Hawaiʻi STEM educators encouraged to apply for paid summer research training experience at the Bishop Museum

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​HONOLULU - Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators, curriculum coordinators, and teacher candidates from Hawaiʻi's K-12 schools, as well as local community college faculty, are invited to apply for the Bishop Museum's BIORETS - Research Experiences for Advancing Curriculum on Hawaiian Ecosystem Sciences 2025 summer internship program.

In the summer, eight STEM educators will have an exciting opportunity to dive into hands-on research at the Bishop Museum through the BIORETS - REACHES program. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation and supported by the HIDOE, and is designed to help teachers bring real-world, place-based science into their classrooms. Over the course of seven weeks, participants will be paid to work alongside experts from the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE), ʻIolani School's Community Science program, and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Together, they'll explore the world of land snail conservation, ecology, genomics, and taxonomy.

The REACHES program explores ecosystem sciences with a special focus on the land snails of Hawaiʻi. Educators will be directly involved in research at the museum's Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity, where they'll study everything from the snails' life cycles and diets to their behaviors and role in biodiversity. What makes this program unique is the integration of Hawaiian cultural values. Participants will learn from cultural practitioners how to incorporate traditional practices and aloha ʻāina into both their research and teaching, enriching their students' learning experiences and deepening their connection to the environment.

Sherry Ten, Natural Resources teacher at Waipahu High School, was one of the eight educators who participated in the REACHES program this past summer.

"We focused on developing an educational curriculum centered around native Hawaiian snails," she said. "These unique creatures play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity and supporting the health of our ecosystems. Through this program, I gained hands-on experience in conservation efforts and contributed to raising awareness about the importance of preserving these vital species."

The program, which will run from June to July 2025, includes field research, captive-rearing training, museum curation, experimental design training, and hands-on lab research experience. Participants also attend workshops that include cultural orientation, museum studies, research methodologies, proposal writing, genomics, bioinformatics, community ecology, and curriculum development.

To apply, educators must:

• Be a STEM (e.g., biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics) teacher in Hawaiʻi's public or charter schools, or community colleges.
• Be committed to the entire length of the program (full-time seven weeks over the summer, monthly meetings during the school year, and shorter periods throughout the year).
• Be committed to developing new or expanding current curriculum to include research experiences.
• Have a strong desire to increase your own scientific research literacy with a focus on Ecosystem Sciences in Hawaiʻi and the Bishop Museum.
• Have a strong desire to increase your students' scientific research engagement, literacy, and perceptions, with a strong focus on place-based scientific research.
• Have a strong desire to promote and sustain aloha ʻāina through integration of Hawaiian cultural values, practice and science.
• Have the support of school administration for the program.
• *Teachers from under-resourced schools are encouraged to apply.
  

The program includes:

• $1,050/week summer stipend for seven weeks.
• Workshops in ecology, genomics, bioinformatics, snail rearing, conservation, and museum studies.
• Professional development opportunities with HIDOE specialists.
• Cultural studies integration.
• Curriculum development support all year.
• Research and curriculum development funding.
• Conference travel support.