The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR) – Maui Nui is launching the “Empowering Youth through Innovation for Maui Nui’s Future” grant program, with the goal of designing and building local solutions for water harvesting and sustainable food production.
Supported by a grant from the Maui County Department of Agriculture, the challenge moves beyond the classroom, asking middle school, high school, and undergraduate students to develop Small-scale models that can be expanded into two categories:
- Engineering systems to capture, store, or reuse water, particularly from the air.
- Reimagining food production through vertical or container-based agricultural systems.
“This is an opportunity for the next generation of problem-solvers to take the lead in Maui Nui’s resilience,” said Surendra Dara, CTAHR Maui County Administrator. “The challenge gives students the resources to turn their vision for a sustainable Hawaiʻi into a working reality.”
Project details
- Eligibility: The challenge is open to individual students or teams based in Maui County
- Mentoring: All participants must be guided by a mentor, such as a teacher, parent, or professional with engineering or agriculture experience.
- Check https://go.hawaii.edu/iDD for additional information.
- Submit letter of intent at https://go.hawaii.edu/QDD.
- Deadline to apply: March 31, 2026.
Selected teams may receive up to $2,000 in reimbursable funds for materials and other project-related expenses.