Girl Scouts of Hawai'i STEM Fest at Aunty Sally’s Lū'au Hale in Hilo, on 10 November 2023. Each year, Girls Scouts of Hawai‘i organizes several STEM Fests at various locations throughout the islands. Angelic Ebbers, Lead Controls Software Engineers, hosted the TMT booth at the Hilo event and conducted a hands-on activity for the girls. They learned how to create capacitive styluses for touch screens. Image credit: TMT International Observatory / Angelic Ebbers
On 10 November 2023, Angelic Ebbers, TMT’s lead controls software engineer spearheaded a hands-on engineering activity at the TMT booth during the Girl Scouts of Hawai'i STEM Fest. The goal of this annual event is to inspire and encourage young women to pursue educational paths and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Girl Scouts from kindergarten through 12th grade immersed themselves in learning about astronomy, outer space, the ocean, and environmental science, while engaging in unique STEM activities at Aunty Sally’s Lū'au Hale in Hilo. Presenters from various STEM industries, including forestry, chemistry, robotics, the Maunakea observatories, and others, hosted interactive stations to showcase their expertise and knowledge. The girls rotated through a diverse array of presentations, where they had the opportunity to explore and conduct experiments related to Hawai‘i’s natural environment.
Many hands-on activities aimed to demonstrate that understanding and preserving the environment are crucial for all Hawaiʻi residents, including astronomers, engineers, and University of Hawai'i employees.
Angelic thoroughly enjoyed sharing her knowledge with the Girl Scouts and coordinated a hands-on activity on how to build a touch screen stylus.
“My new activity to create capacitive touch screen styluses went really well,” shared Angelic. “I taught the girls how capacitive touch screens work and provided a variety of conductive and craft materials, allowing them to design and create their own to take home with them. The girls were excited about learning how to control touch screens and were very engaged with the numerous activities at the event.”
Angelic enjoyed offering the engineering activity and has worked previously with the Girl Scouts, supporting other workshops and outreach events in Hawai’i while fostering interest and exposure to science and technology among a young audience.
As part of its ongoing outreach and educational initiatives, the TMT International Observatory was honored to collaborate with the University of Hawai'i at Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship and participate in this and other events where students, educators, and the community explore a myriad of activities in STEM and environmental projects. The ultimate goal of these opportunities is to enhance understanding of our relationship with the world and inspire individuals to become responsible global citizens.
Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi STEM in Hilo on 10 November 2023. The 2023 STEM Patch and a mosaic of moments from the event, where 60 Hawai'i Island Girl Scouts explored careers in astronomy and STEM fields - Image Credit: TMT International Observatory / Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi
TMT Laser Guide Star Facility Proceeds to Final Design Phase
Journey Through the Universe Celebrates 20 Years of Exploration on Hawai‘i Island
