{"id":144366,"date":"2021-06-29T08:20:28","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T18:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=144366"},"modified":"2021-07-20T16:34:01","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T02:34:01","slug":"stem-learning-experience-ihs-keiki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/06\/29\/stem-learning-experience-ihs-keiki\/","title":{"rendered":"Students provide interactive <abbr title=\"Science Technology Engineering Mathematics\">STEM<\/abbr> learning experience to at-risk kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_38211\"  width=\"676\" height=\"676\"  data-origwidth=\"676\" data-origheight=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vUaE7XV5fWg?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Be a Scientist at IHS   social\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>A team of <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/\">University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa<\/a> students introduced the world of robots to keiki at the <a href=\"https:\/\/ihshawaii.org\/\">Institute for Human Services<\/a> (<abbr>IHS<\/abbr>) in Iwilei for <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s &ldquo;Be a Scientist&rdquo; day on June 28. <abbr>IHS<\/abbr> is a human services agency focused on preventing and ending homelessness.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ionica Macadangdang<\/strong>, a senior biological engineering major, and <strong>Evan Imata<\/strong>, a junior astrophysics major, provided a hands-on learning experience with Dash bots, which are miniature robots that can be controlled using a smartphone. The kids colored a picture of a dash bot and explored their creative imagination by illustrating a robot of their own, then operated and programmed the robots to perform complex maneuvers.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-math-be-a-scientist-2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"person controlling a robot with a phone\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-144462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-math-be-a-scientist-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-math-be-a-scientist-2-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-math-be-a-scientist-2.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It was really awesome, especially considering that a lot of kids have been out of the traditional classroom environment that they\u2019ve been used to so being able to recreate that environment&#8212;which they thrive in\u2014has been a really awesome feeling,&rdquo; Macadangdang said.<\/p>\n<p>Imata added, &ldquo;It was just interesting to see what kind of stuff they picked up on. They really liked coloring pictures of the robots and they liked having their robots interacting with each other.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa <a href=\"https:\/\/math.hawaii.edu\/wordpress\/\">Department of Mathematics<\/a> Professor <strong>Monique Chyba<\/strong> has organized &ldquo;Be a Scientist&rdquo; days for children and annual nights for families at <abbr>IHS<\/abbr> for more than 10 years. She says it provides an opportunity to teach <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s keiki about <abbr>STEM<\/abbr>, while also providing <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa students a chance to become teachers of their own.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-math-be-a-scientist-ihs-2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"tiny blue robot\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-144467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-math-be-a-scientist-ihs-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-math-be-a-scientist-ihs-2-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-math-be-a-scientist-ihs-2.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is one of the missions of the University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> to reach out to our community and provide educational opportunities to <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>&#8216;s youth, especially when they are facing difficult challenges in life,&rdquo; Chyba said. &ldquo;Collective efforts are key to create long lasting positive and meaningful impacts, and this is what this initiative is about. I am delighted to see the desire and drive of our undergraduate students to give back to their community, it brings so much hope looking into the future.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Chyba and the students will host two more &ldquo;Be a Scientist&rdquo; days in July. It is done in partnership with the <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa graduate student chapter of the American Mathematical Society.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are ecstatic that the <abbr>UH<\/abbr> team members are able to provide this great learning experience for the kids,&rdquo; <abbr>IHS<\/abbr> Children\u2019s Program Specialist Candice Moore said. &ldquo;Our goal this summer is to provide fun activities as well as new learning opportunities for the children. This experience provided both and they loved it. Seeing them so happy is the highlight of the day.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Outreach program<\/h2>\n<p>Macadangdang and Imata\u2019s involvement in &ldquo;Be a Scientist&rdquo; day is just one part of their service with <abbr>IHS<\/abbr>. In spring 2021&#8212;with funding support from the <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/diversity\/\">Student Equity, Excellence and Diversity<\/a> (SEED) office&#8212;Macadangdang, Imata and another student, <strong>Elizabeth Peterson<\/strong>, provided virtual tutoring to <abbr>IHS<\/abbr> keiki during the pandemic. They also expanded the outreach program to work with two <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> public schools. Chyba said their goal is to design a volunteer-based tutoring program provided by the <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa learning assistants program by fall 2021 to continue offering these services to the community.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Monique Chyba has a strong commitment to public service in the community and is a stellar faculty member from <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa,&rdquo; <abbr>SEED<\/abbr> Coordinator <strong>Pua Auyong<\/strong> said. &ldquo;For many years she has brought her math students to <abbr>IHS<\/abbr> to work with families and she tells me how transformative the experience is for her students. Monique has also brought her students to teach math and robotics to <span aria-label=\"Molokai\">Moloka&#699;i<\/span>, Maui and rural <span aria-label=\"Oahu\">O&#699;ahu<\/span>. She understands the disparities and inequities in our educational system and has brought fun and enriching math activities to so many.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This work is an example of <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s goals of <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/manoa-2025-strategic-plan.pdf#page=20\">Enhancing Student Success<\/a> (<span class=\"small-text\"><abbr title=\"Portable Document Format\">PDF<\/abbr><\/span>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/manoa-2025-strategic-plan.pdf#page=25\">Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise<\/a> (<span class=\"small-text\"><abbr title=\"Portable Document Format\">PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), two of four goals identified in the <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/manoa-2025-strategic-plan.pdf\">2015&#8211;25 Â鶹´«Ã½<\/a> (<span class=\"small-text\"><abbr title=\"Portable Document Format\">PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), updated in December 2020.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;By <em>Marc Arakaki<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa will host two more &ldquo;Be a Scientist&rdquo; days in July.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,12],"tags":[308,1411,1416,1480,1466,1363,554,568,208,9,56],"class_list":["post-144366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-video","tag-college-of-natural-sciences","tag-covid-19","tag-covid-19-uh-helps","tag-manoa-academic-innovation-engaged-learning","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-manoa-research","tag-mathematics","tag-natural-science","tag-student-equity-excellence-and-diversity","tag-uh-manoa","tag-video-2","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144366"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":144452,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144366\/revisions\/144452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}