ʻĀina-Informatics is a teacher network supported by ʻIolani School designed to bring place-based genome science and pono bioethics into local high school classrooms. Since 2018, network teachers have collaborated on the development of a genetics and genomics curriculum which centers Hawaiʻi’s biodiversity, cultural landscapes and sense of kuleana. Labs are designed to investigate a suite of real world, locally-derived questions relating to genetic engineering, human and environmental health, undescribed biodiversity and more. This curriculum is powered by the Oxford Nanopore MinION, a portable and cost-effective DNA sequencer uniquely suited for diverse education settings. The labs also scaffold concepts in scientific ethics presented through a Hawaiʻi lens, inviting students to bring their personal values, cultural norms and moral principles into their science learning. Our talk story session gathers educators from four schools to discuss their collaborations with the ʻĀina-Informatics Network and the impact it has had on their classrooms.

STEMS² Pillars: Makawalu, Sense of Place, Advocacy