A team of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa faculty and students will transform The Institute of Human Services (IHS) into a math, science and engineering lab to captivate the community’s young minds for Be a Scientist Night on Friday, December 2, 6–8 p.m.
Attendees will be engaged with activities rooted in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The STEM activities, designed for K–12 students, will include robotics, magic with mathematics, insect observation and biogeochemical science.
“This is the fifth anniversary of this annual event, and we are all looking forward to sharing our passion for STEM with our community,” said Monique Chyba, a math professor.
The evening is a culmination of a semester of weekly visits by the UH Mānoa math department to IHS, as well as a celebration of the active collaboration between the two institutions. The cooperation offers underprivileged students a different form of education than they would receive otherwise.
“Education is one of the keys to a better life for underprivileged children,” said Chyba. “It is a great honor to impact our youth and give them hope in a brighter future. This annual event brings together people from different backgrounds toward a common goal—rediscovering our own curiosity by asking questions about nature and the world we live in.”
This event is part of a larger effort by the UH Mānoa Department of Mathematics. Since fall 2010, the department has worked in association with IHS to provide homeless children with a weekly educational program. Robotics, rocketry and mathematics are the leading themes of the sessions taught by undergraduate and graduate students from various departments at UH Mānoa.
Donations welcome
Donations for homeless families are welcome, particularly diapers, wet/disinfectant wipes, clothing and puzzles. For more information, please email Monique Chyba.
—By Tony Hall
- Related UH News story: Bringing math and science to the children of the Institute for Human Services
