May 28 graduation extravaganza will recognize 'Saturday Gene-iuses' program participants

Saturday Gene-iuses students measure the energy level in fruits.

Students look at nematodes under the microscope at 2015 Saturday Gene-iuses graduation celebration

The 4th annual graduation celebration for the Saturday GENE-iuses Program will take place on Saturday, May 28, 2016, at the Hawaii Convention Center. Since 2006, more than 8,000 schoolchildren in Hawai‘i have been introduced to exciting scientific concepts through the Gene-ius-Day program developed by Professor Ania Wieczorek, and offered by the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) at UH Mānoa.

Saturday Gene-iuses provides a series of nine engaging, hands-on Saturday classes, presented in teaching labs on the UHM campus that encourage scientific thinking and appreciation for all things related to science. During the 2015-2016 school year, Saturday GENE-iuses included such topics as DNA, plants, cells, insects, food science, adaptation and much more for students in grades 1-8.

Over 280 students who attended this year’s program will be recognized at the graduation celebration. At the event, students will participate in a graduation ceremony, 14 science experiment stations, photo booths and a prize drawing.

DATE: Saturday, May 28, 2016 

TIME: 7:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Hawaii Convention Center, 1801 Kalakaua Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815 (parking will be validated) 

Registration for the 2016-2017 Saturday GENE-iuses classes for students in grades 1-9 is now open. In GENE-iuses on an Adventure, Level 1, students in grades 1-3 are introduced to a variety of scientific concepts, from DNA to space exploration and the five senses. Students in grades 4-6 are eligible for Gene-iuses on an Adventure, Level 2, in which the labs delve deeper into the subject matter, teaching about seeds, single-celled organisms, digestion and more.

Two unique programs are available for junior-high students. Level 1, called Investigate! Examine! Discover! Forensics!, teaches participants in grades 7 and 8 the skills needed to be forensic investigators, including hair, fingerprint and bloodstain analysis. Level 2, Exploration of Life, allows students in grades 8 and 9 to learn about living organisms from cells and viruses through the ways living creatures are impacted by the changing climate.

Reservations are required and should be made as soon as possible, because seats fill up quickly. Payment of $231 for all nine sessions may be submitted online via credit card, or by mailing a check. Further instructions may be found on the registration forms available at http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/geneius-day/.

Children should be registered according to their 2016-2017 grade level. Classes will start in September 2016 and will continue throughout the school year. Students in the grades 1-3 section must be accompanied by a chaperone, who will also need to pay for the session. Each chaperone can accommodate up to two students.

Explains Dr. Wieczorek, “The Gene-ius Day Program was created to teach the concepts of genetics and other STEM subjects in a fun, easy-to-remember way. Each Gene-ius Day event is packed with hands-on experiments and activities that let students experience and enjoy science.”

A video documenting a recent session on the UHM campus is available at the UH System website: http://www.hawaii.edu/news/2012/12/04/future-scientists-inspired-by-gene-ius-day/.

Questions may be emailed to geneius-day@ctahr.hawaii.edu.

For more information, visit: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/site/