD) program that educates K-12 students on renewable energy resources and incorporates STEM-focused, engineering design solutions.

Originating on the island of Maui, IEI has since expanded its reach to the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Lanai, Molokai, and Hawaii Island, educating a total of 286 teacher participants representing over 45,000 Hawaii students to date.

One of IEI’s strengths is its applicability to various grade levels and subject areas. Teachers not only come from STEM subject areas, but also language arts, fine arts, social studies, and career and technical education. Because of the diverse backgrounds of the IEI participant teachers, students across disciplines are introduced to engineering design concepts and scientific inquiry methodology through IEI activities, such as wind turbine building, energy auditing, and solar power system design.

As a Hawaii DOE Professional Development (PD) course, IEI has addressed the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards (HCPS III) in Science as part of its implementation process. More recently, IEI has adopted the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS) as well as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), based on the framework for K-12 Science Education and developed by the National Research Council.  IEI is in the process of selecting benchmarks from among the CCSS for Reading and Math and applying them to the next edition of the IEI Curriculum Guide.

Project Description

WIT will be contracting teachers across the state to develop interactive content featuring one or two renewable energy sites located on his or her island that will complement the Island Energy Inquiry (IEI) curriculum.

WIT will also work with local renewable energy sites to secure permissions to obtain photos and videos and possible interviews with industry professionals.

The selected video company will have Virtual Reality capabilities and be able to:

• Travel to each island to film the sites (360 photos and videos)

• Work with participating teachers to build online interactive components and 3D Virtual Reality experience per renewable energy site. End user access to CMS platform to allow students and teachers to create their own

• Host the content on the Web so that students and teachers can have ready access

• Guarantee online access for no less than three years using 3D equipment such as Samsung Gear, Google Daydream, HTC Vive, and mobile VR for iOS and Android. Allow for “adaptive distribution” for device agnostic optimization and smooth playback from any device, and include technology updates to ensure forward compatibility with future VR headsets and devices.

• Inclusion of “interactive elements” within the virtual experience, including triggers, positional media, hotspots and waypoints.

• Ability to add content to the experience over time via integrated CMS.

• Embedded “calls to action” to drive visitor actions and inquiry forms to capture visitor data, with integrated reporting and analytics to track metrics such as visitor engagement, click through rate, conversion rate, etc.

• Option to integrate a site map, along with GPS capabilities.

• Option to translate into languages other than English.

• Give students and teachers the ability to be “content creators” and create their own virtual experiences on the same platform.

All VR content needs to be online by June 25, 2017.

 Scope of Services

Please discuss the following in your proposal:

• Video and virtual reality capabilities

• Descriptions and outcomes of pertinent projects in portfolio, with an emphasis on projects completed in the education and non-profit space

• Timeframe for project

• Training plan (if any) for staff

• Maintenance and ongoing communications

• Testing and support

Submittal

Please include the following in your submittal in addition to the scope of services:

• A complete list of all consultants and their qualifications

• A list of references with contact information

• Your proposed compensation for basic services on a lump sum basis

• Proposed payment schedule

• Estimate of all reimbursable expenses

Selection Process

Please send three (3) original copies of your proposal, in a sealed envelope addressed to:
Maui Economic Development Board
c/o Isla Young
1305 North Holopono Street, Suite 1
Kihei, HI 96793

Deadline for all inquiries and proposals is April 12, 2017. Facsimile copies will not be accepted.

For more information, contact Isla Young, isla@medb.org or call 808.250.2888.

Lifetime earnings disparity between University of Hawaii-educated men and women

A recent study published by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) reports that:

• A bachelor’s degree from UH has a rate of return of 13.5% for men due to an expected increase in lifetime earnings of $1.5 million. Women see a lower rate of return of 10% with an expected increase in lifetime earnings of $640 thousand.

• Read the entire study “Financial Benefits to a University of Hawaii Education” (December, 2016)

Introducing Lahaina Intermediate girls to engineering and astronomy

In observance of February’s National Engineers Week, Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Women in Technology (WIT) Program hosted two days of special activities in science and engineering. Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED) and Introduce a Girl to Astronomy Day (IGAD) exposed Maui girls, grades 7-8.

Read more here

http://www.lahainanews.com/page/content.detail/id/543573/Introducing-Lahaina-Intermediate-girls-to-engineering-and-astronomy.html?nav=19

Introducing new research site on women’s issues

WIT note:
The newly improved iwpr.org website is a great resource for research and statistics on women’s education and economic status. Dr. Heidi Hartmann, founder and CEO of IWPR, is a pre-eminent and nationally recognized economist who puts a relevant woman’s perspective on research analysis.

“We are very excited to share this new platform with our colleagues and partners. In this new policy climate, research on women’s issues needs to be rigorous and accurate, yet quickly accessible and shareable. This new site allows us to do just that.” — IWPR President Heidi Hartmann, Ph.D.

Explore the new IWPR.org, with an updated publications search and enhanced issue pages, so you can find the data and research you need quickly.

You’ll also find more ways to access our suite of databases, including womenandgoodjobs.org and statusofwomendata.org.

We hope you enjoy the new iwpr.org. If you have any feedback or questions, contact us at iwpr@iwpr.org and let us know your thoughts!

STEMworks™ Professional Development Workshop – March 4, 2017

*** Workshop is open to STEMworks™ and STEMworks AFTERschool™ teachers only***

STEMworks™ teachers will learn about Service-Learning and Engineering Design Process through community connections, identifying service projects, and technology tool integration and more!

RSVP by February 25, 2017 at https://stempd2017.eventbrite.com.

Where: Kamali’i Elementary School

When: Saturday, March 4th, 2017, 9am – 1pm