Ocean FEST & Ocean TECH: Geoscience for Hawaii's Future

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

The University of Hawai'i Ocean FEST (Families Exploring Science Together) and Ocean TECH (Technology Expands Career Horizons) project is designed to improve literacy in oceanography and related geoscience fields using an Earth system science approach and inspire Hawaii's students, most of whom are from underrepresented groups, to pursue geoscience careers. The project is conducting a series of community-based events to engage Hawai'ian middle, high school, and community college students and their families in hands-on, ocean-themed science activities that leverage research data from the NSF-funded Center for Microbial Oceanography, Research and Education (C-MORE) and Hawai'ian Ocean Time-series (HOT) program, as well as state-of-the-art technologies from the University of Hawai'i, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology and Coastal Geology. Additional objectives of the project are focused on showcasing a variety of culturally-relevant geoscience careers and fostering collaborations with Hawaii's geoscience-related businesses. The project is expected to impact 3,600 participants, 240 volunteers, and approximately 120 educators.