The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), along with three other universities in the nation, has been selected by NASA to strengthen curriculum and curricular pathways in STEM, and attract, retain, and support the success of underrepresented students in respective degree programs. The cooperative agreement award for the 3-year project called HESTEMP (Hawai‘i’s Engaged STEM Pathways) totals $499,534.
The project team’s main goal is to establish engaged and sustainable educational pathways for Hawai‘i’s underrepresented and underserved students, from high school to pursuing and achieving advanced STEM degrees. This effort will focus on involving students with Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Samoan, Micronesian and Filipino backgrounds. A project-focused approach will be used to develop and implement three NASA-prioritized key projects on volcanic aerosols, ocean color and small satellite technology.
HESTEMP activities will be conducted on O‘ahu and the Big Island, in partnerships with Wai‘akea High School (Hawai‘i), Moanalua High School (O‘ahu), Kapi‘olani Community College (O‘ahu), UH-Hilo (Hawai‘i), UH-Mānoa Hawai‘i Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) and the NASA Ames Research Center in California.
For more details related to this NASA award, see www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-awards-grants-to-broaden-stem-education-for-underserved-students-300181376.html.