Professional Development Sessions

The 16th Annual Hawaii STEM Conference offers a range of STEM-related professional development sessions for students and teachers. Attendees will be able to join two sessions a day (four total), see below a few highlighted sessions:  

Student-Focused 

Powering Hawaii’s Future: Careers and Innovations in Renewable Energy

Kris Kokame, Malia Torres, Harry Cho

AES Hawaii

Join AES Hawaiʻi for an engaging and interactive session exploring the exciting world of renewable energy! Discover how Hawaiʻi is leading the way in clean energy innovation, working towards ambitious sustainability goals, and creating a brighter future for our islands.

In this session, we’ll cover:

  • Hawaiʻi’s Clean Energy Landscape: Learn about the state’s transition to renewable energy, from solar and wind to energy storage solutions.

  • Career Pathways: Explore the diverse opportunities in the energy sector, including engineering, project management, environmental science, community engagement, and more.

  • Industry Growth: Hear about the projected expansion of renewable energy and how it’s shaping Hawaiʻi’s economy and workforce.

Get hands-on with renewable energy concepts through our Snap Circuits Kit activities and experience how science, technology, engineering, and math come together to power our future. Whether you’re a student exploring your path or an educator inspiring the next generation, this session will energize your understanding of Hawaiʻi’s role in the global energy transition.

Humpback Whale Anatomy Exploration

Lolo Spencer

Pacific Whale Foundation

In this session, students will explore the parallels of humpback whale and human anatomy, illustrating the deep connections between marine life and our lives as humans. Diving into the world of a whale, they will explore through the use of a hands on anatomy activity and exploration of a life size inflatable whale. Focusing on various organs and body parts of the humpback whale, students will compare whale anatomy to their bodies with an emphasis on how these biological connections inform conservation efforts and environmental stewardship. Overall the lesson will encourage students to understand connections of whale anatomy to current research practices to our connection to the ocean as human beings. Students will address various environmental needs and problem solve solutions for these issues together to wrap up the session. 

Forensic Sciences at Chaminade

Carlos Gutierrez

Chaminade University of Honolulu

This presentation will discuss the Forensic Sciences Bachelor's degree program at Chaminade University of Honolulu and how scientists with skills in crime scene and medicolegal death investigation can help in criminal cases. The program invests in a set of values, including honesty, reliability, and patience. Attendees will learn about case samples showing how knowledge of forensic sciences is applied to solve cases. This will be a great opportunity for the students to ask questions to a member of the Forensic Science faculty about the program and the University!

Teacher-Focused 

GenAI and its Impact on Education

Debasis Bhattacharya

University of Hawaii Maui College

Generative AI, as championed by conversation chat bots like ChatGPT, has greatly impacted K-12 and higher education for the past few years. This presentation delves into the basics of Large Language Models (LLMs), prompt engineering, fine-tuning, Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), and the impact of these technologies in the classroom and student learning. Participants with laptops can engage in hands-on activities, but this is optional. This session will provide the latest updates in the core features and usage of popular AI tools and their impact on students and teachers.

P.I.L.I.N.A:  People In Love with Investigating Nā `Ahupua`a

U`ilani Lima, Kēhau Orlando

Molokai Digital Bus

Get ready to observe, investigate, and participate in fun activities that will lead you and your group on an adventure through different areas in our `ahupua`a. Come holoholo with us as we explore pilina (connections) between S.T.E.A.M, careers, and our environment. E hele mai......Jus Holo!!