NexTech Hawai’i congratulates winners of the 5th Annual FishTankSustainability Design Challenge
Hawai’i Island youth came together to share creative ideas, optimism for the future, and innovative solutions to expand local food production and consumption in the 5th Annual FishTank Sustainability Design Challenge.
This year’s theme, Food Security, expanded on previous contests inspired by the state’s Aloha+ Challenge. Modeled after the SharkTank TV show and developed by NexTech Hawai’i, this free STEM learning program gives 5th to 8th grade students an opportunity to compete for scholarship awards and cash prizes while helping solve real-world problems impacting our Big Island community.
The 2025 competition kicked off on January 11, marking record-breaking growth and a 163% increase in student participation. This year’s FishTank challenge was accepted by 18 teams of 49 Hawai’i Island students in grades 5 through 8, representing schools from North Kona, South Kona, Kau, Puna, South Hilo, North Hilo, and Hamakua communities.
The contest ran for 12 weeks and culminated in the Pitch Day event on April 12, where five finalist teams presented innovative solutions in a “lightning pitch” format to a live audience of our NexTech families and FishTank supporters, educators from schools across the Big Island, as well as local community and business leaders.
Congratulations to all our 2025 finalists and our scholarship award winners!
“Please know how important your work is – not just for this competition but for the future of Hawai’i Island and the world. We need more local problem-solvers and young minds who want to think boldly and work collaboratively.”
Meet Our 2025 Teams
First Place: Thinker Trio
“This experience has been a great way to test our STEM skills and knowledge, reach out to the community, and expand opportunities.”
Team members Jaxon Shimazu, Rylee Honda, and Phat Lee, all 8th graders at Waiakea Intermediate School, along with Jaxon's father, Jason Shimazu, designed an EZ Eggs app to address the egg shortage.
The EZ Eggs app would provide a user-friendly platform for both new and experienced farmers to care for chickens, track finances, and market their products. By utilizing AI to monitor flock health and predict egg production, the app enables farmers to optimize their operations, expand their business, and contribute to a more resilient, locally driven egg supply.
The Thinker Trio team was awarded a $1,200 scholarship and an $800 community donation which they presented to the Waiakea High School Robotics Program.
Plus, Jaxon Shimazu received Third Place recognition for Best Engineering Notebook.
Second Place: Food Machine
“We had a really good idea!”
Two brothers, Israel and Micah Roberts, 7th and 8th grade students at Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School, along with their mother, Laura Roberts, who served as the Team Coordinator, took on the challenge of food security by designing a DIY hydroponics system that anyone can install regardless of limited land or water resources.
The Food Machine’s simple, sustainable system uses minimal space and water, reduces pesticide use and nutrient runoff. This solution also got high marks for being easy to maintain, making homegrown produce more accessible for Big Island families.
The Food Machine team was awarded a $1,000 scholarship, along with a $500 community donation, to support the Kau Homeschool Co-op’s STEM activities.
The Food Machine concept was also recognized as the Best Idea for its sheer practicality.
Third Place: Cool Greenery Girls
“We learned a lot about gardening.”
Kau, a rural district in the southernmost area of Hawai’i Island, struggles with the highest rates of poverty and food insecurity. Many residents in the area face limited options and lack access to affordable, nutritious food due to distance and transportation barriers.
The Cool Greenery Girls team members Luka Doherty, an 8th grader at Laupahoehoe Community PCS, Addyson Jensen, a homeschooled 7th grader, and Stella LeDoux, a 5th grader at Homeschool-Venture Upward, along with Lukaʻs mother Kristen Davis serving as the Team Coordinator, tackled the problem by creating a non-profit organization called Cooler Crops.
Their innovative solution combined the recycling of old refrigerators with DIY composting, gardening, and community service to empower families to grow more of their own food, while also cultivating healthier eating habits. Cooler Crops connects food-insecure residents with volunteers who transform junked refrigerators into garden beds and teach people how to install, use, and maintain them.
The Cool Greenery Girls team won $800 in scholarship funding, plus a $200 community donation to the Kau Homeschool Co-op’s STEM activities.
Team member Addyson Jensen took First Place for the Best Engineering Notebook. Additionally, the Cool Greenery Girls won the Most Inspirational Overall award.
Honorable Mention: Produce Pigz
“We learned how to work together as a team.”
The Produce Pigz team’s project, called Plump Up Da Pigz, aimed to create more sustainable local meat production by raising pigs on food scraps collected from the community.
Team members and siblings Jack and Sophie Loewen, Justus and Jude Stickley, all homeschoolers in grades 5, 6, and 7, along with Team Coordinator Madeline Loewen, acquired four Kunekune piglets and engaged their community in food scrap collection.
The team focused on refining methods for scrap collection, raising healthy pigs, and learning about financial and regulatory challenges involved with processing and selling locally grown meat.
Team members noted that the FishTank Sustainability Design Challenge provided an opportunity to learn more about STEM and the scientific process, as well as gain skills in public speaking.
The Produce Pigz were awarded Honorable Mention cash prizes of $20 each to their team members.
Honorable Mention: Team Holu
“No idea is a bad idea.”
A three-part “Educate. Grow. Share.” initiative was designed by Team Holu to address a variety of needs through education, innovation, and community building.
Team Coordinators Mary and Lazarus Amafala-Marquant worked with the Holu team members Serena King, Hali’a Matsuwaki, Shinbi Tanimoto, and Ezra Warfield to explore the “why” and “how” of sustainability practices.
Team Holu noted that, as homeschoolers in grades 5 to 8, they felt the FishTank Sustainability Design Challenge was an impactful way for them to give back to their community.
Team Holu adopted a holistic “ripple effect” approach to connecting people by increasing their knowledge about food production. Their concept was based on a community outreach program that offered student-made media, tutorials, and workshops to promote the goal of creating an eco-friendly garden in every home.
In addition to Honorable Mention, Team Holu won $400 for the Best Teamwork and another $400 for the People’s Choice award.
Hali’a Matsuwaki also received Second Place recognition for Best Engineering Notebook.
Congratulations and Mahalo to ALL the FishTank Teams!
It has been a joy and a privilege to be part of your journey this year. We’re proud of all your team’s accomplishments, and grateful for the time, energy, and heart each and every one of you put into finding solutions for a more food-secure and sustainable Hawai’i.
“So inspired and proud of our Big Island youth for taking on the vital challenge of food security this year. Now more than ever, we need bright, curious, and determined minds like yours to lead the way towards real solutions… you represent hope, innovation, and the future we all believe in.” ~Linei Lahti, Linei Kōkua Advisory, volunteer Subject Matter Expert and Pitch Day Coach
Just by being there, each team and every individual student is helping us all build a brighter, healthier future for our island. Details on all of the participating teams' project presentations can be viewed in our Pitch Day Program.
Here are the other teams that joined this journey and their corresponding project ideas.
Fishineers
The Fishneers team aimed to enhance the economic viability of Big Island food production by facilitating easier connections between local farmers and consumers. They are developing an app and website modeled after Farm Link with DoorDash-style delivery.
KoolKidz
Team KoolKidz created a Seed Book designed to help farmers and DIY gardeners boost local produce production and consumption.
Produce Protectors
In response to the vulnerabilities that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Produce Protectors team developed the Crop Prop Kit, a drip irrigation and seed sprouting system designed to help households conserve water and grow their food.
Solution Squad
The Solution Squad team focused on how we can increase the adoption of aquaponics as a sustainable, community-based solution that enables individuals to grow a diverse range of foods.
Team Geen
To reduce Hawai’i Island’s heavy reliance on imported food and the threat of supply-chain disruptions, Team Green proposed a Feeding Our Own Destiny (F.O.O.D.) educational event that teaches sustainable fishing, farming, composting, combined with traditional Hawaiian food growing and preparation.
Team Kinai
Team Kinai sought to bridge the gap between older and less tech-savvy island food suppliers by creating a simple, user-friendly website that would facilitate the buying and selling of locally sourced food.
“Mahalo for this experience and all the support!” ~Sulei Watene, Team Kinai
Pitch Day Scenes
A First!
For the first time, the Pitch Day event also featured a Farm Share table offering an onolicious bounty of fresh and locally sourced fruits, veggies, herbs, and greens, along with value-added products donated by local businesses and organizations, including Hawai’i Island Gourmet, KTA Superstores, Keiki Cukes, Go Farm Hawaii ‘Alae Site, and our FishTank teams and families.
Pitch Day guest speakers included Laura Acasio, Administrator at the County of Hawai’i Office of Sustainability, Climate Equity and Resilience, and Jim Wyban, a pioneering leader in global aquaculture. Their words inspired and motivated us all to grow more of our food and support our local growers.
Special mahalo to our student volunteers, community partners, local businesses, farms, and families, as well as our outstanding group of judges and volunteer subject matter experts who share in the NexTech mission to provide tuition-free STEM learning programs to Hawai’i Island youth.
You can read more in the Pitch Day Program and see how you can contribute to next year’s FishTank Sustainability Design challenge as a sponsor, supporter, or volunteer. Contact us at fishtank@nextechhawaii.org
It Takes A Village…
The FishTank Sustainability Design Challenge is made possible by our dedicated volunteers, teachers, parents, the NexTech Board of Advisors, student mentors, and our generous donors.
We are especially grateful for financial support from the Kirk-Landry Charitable Fund, Hawai’i Community Foundation, and Okuki’o Community Fund.
