Maui’s Taro Fest among beneficiaries of county grants

The County of Maui Office of Economic Development executed a total of $470,000 in grants benefiting Maui Economic Development Board, Inc., the East Maui Taro Festival and Ahupua`a O Molokai, according to an announcement made by Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares today.

The Maui Economic Development Board, Inc. received $450,000 for business and workforce development to help diversify the county’s economic base in the areas of technology, health, information systems and renewable energy.

MEDB-led programs now serve 10,000 students, educators and employers per year statewide, with 5,500 in Maui County; the agency’s Professional Development for Teachers (DOE PD credentialed) program provided training for 240 teachers in 2009 in GIS/GPS technologies in the newly launched MEDB GeoTech Hawaii initiative. Another 150 teachers and coaches were trained in robotics, 50 teachers trained in inquiry-based teaching methods for science and technology, and 40 teachers trained in a new Island Energy renewable energy curriculum aligned with DOE standards from 5th grade to 12th grade. In the agriculture sector, an Educate the Educator training reached 60 teachers on Maui. Other MEDB programs include research and development activities such as information systems, supercomputing, optics, agri-tech and renewable energy.  MEDB recruits and prepares residents for the skills needed for these sectors grounded in science, technology, engineering and math through such innovative programs as Project EAST, which has served 4,400 students in all Maui County public high schools.

The East Maui Taro Festival received $15,000 that was used to pay for expenses associated with the 18th annual East Maui Tare Festival held earlier this year in Hana.

Ahupua`a O Molokai received $5,000 in funds to help distribute information, conduct membership drives, provide fundraising for associations and organizations as well as aid in community education.

(Information courtesy County of Maui)