College of EducationSTEMS²Symposium Presentations

STEMS² Symposium 2023 June 27–29, 2023

STEMS^2 Symposium 2023
About the Symposium
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Dates & Announcements

Save the Date: 5th Annual STEMS² Symposium

Your Manaʻo is Important! Help Plan the Next STEMS² Symposium

Web of images created by participants in the 4th Annual STMES^2 Symposium

About

At the 5th Annual STEMS² Symposium, we will explore and celebrate the many dynamic aspects of the webs we weave individually and collectively. The image above was developed by participants at the end of last year’s symposium and is a visual representation of our theme for this year’s symposium. The networks’ collective work with the STEMS² Framework is a dynamic and complex web of integration of places, cultures, identities, and multiple knowledge forms in order to address real-world problems in our local and global communities. How do our webs get built? What is required to sustain their strength? What feeds their growth? 

Please submit a proposal that you believe relates to this year’s symposium theme. To support your proposal design, below is a list of suggested topic areas: 

  • Planning and implementing STEMS² Units and/or other place and culture-based interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary planning approaches
  • Building relationships between schools and communities which foster authentic and reciprocal partnerships
  • Sessions or event proposals that intentionally build relationships or connections among educators and practitioners
  • Research approaches and projects exploring the impacts and possibilities for place and culture-based interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary practices.  
  • Stories of challenge and failing forward when aiming to transform your personal practice, systemic structures, and dominant narratives. 

Now accepting proposals through March 17, 2023.

Join Us

The 5th Annual STEMS² Symposium will take place Tuesday, June 27 – Thursday, June 29, 2023 with opportunities to engage both in person and online. In-person experiences will include activities that physically engage participants with people and places around O‘ahu. Online experiences will include workshops, poster sessions, and talk stories/paper presentations. Whether you participate locally on Oʻahu or from a distance, join fellow STEMS² enthusiasts who share a passion for exploring the roles that place, culture, and identity play in interdisciplinary education.

Participation in the STEMS² Symposium is free, supported by donations and partnerships. A donation is not required to participate, but if you are interested and/or able to contribute, we would appreciate your donation. 

Ways to Engage

This three-day experience will include opportunities to engage both online and in person. Participants are welcome to join locally on Oʻahu or from a distance. Whether a presenter or a participant, we encourage everyone to contribute to making the STEMS² Symposium a place where all attendees can engage in the pillars of STEMS² while being a teacher and a learner at all times.

Tentative symposium schedule. Symposium opens on the morning of June 27 with an in-person activity followed by a networking event in the evening. Wednesday June 28 begins with in-person Service Learning Experience and Workshops in the morning, Online Posters, Talk Story/Paper Session & Workshops in the afternoon, followed by a network event in the evening. The final day on Thursday June 29 begins online with Online Posters, Talk Story/Paper Session & Workshops in the morning, followed by the symposium closing with online or in-person participation options, and the STEMS^2 Film Festival to be held in-person in the evening.

Session Types

Grounded in the value of Aʻo (to teach and learn in a reciprocal relationship), we work to create inclusive, interactive spaces to hear as many voices as possible in multiple session formats. 

Talk Story/Paper Session (Online) – Presenters facilitate knowledge sharing and discussion on a focused experience or research topic (30 min).

Poster (Online) – A conference-style poster is utilized to share findings from experiences and research, providing opportunities for thoughtful conversations (60 min).

Workshops (In person or Online) – Presenters share skills, knowledge and resources with the goal of developing participants’ access to new skills, forms of knowledge and resources (60 min for online session or 3 hours for in-person session).

Performances (Online) – Knowledge sharing occurs through artistic expression including dance, music, drama, etc (30 – 60 min).

STEMS² Service-Learning Experience (In person on Oʻahu) – Presenters provide participants first-hand opportunities to engage in STEMS² Pedagogy by exploring the roles that place, culture, and identity play in interdisciplinary education at a location on Oʻahu. (3 hrs). 

Community Partner & Exhibitor Tables (In person or Online) – Community partners and collaborators host exhibits, share resources, and share information about their programs and/or projects.

NEW SESSION OFFERING: Networking Event or Social Gathering (In person) – Event hosts work with the symposium committee to coordinate a casual opportunity (ex. Pau Hana) for in-person participants to gather and connect. Networking events or social gatherings will take place in the evening after the symposium programming at the host’s selected location on Oʻahu. (3 hrs). 

View the 2022 Symposium Archive