Bringing the Stars in the Sky to Stars on Hawai’i Island: The tradition of a yearly outreach event

Astronomy has always been an integral part of Native Hawaiian culture, folklore, and lifestyle, as well as a vital component of education in Hawai’i. This renders astronomy public and education outreach an important tool to connect the people with the research made possible by the telescopes at the summit of Maunakea. One such effort is one of Hawai’i Island’s (colloquially known as Big Island) leading astronomy education and outreach programs, Journey Through the Universe

What is “Journey Through the Universe?”

Journey through the Universe was established in 2005, with the goal of getting the next generation of scientists and STEM enthusiasts excited about our place in and knowledge of what Captain Kirk delightfully calls “the final frontier”. Over the last two decades, this program has grown to become a weeklong potpourri of classroom visits, career panels, teacher workshops, and public events. Targeted at K-12 students in Hawai’i Island schools, the participants get a chance to “envision themselves in STEM careers and experience the unique science happening in the local Hawaiʻi community and beyond.”

Who are the volunteers?

This program is supported by a plethora of volunteers who are, in one way or another, connected to the Maunakea Observatories (MKO) – graduate students and faculty of partner universities, and observatory staff. They bring the action of astronomical research and development to classrooms through media including and not limited to presentations, story-telling, experiments, telescope viewing and planetarium shows. As a volunteer from the MKO community, I find that my biggest motivation is the awe in the twinkling eyes of the young kids whose curiosity and interest brings up interesting questions that help us reflect on our civil responsibilities as astronomers. If anyone in Hawai’i or one of MKO’s partner institutions needs an incentive to participate– the aloha at the schools makes you feel honored and special, and helps me find a renewed enthusiasm in public outreach. 

What has the impact been?

Journey through the Universe has been known to have a wide ranging impact on the students who live under the heavenly night skies that once guided Polynesian navigators to and from the island. One of the anecdotes shared at the twentieth year celebrations in February 2024 was of a young student who participated in the first edition of the program, went on to pursue astronomy as a career, and is now a postdoctoral scholar at UCLA working in the Galactic Center Group that relies on Hawai’i’s very own W.M. Keck Observatory. My tenure as a volunteer in the program has shown me the increasing interest of kids as young as 5 in the extraterrestrial neighborhood of earth, with some of them running up to me with facts about the solar system which I myself never learned until middle school. Their creative questions give me an opportunity to introspect and put my knowledge to the test. Educators and parents have also often given us great feedback on the effect our activities and talks have had on the kids, which also supplement their school curriculum. My involvement in this program has also pushed me to improve my skills as a science communicator and a teacher, which I see coming in handy in the near future as I hope to pursue an academic career in the field. It has also been a good platform for me to learn more about Hawaiian astronomy, which finds its roots in the stories of Polynesian gods and demi-gods, and the adventures of early explorers in the region. 

Why is the program important?

Journey through the Universe, and astronomy outreach in Hawai’i in general plays a fundamental role in bridging the gap between astronomers, most of whom are from mainland US and other parts of the world, and the people of Hawai’i, particularly the Kānaka Maoli– the native Hawaiians– on whose sacred land– some of the world’s most powerful telescopes rest. This encourages fruitful discussions and exchange of knowledge, especially during this time of debate and conjecture over the use of Maunakea as the site for the Thirty Meter Telescope. As astronomers, we also have the duty to explain our research and work to the public, whose taxes fund a lot of our projects. We have the ethical responsibility of bringing the wonders of the universe to the people, especially children who are the future of astronomical research and development. Astronomy is an ever growing field that encompasses a wide range of knowledge and skills, and can only be sustained with passion and curiosity passed down from the current generation of scientists and engineers to the next. Journey through the Universe perfectly encapsulates that within a week’s length of activities, guiding students to consider astronomy for higher education. 

20 years of Exploration

The Journey program is primarily conducted in Hilo, Hawai’i and overseen by Hawaii Department of Education. It includes in-person classroom presentations and career panels. This year featured a talk by Brian Day, Lead for Citizen Science and Community Development at the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, and astrophysicist Kevin Grazier, followed by stargazing as well as a free screening of the very topical independent film Space, Hope and Charity.

Over the years, the impact of Journey through the Universe grew to expand from its beginnings in Hilo to Northern part of Hawai’i Island and the island of Maui, influencing the young minds sheltered by Maunakea, Kīlauea, and Haleakalā.

Edited by: Alexandra Masegian
Featured Image Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

About Maria Vincent

Maria is a Ph.D. candidate in astronomy at the Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Her research focuses on adaptive optics and high-contrast imaging science and instrumentation with ground-based telescopes. Driven by a fascination with planet formation and the intricate processes shaping our Solar System, she uses the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics suite to observe and study morphological features of protoplanetary disks in near-infrared wavelengths, aiming to understand disk structure and processes governing planet formation. On the instrumentation side, she is working on designing and constructing an optical testbed to test and characterize a new deformable mirror as part of the upcoming High-order Advanced Keck Adaptive Optics upgrade. Outside of work, she enjoys blogging, mystery, historical and science fiction literature and cinemedia, photography, hiking, and travel.

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