During summer 2026, Ka Pilina Noʻeau Hoʻomau (KPNH), a project of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education (COE) Center on Disability Studies (CDS), delivered its STEM enrichment program at six elementary schools and four Boys & Girls Club of Hawaiʻi (BGCH) sites across Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, and Kauaʻi.
Guided by the KPNH Math and Science Learning (MSL) model, KPNH staff supported teachers, administrators, and community partners in engaging 422 students from PreK–grade 5 in a coordinated series of culturally-relevant, standards-aligned lessons. KPNH’s MSL model is designed to increase STEM engagement and improve mathematics and science outcomes.
“Across grade levels, the hands-on curriculum integrates mathematics, science, engineering, computer science, reading, and vocabulary while drawing upon Hawaiian and local culture to make student learning more meaningful and connected to place,” said Dr. Kiriko Takahashi, KPNH Principal Investigator.
From June 1–July 16, 2026, KPNH implemented its summer STEM program at ʻEwa Beach, Hōlualoa, Kaleiʻopuʻu, Kāneʻohe, Linapuni, and Liholiho elementary schools. KPNH delivered separate summer programs at the Waiʻanae, Nānākuli, Hale Pono, and Līhuʻe BGCH sites. In addition, the KPNH summer ʻohana workshops extended STEM learning into the home. Together, the concurrent summer programs expanded KPNH’s reach across communities on three islands.
“Delivering the summer STEM program across 10 sites required months of preparation and coordination,” said KPNH Project Coordinator Jerica Mānoa.
KPNH staff worked with project-site personnel to register students, train project site staff, design lesson guides and student workbooks, administer pre and post assessments, conduct observations, facilitate focus groups, and deliver instructional kits. The site-specific plans were organized around five grade-level bands comprising lessons, materials, assessments, and surveys tailored to each band. Younger students explored foundational STEM concepts through movement, games, plants, shapes, models, and introductory robotics; while older students engaged in more complex programming, data analysis, environmental investigations, measurement, and engineering-design challenges.
Kaneohe Elementary School teacher, Jolyn Kresge, noted, “The materials, resources, and lesson plans were well organized and made it easy to facilitate engaging, hands-on learning
experiences.”
Several site plans also included service-learning opportunities, such as cultivating school gardens, supporting campus recycling efforts, sharing STEM activities with younger students, and making lei for school staff. The lei-making projects extended service-learning initiatives into the surrounding community as one school made lei for employees at a local post office, while another made lei for residents of a nearby nursing home.
KPNH approaches STEM as an integrated field of study rather than a collection of isolated subjects. By pairing academic concepts with Hawaiian knowledge and local environments, the curriculum equips teachers with the knowledge and tools to teach complex concepts and provides students with structured opportunities to learn and apply STEM through culturally-relevant and place-based experiences.
BGCH Hale Pono Clubhouse Program Director, Chaney Kahaloa, said, “I love how the Hawaiian culture is integrated with STEM and how it’s an opportunity for them to continue education during the summer.” Another staff member, Shayna Silva, added, “I liked that I got to learn along with the kids about my culture.”
The successful completion of the 2026 summer STEM program reflects the collective effort required to implement a multi-site program in diverse communities across three islands. It also demonstrates how strategic planning, responsive partnerships, and a shared instructional vision are essential to KPNH’s broader effort to make meaningful STEM learning experiences accessible to Hawaiʻi’s keiki and their ʻohana.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Native Hawaiian Education Program, KPNH (Award # S362A230004) develops and delivers culturally-relevant curricula, educator professional development, student programming, and family engagement workshops. For more information, please visit the Ka Pilina Noʻeau Hoʻomau website.
