Jennifer Girard, treasurer of the Construction Industry of Maui, says supporting Maui County students is a big part of the organization's mission — and they're doing it in a big way.
CIM, a trade council of the Maui Chamber of Commerce, recently gave tens of thousands of dollars in grants to construction vocational programs in Maui County high schools and will soon award three $25,000 scholarships to Maui students as part of an annual scholarship program.
To support construction vocational programs and students at the high school level, Baldwin High School teacher Joe Tam Ho last month received $9,865; King Kekaulike High School teacher Andrew Wolski received $4,000; Lahainaluna High School teacher Tad Luckey received $3,000 and teacher Gabriel Krueger received $2,000; Maui High School teacher Julio Bayez received $4,390 and teacher Michael Sado received $12,500; and Molokai High School teacher Jason Elder received $4,148, CIM noted in a recent announcement.
"When we present these checks to not only the students, but the faculty of each high school, what we talk about is the importance of the trades and continuing to keep the trades alive — and to show the kids that, look, you can have a very successful career working in the trades, whether it would be a carpenter, a plumber, a laborer [or] an operator," Girard told Aloha State Daily. "You can have a very lucrative career and return to Maui and stay on Maui, because that's the ultimate goal. We want to keep our kids here on Maui to continue not only the culture but build for the future."
CIM raised some $65,000 for these programs through the second annual Pace Supply Golf Tournament last September. A third annual tournament is planned for Sept. 27 at The Dunes Maui Lani Golf Course, according to the announcement.
Maui County teachers — whose classes have received funding from CIM — said they are grateful.
Sado, the architecture design teacher at Maui High School, said the $12,000 grant his class received will be used to plan, design and implement an architecture design and construction showcase and competition, for the purchase of building materials and materials used by students in the competition, as well as for travel expenses for three students to compete in the state's SkillsUSA Architectural Drafting competition, which will be held on O‘ahu next year.
And if one of the three students are named a finalist, they'll have the chance to attend and compete in the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Sado said, adding that this funding will also be used to cover travel expense for the conference.
"The funds awarded to our architecture and construction programs truly means a lot for us," Sado said. "We are extremely grateful to receive this kind of support from CIM. It is truly a blessing. We seek to inspire and encourage our students that there are options when it comes to making educational decisions about their future.
"We encourage our students that they can earn a livable wage if they decide to go into a trade or pursue a college degree," he continued. "The whole goal for us as educators is to introduce them to the industry and what it has to offer. We educate our students that there are careers and jobs that will keep you here working on Maui. The goal for us as high school teachers and CIM is to keep our local students here on Maui and not have to move out of state. We look forward to continue building the partnership and relationship with the Construction Industry of Maui because they are truly making a huge investment for our students."
Luckey, an advanced manufacturing teacher at Lahainaluna High School, told ASD in an email that, "We are all extremely grateful for the support, especially as we continue to adjust in the classroom to challenges caused by the fires."
Wildfires in August 2023 ravaged parts of the Valley Isle and destroyed much of Lahaina.
"Our advanced manufacturing classes focus on designing, building and testing solution of all kinds so we have a continuous need for tools and materials. These funds will sustain our program into next year so we can continue to provide our students a hands-on experience with traditional and modern skill sets that we hope will be applied to rebuilding our community and support our islands into the future," he said.
Elder teaches residential and commercial construction and fine woodworking at Molokai High School.
He told ASD in an email that he asked for funding to buy specialized grinders to enhance the spoon and bowl projects students already make in class. These tools will be safer, easier to use and do a better and more complete job of finishing those projects, he said.
"This kind of support is super important to me and my classes because it shows that industry professionals and leaders care about the students and the quality of the education they receive before they enter into the workforce," he said. "It's important that the students believe that they are being backed when they graduate and go into a trades program. I am so humbled and thankful for the award."
CIM also offers its annual Bob Poulson CIM scholarships, named after the late Bob Poulson, one of the original CIM leaders and co-founder of Arita Poulson General Contracting.
Those scholarship applications just closed, but this year, CIM will award three $25,000 scholarships to graduating Maui high school seniors planning to seek a degree in architecture, engineering, construction, landscaping or related fields — students who can later bring the knowledge and skills they acquire back to Maui, CIM says. Recipients will be announced this month.
According to the organization, CIM has awarded $277,500 in scholarships for 12 students who have returned to the island — or plan to.
Girard says with this program, CIM has the same mindset. "We want kids to go to the Mainland and see other things, but we ultimately want them to know that we want you back in Maui because you are the future. You are the future, not only in the construction industry, but you're also the future of keeping the culture alive."
More information about CIM can be found online here.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
