An astronomy workshop for Hawai`i STEM Teachers

Our Summer 2026 program will be held in Hilo, with similar arrangements as described below for last summer’s program.  In addition, participants will be able to earn 3 credits of professional development through UHʻs College of Education.

The program will be open to grade 6-12 STEM teachers and educators based anywhere in Hawai`i.  We anticipate opening applications in January 2026.   Please feel free to Contact Us if you would like to be notified when this occurs.

The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at the University of Hawai`i announces a new one-week summer program for Hawai`i teachers and educators of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  This in-person workshop will be held at the IfA’s main facility in the Manoa neighborhood of Honolulu, Oahu.

TeachAstro 2025 will provide a cohort of 20 educators with 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 Hawai`i, interactions with UH astronomy faculty and students, and participation in nighttime observing.
• Finally, participants will have time to develop their own curricula using the knowledge gained from these experiences to create classroom lessons tailored to their own students, as well as to current education standards and pedagogy. 

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
• Round-trip airfare and on-campus housing 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 Hawai`i
• Cultivate relationships with UH researchers and like-minded educators that can lead to future collaborations
• Develop new curriculum resources that use real science and authentic data to teach astronomy content and process in their classrooms
• Receive a Certificate of Participation that provides evidence of 40 hours of professional development that might be used toward continuing education or certificate renewal

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 7, 2025 @ 11:59 PM Hawai`i time

Institute for Astronomy

We are one of the largest university astronomy programs in the world.