The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa helped inspire hundreds of keiki and community members at the 24th annual Astronaut Lacy Veach Day of Discovery on October 19. Hosted by the Hawaiʻ Space Grant Consortium (HSGC) in partnership with UH Mānoa’s Institute for Astronomy and Hawaiian Electric, the free STEM event engaged attendees with hands-on activities and workshops highlighting space exploration, Earth science, biology, oceanography, rocketry, robotics and coding.
“This event is all about inspiring Hawaiʻi’s students to dream big—just like Lacy did,” said Adria Fung, event coordinator and robotics education specialist with HSGC in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). “He grew up right here in Honolulu, had a huge dream, and quite literally chased the stars. We want our students to see that even if their dreams feel far away, they can reach them by staying curious and never being afraid to explore. Lacy Veach Day celebrates discovery and the spirit of lifelong learning.”
Robots, fossils, rockets and more
This year featured 36 hands-on activities and displays led by more than 30 organizations including student groups from UH, community organizations and industry professionals. They featured hands-on learning in the fields of robotics, fossils, marine biology, rocketry, Hawaiian voyaging, cube satellites, architecture, pilot simulation, microscopes and more. Workshops offered opportunities to learn about indoor drones, robotics, telescopes, hybrid cars and meteorites.
“This was Aiea Intermediate School robotics team’s first Lacy Veach Day and the students had a real blast,” said Pete Miller, robotics coach at Aiea Intermediate School. “We brought several robots for the public to play around with in the robotics arena, getting coaching from our team members as needed, plus my students were able to visit the other exhibits–the most popular were the planetarium, the drone display and several of the UH engineering and science exhibits.”
Partnerships propel the event
Veach Day provides a unique opportunity for pre-service teachers to learn from other organizations about how they bring STEM to life, and build connections that might one day show up in their own classrooms.
“Volunteering at Lacy Veach Day was a valuable and rewarding experience for pre-service teachers in our teacher preparation program,” said Stacy George, faculty member at UH Mānoa College of Education. “It provided my students with a rare opportunity to engage in community outreach, network with science organizations, interact with families, and even develop their own interest in science.”
