Maui District Television (MDT) produces short documentaries, live performances, and talk shows for the Hawaii State Department of Education’s television channel. Its mission is to engage, inform and inspire the community with stories from Maui County’s public elementary, middle and high schools.
Some of the stories it has produced in the past include: a portrait of a King Kekaulike Junior who volunteers her time to mentor special needs students, a recap of Makawao Elementary School’s kindness celebration day, and a behind-the-scenes look at Kamalii Elementary School’s innovative STEM program. From Hana High & Elementary School to Lahainaluna, MDT does its best to give voice and recognition to the students, teachers and administrators who strive for excellence and work towards a brighter future for Maui’s keiki and our ʻaina.
In addition to producing stories, MDT provides support to video classes and clubs across the county. This semester, for instance, MDT helped Maui Waena Intermediate School students create pitch videos for a video contest, and helped Baldwin High School students create professional treatments for music videos. Each year, MDT holds its own video contest open to all intermediate and high school students in Maui County. With four different categories (animation, news, P.S.A., and short film) and three different skill levels, twelve students have a chance to win $1,000 for their media class, which goes towards funding new equipment for the students. Past submissions can be viewed at www.digital808storytellers.com.
As media and communication continues to evolve, so does MDT. In addition to cable channel 356 (if you have a cable box) and digital channel 27.56 (if your cable feeds directly into your TV), you can now watch stories on the Maui District Television Facebook page, and go behind the scenes via Instagram @mauidistricttelevision. Feel free to send MDT a message on social media – they welcome your questions, comments, suggestions or leads.
Maui District Television encourages you to be involved, and to help them continue to tell Hawaii’s great public education story!
