Jana is the Upward Bound Program Director at the University of Hawaii, Maui College. Her program serves 205 high school students in Maui Nui which consists of the islands of Maui, Moloka’i and Lana’i. Her students represent a diverse population of Pacific Islanders. Jana’s program incorporates traditional indigenous knowledge with problem-based learning curriculum and STEM into her program. She has since observed tremendous growth in her students as they work directly with local partners in the community, and utilize technology to resolve real world problems. Jana specializes in bridging the theoretical and practical applications of technology inside the classroom with real world community engagement. She has oriented the UB program around projects that highlight and compliment the diverse traditions and cultural practices that her students embody. T3 Alliance curriculum has given Jana’s students the opportunity to build their own computers, learn principles of coding, fly drones, and design 3D printing prototypes. They also work in loi kalo (taro patch) gardens, study native plants, and repair loko i’a (Hawaiian fishponds). Jana is currently a PhD student in the University of Hawaii Manoa’s Educational Psychology Program.