📜 Mischief Managed
2025 was a year of dizzying, solid progress for STEM Pre-Academy, and for 2026 all of us look forward to capitalizing on that momentum. We’ll be taking advantage of new opportunities, meeting new friends, and supporting as many of the fabulous teachers in Hawai‘i that we can find.
In case you missed it, in December we welcomed Educational Specialist Brylin Nelson to the STEM Pre-Academy Team! Our talented undergraduate interns, Chris, Erik, Rona, and Walker, are back as well, and we have some great projects lining up for them. And of course, Lauren, Nikki, Edwin, and Steve are here, ready for a new year and a new semester.
We have a bunch of exciting things lined up this year, but we’d also love to know what you’re up to as well? What would you like to do this year? What technologies or processes are most exciting to you? What do you want to learn? Let us know!
🫱🔬🫲 Sharing is Caring
One thing we learned last year is that while we all have little piles of things we aren’t using any more, there are always people who have been waiting for those very things to come along.
We are grateful to the people and organizations that donated kits, supplies, and other great STEM stuff to the program. With those donations, we have started assembling new kits and activities to share with the community.
Do you have anything you aren’t using anymore that you would like to donate? We can’t always take everything, but we would love to help redistribute resources to those who can use them. Let us know what you have!
🧰 New in the Toolkit for Teachers Lending Library!
An Ocean in Mind, by Will Kyselka
https://stempreacademy.hawaii.edu/toolkit/an-ocean-in-mind/
Erosion Classroom Kit
https://stempreacademy.hawaii.edu/toolkit/erosion-classroom-kit/
Exploring Rotational Inertia Classroom Kit
https://stempreacademy.hawaii.edu/toolkit/exploring-rotational-inertia/
Lego SPIKE Set
https://stempreacademy.hawaii.edu/toolkit/lego-spike-set/
Micro:bit Club Kit
https://stempreacademy.hawaii.edu/toolkit/microbit-club-kit/
Nā Inoa Hōkū: Hawaiian and Pacific Star Names
https://stempreacademy.hawaii.edu/toolkit/na-inoa-hoku/
Upcoming Events
🌐 You’ve Got the Byte Stuff! Networking Basics and Career Pathways in Hawai‘i
This workshop has been postponed. Please stay tuned for more information!
🪸 Corals and Coastlines: Explorations at Moku o Lo‘e
Are you curious about the research and innovation happening at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at Moku o Lo‘e? Would you be interested in activity ideas for coral bleaching and coastal resilience?
Join us for 🪸 Corals and Coastlines: Explorations at Moku o Lo‘e with the HIMB Center for Community Education, the Coral Resilience Lab, and STEM Pre-Academy.
Corals and Coastlines: Explorations at Moku o Lo‘e
Saturday, February 21, 2025
8:30 am to 12:00 pm
Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology
46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kaneohe, HI 96744
Register Now!
In this half-day session, you’ll experience:
-
A tour of Moku o Lo‘e and the laboratory facilities at HIMB; and
-
Hands-on activities for students of all ages to address coral bleaching, coastal erosion, and coastal resilience;
-
An overview of the educational resources available to you through HIMB and STEM Pre-Academy, including curricular materials and free tools and kits available to borrow, like the Coral Bleaching Kit.
This workshop:
-
Is open to teachers of Grades K–12 including non-classroom teachers and informal educators;
-
Can connect to a wide range of Next Generation Science Standards in Life Science and Earth and Space Science and to CTE Pathways (Natural Resources Management).
-
Requires climbing in & out of small boats, going up & down several pier steps, navigating one to two steep hills, walking on uneven paved and non-paved pathways, and completing a ~ 1 mile tour. Walking accommodations may be available.
-
Has limited capacity, so please sign up ASAP, no later than February 9, 2026. We will confirm your spot no later than February 10, 2026.
Sign up for 🪸 Corals and Coastlines: Explorations at Moku o Lo‘e today!
Opportunities!
🔭 TeachAstro 2026 in Hilo – a 1-week astronomy workshop for Hawaiʻi STEM educators
June 8-12, 2026
in Hilo, Hawai‘i (with housing for non-Hilo attendees)
Institute for Astronomy
Apply Now!!
An immersive experience in modern astronomy research
TeachAstro is an in-person 1-week workshop for grade 6-12 STEM teachers & education professionals in Hawaiʻi with 3 main components:
-
guided research activities using cutting-edge datasets and tools, taught by world-renowned astronomers at UH’s Institute for Astronomy
-
lessons about modern astronomy, through talks by professional researchers and nighttime observing opportunities
-
creation of in-class curricula using knowledge gained during the week
Why should STEM educators attend TeachAstro?
TeachAstro participants will:
-
develop knowledge about state-of-the-art research & methods in astronomy
-
build relationships with other STEM educators and professional researchers
-
create new curriculum resources that use the latest science & authentic data
What support is provided for participants?
TeachAstro will provide each participant:
-
a $2000 stipend
-
up to $300 for dependent-care support for the week
-
housing in Hilo for Hawaiʻi Island participants with long commutes
-
round-trip airfare & housing for neighbor-island participants
-
up to $300 for astronomy-related activities during the school year
-
an opportunity to earn 3 credits of professional development through UH Mānoa
-
Applications due March 1, 2026
Apply Now!!
✨ Reach for the stars at UH Hilo
Join UH Hilo on Saturday, January 24, for the 21st annual Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Science Day at UH Hilo! Meet a NASA astronaut, explore hands-on STEM workshops, watch robotics competitions and enjoy food trucks. This free, all-ages event (7:45 a.m.–2:30 p.m.) celebrates Hawaiʻi’s first astronaut through inspiring educational experiences for the whole family.
📒 Quick Reminders!
🌉 The 2026 Hawaii Bridge Building Contest entry deadline is Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 (less than 2 weeks away).
Please see the link below for registration instruction and bridge contest rules and specifications. Bridge testing will take place on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Oahu teachers can drop off the bridges 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Physical Science Building. Neighbor island schools can participate by mailing/shipping bridges to be received by Wednesday, Feb. 11.
- Bridge Contest Instructions for registration, building bridges, and delivering bridges are available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VqYnnw0kZyUA0OQaQuZXfYNErqWdJC_r/edit
📐 For the 2026 Hawaii Physics Olympics, the entry deadline is Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 (5 weeks away).
The 2026 Hawaii Physics Olympics will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at Kapi‘olani Community College in Honolulu, HI. The time will be approximately 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Physics Olympics is a fun competition for teams of 3-5 high school students. Teams compete in a series of physics events where they can apply physics principles to hands-on challenges.
- Physics Olympics information, registration forms, and waivers are available at this website: https://sites.google.com/hawaii.edu/physics-olympics/
Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest in the events so far! Please see below for more information.
UH Research Highlight
The Pacific Fire Exchange – University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience
The Pacific Fire Exchange (PFX) facilitates and promotes wildfire science in Hawai‘i and across the Pacific. Principal Investigator Clay Trauernicht is faculty in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience and also leads the NREM Wildland Fire Program. The PFX site includes a number of resources, including data, maps, fact sheets, and videos. Are you interested in incorporating wildfire science into your classroom teaching and learning? Here are some possible connections!
Are some plants better at preventing the spread of wildfire (3-LS4-3)? Learn about how different plants, including Native Hawaiian plants, Polynesian introduced plants, and recently introduced plants, have different characteristics that make them suited for creating “green firebreaks.” Explore these plants in depth to obtain information about how these plants are propagated and what helps them survive. Use this information to construct an argument about how some plants are better suited for different habitats, including environments where there is risk of wildfire.
How can we use data to mitigate the impacts of wildfires in Hawai‘i (MS-ESS3-2; HS-ESS3-4)? Explore fire data sets and maps, tools, and media to look at the history of wildfire occurrence, burn area and land cover, and impact of wildfires. Link to other related resources on weather, climate, hydrology, and vegetation. Use this information to determine wildfire risk and how damage can be minimized.
How does vegetation provide an ecosystem service (MS-LS1-4) and how can we ensure these ecosystem services are maintained (MS-LS2-5)? Wildfires can have negative impacts on affected ecosystems, especially on Hawai‘i’s rare and endangered plants. Plants can also play a role in reducing fire risk. Some plants are better suited for creating “green firebreaks,” but they have different requirements for survival. It is also important to ensure that creating green firebreaks does not cause more damage to local ecosystems by spreading invasive species. Use this information to construct an argument about how the vegetation can mitigate fire risk and consider design solutions that could maintain ecosystem services provided by plants.
Related lesson resources If standards are not noted, the lesson may not be fully aligned to NGSS and may need to be adapted.
- Which Sphere Started this Fire – GRC (5-ESS2-1)
- Get Fired Up – GRC (HS-LS2-6)
- Revegetation and Restoration of Habitats Destroyed in the Maui Fires – STEMS2 (multiple)
- Hawai‘i’s Native Forests – PRISM
- Wildland Fire School – USGS (multiple)
- Matter & Energy – OpenSciEd (HS LS)
UH Research and Innovation News
Microalgae could fuel Hawaiʻi’s renewable future
Tiny, sun-powered organisms found in freshwater pools could soon fuel Hawaiʻi’s sustainable future.
See their story from KITV Island News!
Soaring over Antarctica: UH balloon mission seeks to decode universe’s mysteries
PUEO is designed to study tiny particles called neutrinos that travel through space at extremely high energies.
UH cookiecutter shark research bridges ʻike Hawaiʻi, science
The team developed a new Hawaiian name for the cookiecutter shark, nahunaiki, meaning “little bites.”
Hawai‘i CC expands traditional Hawaiian place name mapping
The new Hilo map, completed in spring 2025, features ahupuaʻa across Hilo and is fully bilingual in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and English.
Student expands research on microplastics in Hawaiian waters
Hope Kanoa is expanding her research to understand microplastic concentrations in coastal environments.
Building houses and growing tissue: Overcoming physics problems in 3D printing
The review identifies three make-or-break moments in the direct-ink writing process where physics determines success or failure.