KAPOLEI, Hawaii — The Boy Scouts of America Aloha Council invites the public to Hawaii’s largest family-friendly STEM event, the Onizuka Day of Exploration at UH West Oahu, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 22.
The focus will be on Hawaiian culture and sustainability with nearly 100 hands-on activities, workshops and classes open to all ages. There will also be workshops on robotics, coding, 3D printing, gaming, cyber security, creative media and renewable energy; interactive exhibits; displays; as well as live demonstrations and talks from experts from a range of fields.
Another highlight of the event will be on career development and will include presentations from technology companies, police, fire, emergency medical services, the military and other companies and organizations.
“This year's Onizuka Day of Exploration at UH West Oahu celebrates the fusion of scouting skills, STEM activities and a deep appreciation for Hawaiian culture, resulting in an event that truly honors the spirit of exploration and the unique connection to the land that the Hawaiian people cherish,” said event chair Alim Shabazz, in a news release.
An initiative by UH West Oahu faculty and staff is dedicated to developing food security and cultural rejuvenation by identifying and sharing the many uses of niu (coconut) and ‘ulu (breadfruit). The Uluniu Project represents a larger cultural rejuvenation, part of a commitment to ike kupuna (elder wisdom) and ike aina (learning from the land).
Indrajit Gunasekara, an Indigenous knowledge-keeper from southern Sri Lanka, will be in the Uluniu Project booth, sharing the many functions of the niu tree, as well as ideas about niu diversity and growth patterns, how to care for kumu niu, and how to develop an uluniu (coconut grove). Participants will help weed and care for the uluniu on campus and see niu poko, six varieties of coconut dwarfs, growing next to ‘ulu trees.
“All people benefit from exposure to Indigenous and western-style education methods and pedagogy,” said Manulani Aluli Meyer, the Konohiki (facilitator) of Kūlana o Kapolei. “They are complementary to each other and represent synergistic coherence vital for our times. What this means is we can keep learning from the specificity of place and bring those lessons into larger systems that will ultimately prioritize how best to care for these places to ensure our survival.
“Our very future depends on the choices we make now. The Boy Scouts of America can play an important role in how we will enter this next phase of science education with the inclusion of ancient ways of knowledge production through natural world understanding. This is what Onizuka Day is all about here at UH West Oahu,” said Meyer.
Shabazz added, "Our partnership with UH West Oahu for the Onizuka Day of Exploration has enabled us to enrich the event by integrating Indigenous practices and perspectives into the program. We believe that combining STEM education with the wisdom of Hawaiian culture creates a profoundly meaningful and impactful experience for all participants.”
The event is named after Ellison Onizuka, former Eagle Scout, Hawaii’s first astronaut and the first Asian American to fly into space. His first space mission was aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985. Onizuka and six others lost their lives on Jan. 28, 1986, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger just 73 seconds after it launched.
Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.