This poster explores research that was conducted with ten (10) individuals of Native Hawaiian ancestry who, at the time of the project, were pursuing STEM-related degrees, employed in a STEM-related career, or were otherwise actively engaged in Hawai‘i's STEM community. The research explores themes that were gleaned through interviews and provides insight into the successes and challenges of balancing intersecting identities as a Native Hawaiian in STEM.

STEMS² Pillars: Moʻolelo, Sense of Place, Advocacy

My presentation will focus on my plan b paper, which is a reflection of past experiences (work, education, etc.) to find and be aware of sense of place.   STEMS² Pillars: Aʻo, Makawalu, Moʻolelo, Sense of Place

This project focuses on the idea that place-based lessons help develop students’ awareness of their potential impact on the world. Through a series of `āina and project-based lessons and learning experiences, I was surprised to find I was joining my students in a journey of self-discovery and overall emerging awareness. Join me as I explore my professional and personal preliminary findings in this affecting study.   STEMS² Pillars: Aʻo, Makawalu, Moʻolelo, Sense of Place, Advocacy

It is my goal as an educator to create an environment in which students feel safe and valued so that they can learn, grow, and thrive. Through a review of the existing literature, a survey, and case study interviews, this research aims to discover the best teaching strategies that use Hawaiʻi-specific food, agriculture, or natural resource management themes and practices to promote social justice education, how those strategies are currently implemented in K-6 classrooms in Hawaiʻi, and what supports and challenges exist. My hope is that the results of this research will not only inform my own teaching practice, but will also shape future food, agriculture, and natural resource management-based curriculum and professional development in Hawaiʻi to include more opportunities for students to use their relationships with food, agriculture, and natural resources to identify, learn about, and develop tools to heal oppression and injustices in their communities.   STEMS² Pillars: Aʻo, Makawalu, Moʻolelo, Sense of Place, Advocacy

Learning comes from many sources, moʻolelo and varying perspectives (makawalu). This poster session will examine one kumu's journey to understand what it means to educate through Hawaiian-culture based education. She will discuss her struggle to incorporate more culture and community-based curriculum into her college-prep anatomy and physiology classroom.   STEMS² Pillars: Aʻo, Makawalu, Moʻolelo, Sense of Place, Advocacy

I have always had a strong sense of place. I spent most of my childhood exploring the different spaces and places I lived. When talking to friends, some have a few experiences they can remember and connect with, but I can remember experiences from throughout my childhood and adult life. I wondered about my students’ sense of place. My research intended to determine if my students had a sense of place and, if not, could they develop a sense of place by being immersed in a space and then create art to share its story with others. I designed and implemented a unit based on our school's campus and ahupuaʻa (land division). Then I studied my students as we went through the unit, from discovering the space to creating our art piece and using that piece to tell the story of our campus and ahupuaʻa. Sense of place, is it something that you have or something that you develop?   STEMS² Pillars: Aʻo, Makawalu, Moʻolelo, Sense of Place

​​I teach at a middle school composed primarily of military families, so many of them are unaware of what the Ala Wai Canal is. Based on my experiences from the STEMS2 program, I wanted to create a place-based unit that involved creating and throwing Genki Balls (mud balls that have microorganisms in them to help digest canal sludge) as a means of building connection and teaching about the Ala Wai Watershed. Through student reflections, I also wanted to assess the effectiveness of some of the STEMS2 pillars, specifically a`o (reciprocal teaching), mo`olelo (personal stories), and advocacy. Without being told the importance of the pillars, students used a Likert scale to rate the effectiveness of the pillars, and also reflected on why they thought a pillar (of their choosing) was effective.   STEMS² Pillars: Aʻo, Moʻolelo, Sense of Place, Advocacy

As the internet further proliferates into our lives, educators have increasingly turned to the internet for resources. This study started with making STEMS^2 pedagogy and large standards bodies accessible in one place via a website. The website was then used in a usability study and a survey to capture the usefulness and perception of value to educators. The results of this study will be used to continuously make future iterations for science educators to reference.   STEMS² Pillars: Advocacy