Dozens of students and educators spoke in support of the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) STEM Works programming during the South Maui committee meeting, describing after‑school robotics, 3‑D printing, mentorship and internship opportunities that county funding supports.

Students such as Sienna Cooper, Toby Namov, Lilith Martin, Jonathan Martin, Kalyn Leeper and Sophia Spalding gave personal accounts of how STEM Works experiences shaped their academic paths and provided internships, travel to interisland and mainland competitions, and mentorship in health care and engineering fields. Cooper said the program “profoundly shaped” her trajectory and cited mentoring middle school students and a “Stop the Bleed” task force as pivotal experiences.

Teachers and program coordinators, including Sean Yano (Lokelani Intermediate) and Michelle O. (Hawaii Technology Academy), described STEM Works as “leveling the playing field” by giving students from varied backgrounds access to industry tools, career exposure and hands‑on projects. Yano recounted taking students to the Hawaii Convention Center on Oʻahu and arranging behind‑the‑scenes interviews with local visual effects professionals who worked on major films.

Supporters asked the committee to keep or increase line items that fund STEM Works, noting the program’s role in building a local talent pipeline for engineers, IT and health care jobs and helping retain young people on island. Several council members pointed to county engineer and IT job openings and suggested the pipeline could supply in‑county hires.

Ending: No formal vote occurred during public comments. Speakers asked the committee to preserve STEM Works funding in the final budget so students can continue to access conferences, internships and in‑school programming.