Be a Scientist Night: UH Manoa faculty and students will transform IHS into a STEM lab

Be A Scientist Night at IHS in 2015.

On Friday, December 2, 2016, a team of UH 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 with "Be a Scientist Night." The event will take place from 6 to 8:00 p.m. at IHS, 546 Kaaahi Street.

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 Math Professor Monique Chyba.

The evening is a culmination of a semester of weekly visits by the UHM 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, it 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 for homeless families are welcome, particularly diapers, wet/disinfectant wipes, clothing and puzzles. For more information, please contact Professor Monique Chyba at chyba@hawaii.edu.

For more information, visit: https://math.hawaii.edu/wordpress/