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    Robotic wave gliders leave Hawaii for Australia, Japan

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    Liquid Robotics Wave GliderLiquid Robotics, an ocean data services provider and developer of the Wave Glider — the first wave-powered, autonomous marine robot — launched the PacX Wave Gliders from the Big Island of Hawaii on Monday on the final phase of a first-of-its-kind scientific expedition across the Pacific Ocean.

    Continuing their record-breaking journey across the high seas with approximately 5000 nautical miles until their final destinations of Australia and Japan, the Wave Gliders have collectively already traveled more than 13,000 nautical miles. This is more than twice the distance from San Francisco to Tokyo, Japan. During their voyage, the Wave Gliders are collecting and transmitting in near real-time, unprecedented amounts of ocean surface data on a scale never before continuously collected across the Pacific Ocean.

    Sensors on the Wave Gliders are collecting continuous data on water currents and waves, weather conditions, carbon and oxygen levels, water clarity (turbidity) and other critical ocean data vital for weather forecasting, global climate change, environmental monitoring and other commercial applications such as shipping, and fisheries.

    Igniting Interest in Ocean Science

    The purpose of the PacX ocean crossing is to foster new scientific exploration, new discoveries, and to ignite interest in science worldwide — especially with school children. Towards this end, Liquid Robotics is creating a Young Innovators Program. Targeted at students from middle school through high school to stimulate their interest in marine science, robotics and Met/Ocean observation (oceanography, meteorology, weather), this program enables students to use the PacX data to compete in their state science fairs and other scientific/STEM competitions. The roll out of the program will begin over the next 30 days.

    This initiative comes on the heels of a recently unveiled study called The Nation’s Report Card from the US Department of Education that shows more than two-thirds of America’s 8th graders are missing a solid grasp of science principles. The results vary from state to state but deliver incontrovertible evidence that schools are leaving American children unprepared for college and the work force.

    More than 1,600 people around the world have downloaded the data and are following the robots’ journey. The PacX data is available free to anyone who registers at www.liquidr.com/pacx/pacxdata. Additionally, the PacX Challenge scientific competition is open to anyone worldwide who wishes to compete. The grand prize award is $50,000 and six months of Wave Glider data services. Abstracts are due July 17, 2012. Learn more on liquidr.com/pacx/challenge.

    During the voyage, one pair of robots will travel to Guam and cross the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on earth, on their way to Japan. The second pair will travel to Fiji on their way across the equator on a route to Australia. The journeys will end in late 2012 or early 2013.

    About the Wave Glider

    The Liquid Robotics Wave Glider is the first marine robot to use only the ocean’s endless supply of wave energy for propulsion (no manpower, no emissions, no refueling). The Wave Glider employs a multi-patented design that allows it to cost effectively collect and transmit data gathered during missions lasting years, over distances of thousands of miles, or while holding station. Data gathered by Wave Gliders will help us address the biggest challenges our marine environments face – including ocean acidification, fisheries management, global climate change and natural disaster mitigation.

    About Liquid Robotics

    Liquid Robotics, Inc. is an ocean data services provider and developer of the Wave Glider marine robot that functions as a persistent and versatile platform for scientific and industrial applications. Based in Silicon Valley and Hawai’i, the company is enabling dozens of applications and missions never before attainable through its Wave Gliders. Liquid Robotics is backed by VantagePoint Capital Partners. For more information, visit www.liquidr.com.

    Nine Hawaii students win awards at international science fair

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    Photo by Jon Asato
    Savanah Frisk (Kapaa High School), Danielle Keahi (Kamehameha School), and Noelani Murray (Kauai High/Intermediate School) enjoy a break during Hawaii Delegation rehearsals at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

    Nine Hawaii students earned recognition, over $7,500 in cash awards, and even an overseas travel opportunity this week at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), the world’s largest international student science competition.

    The premier pre-college science event culminated today at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. In all, two dozen high school students from Hawaii public, private, and home schools represented the Aloha State.

    At today’s Grand Awards ceremony, three Hawaii students were recognized for their work in life sciences. Danielle Lyn Keahi, 18, of Kamehameha Schools at Kapalama on ‘Oahu, tooksecond place overall in Medicine and Health. She received $1,500 for her work on mutated cells in mice.

    In Biochemistry, two students placed fourth overall: Alec Kaipo Takeshi Matsumoto, 17, also a Kapalama student, and Shalila Shek de Bourmont, 17, of Hilo High School on the Big Island. Both received $500 for their presentations on muscle tissue and endemic Hawaiian plants, respectively.

    Hawaii students also won accolades in Intel ISEF agency awards. Savanah Quinn Frisk, 16, from Kapa‘a High School on Kaua‘i, won a first place award for her study, “Who Do You Listen To? An Exploration on the Effects of Age and Gender on Listening Comprehension.” Her cash award of $1,750 from the Acoustical Society of America is to be shared with her school and teacher.

    Eric Keoni Wessel,18, from Kula Home School in ‘Ewa Beach on O‘ahu, won awards totaling $3,500 from the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA for his project, “Simulating Orbital Dynamics & Planetary Collisions in a Video Game.”

    Logan Keahi Davis, 17, Kyle Randolf Flores, 17, and Erin Lynn Main, 17, a team from ‘Iolani School, won a $2,000 award from the Consortium for Ocean Leadership for their project, “The DOCTORs: A Fusion of Engineering and Biological Analysis.”

    And Viola Mocz, 16, from Mililani High School won an all-expense trip to the CERN facility in France and Switzerland. Her project, “New Ideas in Physics: The Mass Ratio of Elementary Particles from Torus Geometry,” earned her the trip courtesy the European Organization for Nuclear Research. She also won honorable mention from the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Physical Society.

    Mocz’s science savvy continues a strong family legacy of excellence. She is the youngest of three siblings, all of whom have now won awards at both the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair (HSSEF) and the International Science and Engineering Fair over the past decade. Her older siblings, Philip and Lucia currently attend Harvard University.

    Finally, at today’s Grand Awards ceremony, three more Hawaii students were recognized for their work in the Life Sciences category. They include Danielle Lyn Keahi, 18, and Alec Kaipo Takeshi Matsumoto, 17, from the Kamehameha Schools campus in Kapalama on O‘ahu, taking second and fourth place and winning $1,500 and $500 respectively. Hilo High School senior Shalila Shek de Bourmont also earned a fourth place berth and $500.

    These awards culminate a week of intense competition that began on May 13. Hawaii’s delegation competed among over 1,500 students representing over 70 countries from around the world for $13 million in awards and scholarships. They earned the trip after taking top honors at district fairs and at the 55th Annual HSSEF, held last month at the Hawaii Convention Center.

    About the Hawaii Academy of Science

    The Hawaii Academy of Science (HAS) is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1925. The mission of the HAS is to promote scientific research and education in Hawaii and the Pacific Region. For more information, visit hawaiiacademyofscience.org.

    Waikiki Aquarium seeks kids’ YouTube videos

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    The Waikiki Aquarium has become a partner with Youth on Board, a collaborative project with Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in California and Nausicaa Aquarium in Boulogne, France. The program encourages young people to tell others about the ocean near where they live in a humorous, one-minute video. Videos will be uploaded to the respective aquarium’s YouTube channel for the world to see.

    All videos will be entered into a contest and one will be selected at each partner aquarium as the Youth on Board Video of the year. Applications are due on April 20, 2012, with videos being due on May 24, 2012.

    “Our oceans are all interconnected and so it’s critical that we not only learn how to care for our own marine life but also learn about the marine life in other parts of the world,” said Aquarium Director Dr. Andrew Rossiter. “The Youth on Board program encourages youth to be inspired to take care of the ocean by learning about the diversity of marine species that call the ocean home. Our hope is that through the video-making process and viewing portion of this contest, the young people of our community will develop a deeply-rooted appreciation for our delicate ocean ecosystem.”

    Interested participants can visit the Waikiki Aquarium website to download the application, entry form and read contest rules.

    Videos will be viewable worldwide, and will be promoted through marketing by each participating aquarium. The winning video from each partnering Aquarium will be announced on World Ocean Day, June 8, 2012, and will be shown at the International Aquarium Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2012.

    About the Waikiki Aquarium

    Founded in 1904 and administered by the University of Hawai‘i since 1919, the Waikiki Aquarium is located on the shoreline of Waikiki Beach next to a living reef and across from Kapiolani Park. The Aquarium – third oldest in the U.S. – showcases more than 500 marine species, and maintains more than 3,000 marine specimens. Public exhibits, education programs and research focus on the unique aquatic life of Hawai’i and the tropical Pacific. The Aquarium welcomes more than 320,000 visitors annually, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except Honolulu Marathon Sunday and Christmas Day. Admission is $9 for visitors; $6 for local residents, active duty military with ID, students with ID and seniors; $4 for youths ages 13-17 and persons with disabilities; $2 for juniors ages 5 to 12; and free for children 4 and under and Friends of Waikiki Aquarium (FOWA) members. For more information about the Waikiki Aquarium, including membership, please call (808) 923-9741 or visit www.waquarium.org.

    Kakaako incubator hatches Screenfuse service

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    ScreenfuseA local group of entrepreneurs and developers yesterday unveiled Screenfuse, an interactive display to showcase the social media stream for businesses and special events.

    The web-based service creates an attractive, live-updating screen that can show real-time social media activity connected to a store, restaurant, hotel, concert, or conference.

    Screenfuse was developed in under a month by Hawaii-based web developer Evan Nagle, digital designer John Garcia, and L.A.-based entrepreneur Mike Prasad. The startup was incubated at The Greenhouse Innovation Hub in Kakaako.

    “By leveraging social media networks such as Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare, Screenfuse activates on-site audiences to increase customer sharing and brand engagement,” Garcia explains.

    Screenfuse displays are fully customizable, and powered by an intelligent filtering and network platform that ensures fresh, dynamic, and appropriate content. With a Screenfuse display, businesses can build their digital footprint, and learn more about their customers.

    “Businesses spend a lot of time and money reaching out to potential customers online through ads, social postings and other outreach,” adds Prasad. “They often overlook a better way of marketing by activating existing customers that have already had a positive experience with their business. The praise of a happy customer has much more weight than the business promoting themselves.”

    As a web service, Screenfuse does not require expensive proprietary hardware, as it can run on any screen via an internet connected computer or mobile device. And businesses can also include their own content or advertisements along with the social stream.

    In addition to current social media channels, the Screenfuse team is actively expanding functionality to include live streaming video, custom data feeds, interactive polls and more.

    Screenfuse is rolling out privately to select businesses. Other venues interested in leveraging Screenfuse for their business can request access by sending an email to join@screenfuse.com.

    Offshore Fish Farm Receives Key Permit

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    Hawaii Oceanic Technology, Inc. has been issued permit HI-0028140 in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act, Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 342D; and Hawaii Administrative Rules as administered by the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH).

    In a letter dated March 30, 2012, the DOH stated that it has “reviewed the (company’s) application for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, and that after consideration of the expressed views of all interested persons and agencies, pertinent Federal and State statutes and rules regarding the discharge, the DOH hereby issues the NPDES permit effective April 30, 2012.”

    This comprehensive process took the company more than a year of effort and required a thorough public review and response to comments from the public and several NGOs.

    Bill Spencer, President and CEO of Hawaii Oceanic Technology, Inc. said, “once again we have been held to
    the highest possible standard imposed by yet another regulatory requirement and have been granted permission to proceed with our business plan.”

    The company has spent more than five years and $2 million complying with permitting requirements imposed by the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Federal Government. The company prepared a full Environmental Impact Statement and Cultural Assessment to obtain a Conservation District Use Permit, required to get its 247 acre ocean lease, which was granted October 2010. Additional Federal permits included a Federal Consistency Review permit, the EPA/NPDES permit and an Army Corp Section 10 permit that has been in process since September 2010.

    The Army Corp permit is the last permit required before the company can execute its business plan.

    Spencer said, “the permitting process has been tedious and expensive, but the company is proud to have been held to such high standards. We are now more than five years ahead of any other company contemplating doing an open ocean fish farming business in Hawaii.”

    Spencer noted however, that “if the United States is serious about food security and reversing the almost $14 billion dollar trade deficit it maintains from the importation of 85% of seafood we consume, the regulatory requirements must be streamlined and the burden on entrepreneurs should be reduced significantly.”

    At present, the United States does not have a comprehensive regulatory framework to allow open ocean fish
    farming in its 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone. Hawaii is one of a very few states that allows the lease of an ocean column for mariculture.

    Spencer said, “farming fish in the ocean is essentially the only way increasing global demand for seafood protein can be met.”

    According to the United Nations Food Agriculture Organization, half of all seafood consumed in the world is already being farmed. The world’s oceans have reached maximum sustainable yield and some species of tunas and others fish are seriously distressed in the wild with some facing extinction. Scientists estimate that farmed seafood production must be increased by another 62 million tons annually over the next 20 years in order to meet world appetite for this healthy source of protein.

    In 1983 famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau declared, “we must plant the sea as farmers… civilization is all about farming replacing hunting.”

    A copy of the permit, rationale and response to public comments can be found on the Hawaii State Department of Health/Clean Water Branch web site here:

    http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/water/cleanwater/contact/pubntcs/index.html

    City Smartphone Apps Gaining Steam in Honolulu

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    DaBus for iOSThe City Department of Information Technology (DIT) partnered with local developers to enhance public service by providing key information to campers, bus riders, and those interested in reporting problems to the City and the public is making good use of the new services.

    “We are pleased that the public has embraced the City’s newest online services as well as other services such as the NIXLE notification system and our Facebook and Twitter accounts,” said Mayor Peter Carlisle.

    The successful online camping registration program allows campers, who formerly had to wait in line for hours—and sometimes days—before camp registration deadlines, to now register online for campsites. More than 1,300 users have already taken advantage of the new registration system.

    The City has also added HEA, a unique feature for smartphones that provides users with access to information about bus schedules, routes, and locations. This novel approach to transportation offers riders immediate information regarding bus and bus stop locations and problems in the system.

    There is also DaBus [iTunes], an iPhone app, and Allb.us, a web app.

    “This application is highly successful,” said Forest Frizzell, Deputy Director of DIT. “It allows us to put information quickly in the hands of riders. It was developed in partnership with a member of our community and highlights our effort to leverage technology to keep the public informed.”

    In another example of using technology to disseminate important information, the Honolulu Tsunami Evacuation Zones [iTunes] application allows residents and visitors to quickly determine the need to evacuate during a tsunami warning. “We learned after the Japan tsunami scare that due to the high adoption rate of cell phones versus land lines, many people no longer use traditional phone books,” Frizzell said.  “In the past, that’s where people got emergency information so we are now adapting to how people prefer to consume information.”

    Honolulu 311, a smartphone app for reporting City issues, has garnered extraordinary adoption and penetration into the social media network. The number of users has exploded. “We are finding that this low cost system enables us to quickly locate problems,” Carlisle said. “We are now looking at additional applications of this powerful tool that currently allows users to report issues like abandoned vehicles, broken street lights, or illegal dump sites.”

    In the two months since its debut, more than 900 reports have been submitted to the City using Honolulu 311.

    All of these free apps and more can be downloaded on the City’s transparency website at can-do.honolulu.gov.

    STEM Week Awards Recognize Hawaii School Excellence

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    Photo by Eugene HopkinsThe inaugural STEM Week Awards were given out yesterday, celebrating the achievements of 14 high and middle schools in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). For the first time, diverse fields like VEX Robotics, FIRST Robotics, Science Olympiad, the Hawai‘i State Science & Engineering Fair, and CyberPatriot were recognized in a single awards ceremony.

    In his keynote address, Senator Daniel K. Inouye recognized the importance of STEM and its contribution to the competitiveness of Hawaii’s students. He reflected on his humble public school upbringing and how, only in America, he could fight the stereotype of a Japanese-American during WWII to achieve his current position as the President pro tempore of the Senate.

    Inouye said in a statement: “I arrived home to Hawai‘i last night and was pleased that my first event was to participate in the STEM Week Awards Lunch. It warmed my heart to see bright young students and their committed teachers and principals. Hawai‘i has much to be proud of and to be hopeful about. We should not sell ourselves short. Our future is in good hands.”

    On stage to hand out awards with Sen. Inouye were Neal Atebara, Chairman of the Board of the Hawai‘i Academy of Science (HAS), HAS President Kerry Kakazu, Robbie Alm, Executive Vice President of Hawaiian Electric Company, and Morgan Kapololu, Verizon Retail Manager.

    The following schools were recognized for their commitment to STEM education:

    High School State Champions

    1. Mililani High School
    2. ‘Iolani School
    3. Waipahu High School

    Middle School State Champions

    1. Highlands Intermediate School
    2. ‘Iolani School
    3. Punahou School

    Island High School Awards

    • Oahu Island: Moanalua High School
    • Big Island: Waiakea High School
    • Kauai Island: Waimea High School
    • Maui County: Baldwin High School
    • Independent High School: Punahou School
    Island Middle School Awards
    • Oahu Island: Waipahu Intermediate School
    • Big Island: Waiakea Intermediate School
    • Kauai Island: Waimea Canyon Middle School
    • Maui County: Maui Waena Intermediate School
    • Independent Middle School: St. Andrew’s Priory School

    The inaugural STEM Week Awards also featured the first Daniel K. Inouye Award for Commitment to STEM Education, which went to Hawaiian Electric Company. The award is given to an individual or organization that demonstrated leadership in Hawaii’s STEM educational initiatives by ensuring continued access to STEM programs statewide.

    The STEM Week program also featured an Industry Exposition and Job Fair that gave local businesses and organizations the opportunity to showcase their technology and services to students, educators, and job seekers. For more information on STEM Week, visit STEMWeekHawaii.org.

    Wave Gliders reach Hawaii, break world record

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    Liquid Robotics Wave GliderLiquid Robotics, an ocean data services provider and developer of the first wave-powered Wave Glider marine robot, is proud to announce the PacX Challenge Wave Gliders have broken the Guinness Book World record for distance by an unmanned wave powered vehicle.

    Arriving in Hawaii on the first leg of their 9000 nautical mile journey across the Pacific, they have traveled over 3200 nautical miles breaking the previous world distance record of 2500 nautical miles.

    Launched on November 17, 2011 from San Francisco Bay, the Wave Gliders have survived 8-meter (26 foot) waves in a gale force storm, defied turbulent mid-ocean currents, all while transmitting real time ocean data and staying on course to their first destination: the Big Island of Hawaii.

    After a short check-up, the PacX Wave Gliders will embark on their final journeys to Australia and Japan. During this portion of the record breaking, scientific expedition, the first team of Wave Gliders will cross the Mariana Trench and battle the Kuroshio Current on their way to Japan. The second team will cross the equator on their way to Australia. It is anticipated the arrivals will occur in late 2012 or early 2013.

    “We are proud our PacX Wave Gliders have reached their first destination and broken the world record,” said Edward Lu, Chief of Innovative Applications at Liquid Robotics. “I have no doubt new ocean discoveries, insights, and applications will emerge from the PacX data set. PacX represents a new model for providing widespread and easy access to environmental monitoring of the worldʼs oceans, one in which Liquid Robotics operates fleets of mobile, autonomous ocean robots across previously inaccessible areas of the ocean.”

    The PacX Challenge Wave Gliders were named to honor famous oceanographers and discoverers. One of the four, Papa Mau or “the Way Finder”, was named after the Micronesian navigator, Pius “Mau” Piailug, famous as the teacher of traditional, noninstrument way finding methods for deep-sea voyaging. True to his spirit, his namesake Wave Glider is navigating to port without instruments, due to a satellite communication disruption. Programmed to go straight to Kawaihae Harbor on the Big Island, he is battling severe currents, yet staying on path using only his original coordinates and the stars.

    To learn more about the PacX Challenge, the Wave Gliders and the PacX Challenge grand prize, please go to www.liquidr.com/pacx/.

    About the Wave Glider

    The Wave Glider is the first marine robot to use only the oceanʼs endless supply of wave energy for propulsion (no manpower, no emissions, no refueling). The Wave Glider employs a multi-patented design that allows it to cost-effectively collect and transmit data gathered during yearlong missions, over distances of thousands of miles, or while holding station. Data gathered by Wave Gliders will help us address the biggest challenges our marine environments face – including ocean acidification, fisheries management, and natural disaster mitigation.

    About Liquid Robotics

    Liquid Robotics, Inc. is an ocean data services provider and developer of the Wave Glider marine robot that functions as a persistent and versatile platform for scientific and industrial payloads. Based in Silicon Valley, Houston and Hawaiʼi, the companyʼs Wave Glider is enabling dozens of applications and missions never before attainable. Liquid Robotics is backed by VantagePoint Capital Partners. For more information, visit www.liquidr.com.

    STEM Week to celebrate Hawaii education efforts

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    HSSEF | Photo by Ryan OzawaThe fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are critical to the future of Hawaii and the U.S., with major initiatives launching nationwide to ensure that today’s students become tomorrow’s innovators and leaders. Next month, the inaugural Hawaii STEM Week will bring together a wide range of local stakeholders to highlight these critical areas of education, and encourage greater community support and industry engagement.

    Scheduled to run concurrently with the Hawaii State Science & Engineering Fair (HSSEF), STEM Week will feature events to recognize excellence among Hawaii’s schools, connect students and practitioners with relevant employers and careers, and award local institutions for their work in advancing STEM education.

    “Programs in STEM provide an invaluable experience to students by building a sense of self-confidence and igniting a lifelong passion for learning,” said Neal Atebara, board chairman of the Hawaii Academy of Science. “By acknowledging institutional accomplishments in addition to individual achievements, STEM Week will pay tribute to collective school efforts and commitment towards STEM exploration.”

    The on-site Industry Exposition and Job Fair will give local businesses and organizations an opportunity to demonstrate their technology and services to students, educators, and even investors. Firms working in Hawaii’s dual-use industry will be well represented, sharing their latest work and available career opportunities.

    The STEM Institutional Awards Banquet will highlight educational institutions that strive to make STEM activities ubiquitous in every student’s educational experience. The program will honor schools that promote a rich variety of STEM activities and offer students many entry points for involvement in STEM education.

    STEM Week will take place April 3-5, 2012 at the Hawaii Convention Center. The expo will be open from noon to 4:00 p.m. on April 3rd, 10 to 4pm on the 4th, and from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on April 5. The STEM awards banquet will follow at 11:30 a.m. on April 5.

    Preparations are well underway, and organizers are currently inviting local companies and groups to participate in STEM Week via the industry expo or as event sponsors. For more information on attending the event or sponsoring STEM Week, please visit STEMWeekHawaii.org or email kerrykak@hawaii.edu.

    ABOUT HAS

    The Hawaii Academy of Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax exempt charitable organization committed to promoting scientific research and education in Hawaii and the Pacific Rim. The Academy is particularly interested in developing and executing programs and experiences for the science and learning communities. In addition to the Hawaii State Science & Engineering Fair, projects include the Pacific Symposium for Science & Sustainability (PS3) and Science Cafe. For more information, visit hawaiiacademyofscience.org.

    Foundation announces $450,000 in Innovation Fund awards

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    HCF OfficeFive recipients are awarded $480,591 in grants – including a first time “People’s Choice Award” – to implement fresh ideas and create meaningful change in Hawaii

    The Hawaii Community Foundation announced the second round of grant recipients from its Island Innovation Fund, which was created to serve as a catalyst for innovation within the nonprofit sector. From a group of eight finalists, a total of $480,591 was awarded to five recipients for projects that will: increase energy awareness through real-time energy monitoring web and mobile application tools; allow residents statewide to actively follow and monitor the Hawaii legislative process; distribute a replicable exercise and fall prevention program to Hawaii’s seniors; deploy a new access control mechanism to maintain public access to trails and pathways on Hawaii Island; and encourage schools to eliminate its waste to create green schools.

    For the first time, a “People’s Choice Award” was also selected by the more than 200 nonprofits that submitted proposals over the first and second grant rounds.

    “While the continuing stagnant economy forces nonprofits to do more with less while facing complex issues, it is increasingly important to create a culture for innovation that allows organizations to think out of the box to find creative solutions to challenges in our community,” explained Kelvin Taketa, president and chief executive officer of Hawaii Community Foundation. “The Island Innovation Fund is designed to foster new ways to solve the various problems that our state faces, by working together and building upon each others’ great ideas.”

    In its first round of grants, a total of $461,119 was awarded to five recipients for innovative projects that addressed various issues from conservation of native forests to technology solutions that connect consumers to Hawaii farm products.

    “It was exciting to build upon the successes and lessons learned from the first round of grants and to work with nonprofits in this second round to spur new, thoughtful ideas to create lasting change in our communities,” said Kina Mahi, senior programs officer at the Hawaii Community Foundation in charge of the Island Innovation Fund. “We were impressed with the exciting community engagement strategies and new technology ideas that have the potential to make a broader impact beyond the organizations.”

    This is the second of three award rounds planned. The second round recipients of the Island Innovation Fund include:

    Blue Planet Foundation (Hawaii Energy Tracker Phase II: “Show Me the Power”) – $100,000

    Blue Planet Foundation will increase energy awareness and provoke action through its “Show Me the Power” (SMTP) and “The Island Pulse” innovations. SMTP, a new web application, will encourage households to change their energy habits by enabling users to see their real-time energy usage and allowing them to select from different scenarios (i.e. upgrading their refrigerator to an Energy Star appliance) that will show cost and energy savings. “The Island Pulse” is targeted to create energy consumption awareness in communities, businesses, and groups through an energy use public display in high-traffic locations (i.e. shopping malls and restaurants).

    Hawaii Elections Project, Inc. (Hawaii Policy Portal) – $81,720

    The Hawaii Policy Portal (HPP) allows residents statewide to actively follow and participate in Hawaii’s legislative process. HPP will help to simplify research, mobilization, and communication needed for effective advocacy at both the State and County levels, and the platform will have the potential to transform public participation in Hawaii’s policy-making process.

    Giving Back (Move With Balance) – $100,000

    Giving Back will offer a replicable exercise and fall prevention program for Hawaii’s seniors. The organization will distribute instructional DVDs and educational materials to individuals, caregivers, and senior centers, and a user-friendly interactive website will connect clients for sharing and further trainings.

    PATH – People’s Advocacy for Trails Hawaii (Public Access with Kuleana) – $100,000

    The project will pursue a community-managed public access model that provides a way for the public to enjoy activities like fishing and hiking on private lands, with a shared kuleana, or responsibility, to cultural practices, environmental sustainability, private property rights and community values. The grant will fund implementation of a six-part community-managed public access model consisting of (1) legal agreements, (2) risk management, (3) an access control and accountability system, (4) education and orientation of access users, (5) establishment of enforcement protocols, and (6) evaluation to improve the model and inform others who wish to apply this model to other places. Two locations in Pepe`ekeo, North Hilo and Keahuolū, North Kona have been chosen for the innovation.

    People’s Choice Award — The Green House (Greening our Schools) – $98,871

    The Green House will expand its school waste diversion and green jobs program that converts schools into zero waste sites where “waste” is kept on-site and composted into useable resources. Trained Environmental Educators at each site will ensure the sustainability of the program and provide mentor/mentee green jobs training opportunities.

    The Island Innovation Fund was established in 2010 as a part of the historic $50 million commitment from Pam and Pierre Omidyar to the Hawaii Community Foundation. Details on the Island Innovation Fund are available at www.islandinnovation.org and the Hawaii Community Foundation website, www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org.

    About Hawaii Community Foundation

    With 95 years of community service, the Hawaii Community Foundation is the leading philanthropic institution in the state. The Foundation is a steward of more than 600 funds, including more than 160 scholarship funds, created by donors who desire to transform lives and improve communities. In 2011, more than $43 million in grants and contracts were distributed statewide. The Foundation also serves as a resource on community issues and trends in the nonprofit sector.

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