An astronomy workshop for Hawaiʻi STEM Teachers
June 8-12, 2026 in Hilo
(with housing for non-Hilo attendees)
Come learn about astronomy with world-renowned scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Institute for Astronomy.
This week-long program provides an immersive experience in astronomy research for Hawaiʻi Grade 6-12 STEM teachers and education professionals.
We provide attendees with funding for participation, dependent care, and curriculum development.
Attendees also have the opportunity to earn 3 credits of professional development credit through UHM’s College of Education.
TeachAstro is supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation.
The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at the University of Hawaiʻi organizes a one-week summer program for Hawaiʻi teachers and educators of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This in-person workshop will be held at the IfA’s facility in Hilo for Summer 2026 and will return to Honolulu in Summer 2027.
TeachAstro will provide a cohort of educators the opportunity to explore modern astronomical research and projects. This immersive week-long experience has 3 main components:
- The core of the TeachAstro week centers on guided research activities using cutting-edge datasets and tools, as taught by world-renowned IfA astronomers.
- In addition, participants will learn about modern astronomy, through lessons in core concepts, talks about the state-of-the-art research in Hawaiʻi, interactions with professional astronomy researchers, and participation in nighttime observing.
- Finally, participants will have time to develop their own curricula using the knowledge and tools gained from these experiences to create classroom lessons tailored to their own students.
We recognize that summertime is valuable for educators. Thanks to the Heising-Simons Foundation, we are pleased to provide financial support for teachers to attend this program:
- A stipend of $2000 for participating and completing the program
- Up to $300 for dependent-care support for the week
- Housing in Hilo for Big Island participants with long commutes
- Round-trip airfare and housing in Hilo for neighbor island participants
- After the program is done, up to $300 for astronomy-related activities in the classroom
Our teacher participants will:
- Develop knowledge about state-of-the-art topics and methods in astronomy research being conducted in Hawaiʻi
- Cultivate relationships with other STEM educators and professional researchers that can lead to future collaborations
- Develop new curriculum resources that use real science and authentic data to teach astronomy content in their classrooms
- Have the opportunity to earn 3 credits of professional development through UH Mānoa’s College of Education.
A list of Frequently Asked Questions is HERE. If you have further questions, please feel free to Contact Us.
To apply, click HERE.
Application deadline: March 1, 2026 @ 11:59pm Hawaiʻi time