Join Us
The 7th Annual STEMS² Symposium will take place Tuesday, June 24, 2025 through Thursday, June 26, 2025 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 may include workshops, poster sessions, talk stories and 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.
About
At the 7th Annual STEMS² Symposium, we will explore the intersection of youth empowerment, community sustainability, and trauma-conscious practices, creating a space to examine how these elements can contribute to collective well-being and social justice in today’s world. The aim is to engage participants in a cross-generational dialogue where youths’ voices lead to actionable change rooted in community-driven solutions, healing practices, and an unwavering commitment to critical thinking and questioning to build more equitable and just futures.
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.
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 – (In person or Online) – A critical discussion led by the presenter on a focused experience or research topic. It is a space where people come together to have a critical conversation and connect with others on a deeper level around a focus topic introduced by the presenter. The emphasis is on having a conversation rather than a structured presentation or debate. It’s a gathering centered around communication, not a one-way delivery of information (30 min).
Paper Presentation (In person or Online) – A session focused on sharing a structured presentation on a focused experience or research topic followed by time for Q&A and discussion (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 sessions or 2.5 hours for in-person sessions).
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.
Networking Event (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).