Institute For Future Intelligence Inc

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSFORMATION

USING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE LEARNING AND TEACHING IN SCIENCE LABS AT TWO-YEAR COLLEGES -THIS PROJECT WILL SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY ENHANCING THE INTRODUCTORY STEM LABORATORY EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS AT EIGHT TWO-YEAR COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. LABORATORY EXPERIENCES ARE AN INDISPENSABLE PART OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND PROVIDE HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURAL WORLD AND DEVELOP SKILLS NEEDED FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CAREERS. THE PROJECT WILL DESIGN, IMPLEMENT, AND ASSESS A PACKAGE OF INNOVATIONS BASED ON USING ADVANCED THERMAL IMAGING TECHNOLOGY TO VISUALIZE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PHENOMENA. IT WILL LEVERAGE LOW-COST, EASY-TO-USE THERMAL CAMERAS TO ENSURE THE MATERIALS DEVELOPED ARE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE. THE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND ANALYTICAL SKILLS RELATED TO THERMAL IMAGING WILL BE APPLICABLE TO STUDENTS' FUTURE WORK AS THE ADOPTION OF THERMAL IMAGING CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE IN INDUSTRY. THE PROJECT WILL BE LED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR FUTURE INTELLIGENCE (IFI), IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HAROLD WASHINGTON COLLEGE, ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE, AND CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE. FIVE ADDITIONAL TWO-YEAR COLLEGES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY (JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, SAN DIEGO CITY COLLEGE, SCOTTSDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TRUCKEE MEADOWS COLLEGE, AND WAKE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE) WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FIELD TEST SITES FOR THE STUDY. ULTIMATELY, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ENGAGE A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND FACULTY FROM INSTITUTIONS THAT SERVE HIGHLY DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATIONS IN HIGH-TECH LABORATORY ACTIVITIES THAT ALSO LEVERAGE PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGIES AIMED AT EQUITY AND INCLUSION. THE PROJECT GOALS ARE TO: 1) DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT SCIENTIFIC AND PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATIONS EMPOWERED BY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN THE LABORATORY SETTING; 2) BUILD A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE TO SUPPORT CONTINUOUS FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH TECHNOLOGY; AND 3) CONDUCT A MULTIPRONGED RESEARCH STUDY TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCTS AND GENERATE KNOWLEDGE SIGNIFICANT TO THE STEM EDUCATION COMMUNITY. ITERATIVE IMPROVEMENT OF THE ENVISIONED INNOVATIONS OVER THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED USING A DESIGNED-BASED METHOD. ADDITIONALLY, THIS STUDY WILL EXPLORE HOW THERMAL IMAGING TECHNIQUES IMPACT STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING AND INTEREST IN STEM, HOW THE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED SUPPORTS IMPROVEMENT OF LABORATORY INSTRUCTION, AND HOW TO ENGAGE TWO-YEAR FACULTY IN A SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE. THESE QUESTIONS WILL BE PROBED USING A COMBINATION OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE INSTRUMENTS BASED ON A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH. A FIVE-MEMBER ADVISORY BOARD WILL OVERSEE PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND AN EXTERNAL EVALUATOR WILL PARTNER WITH THE PROJECT TEAM TO PROVIDE BOTH FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE FEEDBACK AT REGULAR INTERVALS. THE RESULTS WILL BE DISSEMINATED BROADLY VIA PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, OPEN-SOURCE PLATFORMS, AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS. THE NSF PROGRAM DESCRIPTION ON ADVANCING INNOVATION AND IMPACT IN UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION AT TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORTS PROJECTS THAT ADVANCE STEM EDUCATION INITIATIVES AT TWO-YEAR COLLEGES. THE PROGRAM DESCRIPTION PROMOTES INNOVATIVE AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES IN UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION AT TWO-YEAR COLLEGES. THIS PROJECT IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE NSF IUSE:HSI PROGRAM, WHICH HAS THE GOALS OF ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION, AND INCREASING THE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND GRADUATION RATES OF STUDENTS PURSUING ASSOCIATE?S OR BACCALAUREATE DEGREES IN STEM. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

DEVELOPING AND TESTING INNOVATIONS: CONNECTING INDIGENOUS CULTURE AND INTEGRATED STEM IN HAWAII THROUGH SMART AGTECH -AQUACULTURE IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE. FISHPONDS WERE ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY FOOD PRODUCTION AND HELD SPECIAL CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. LAND USE WAS MANAGED THROUGH A TRADITIONAL APPROACH CALLED THE AHUPUA?A SYSTEM. EACH AHUPUA?A WAS SELF-SUFFICIENT FOR THE COMMUNITY IT SERVED AND STRETCHED FROM THE REEFS OF THE SHORELINE (MAKAI) TO THE MOUNTAIN RIDGES ABOVE (MAUKA). NATIVE HAWAIIANS BEGAN REVIVAL OF THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS, INCLUDING RESTORATION OF ANCIENT FISHPONDS AND METHODS USED TO CULTIVATE FOOD. DECLINE OF PLANTATION AGRICULTURE IN HAWAII OVER HAS REDUCED AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO INVESTIGATE HOW TO INTEGRATE SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE PRACTICES EMBRACED BY NATIVE HAWAIIANS FOR CENTURIES WITH EMERGING AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES (AGTECH) FOCUSED ON USING SENSORS, MEASUREMENT OF RELEVANT PARAMETERS, AND DATA SCIENCE LITERACY. THE PROJECT IMMERSES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN HAWAII TO THE TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND HERITAGE OF FISHPONDS AND AQUACULTURE ALONGSIDE HANDS-ON SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS USING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES. STUDENTS USE SMART FARMING TECHNOLOGIES AND SENSORS TO COLLECT DATA AND EMPLOY DATA SCIENCE TO UNDERSTAND AND MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE BEST WAYS TO GROW LIMU (SEAWEED). STUDENTS GAIN NEW SKILLS IN DATA SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES IN GENERAL, AS WELL AS CONNECT WITH KNOWLEDGE HOLDERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY TO GAIN A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR THEIR HAWAIIAN HERITAGE, CULTURE AND KNOWLEDGE. THE INSTITUTE FOR FUTURE INTELLIGENCE (IFI) AND THE PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR HIGH TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH (PICHTR) COLLABORATE TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED STEM CURRICULUM FOCUSED ON AGTECH THAT WILL CONNECT TRADITIONAL AND MODERN PRACTICES IN AQUACULTURE TO PROMOTE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE STEM EDUCATION. THE EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION CAN BE FURTHER IMPROVED WITH INNOVATIVE AGTECH, WHILE MODERN AGRICULTURAL/AQUACULTURAL PRACTICES WOULD BE ENHANCED BY THE TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN APPROACHES TO GROWING FOOD IN A COMMUNITY THAT CONNECTS THE MOUNTAIN TO THE SHORE. THE PROJECT WILL BE PILOTED AT CASTLE HIGH SCHOOL IN THE WINDWARD DISTRICT OF OAHU. TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS WILL BE OFFERED TO STEM TEACHERS ACROSS HAWAII. THE RESEARCH PROJECT TAKES A MIXED METHODS APPROACH TO INVESTIGATE THREE DRIVING INQUIRIES: (1) IN WHAT WAYS AND TO WHAT EXTENT CAN THE PROJECT ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING OF AGTECH, DATA SCIENCE AND AI CONCEPTS AND PRACTICES THROUGH INNOVATIVE USE OF INTEGRATED STEM CURRICULUM DESIGN? (2) IN WHAT WAYS AND TO WHAT EXTENT CAN THE PROJECT INCREASE STUDENTS? INTEREST IN MODERN SMART AGRICULTURE PRACTICES AND DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS FOR CAREER AND WORKFORCE PREPARATION WHEN MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS TO PLACE-BASED AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE CURRICULUM? (3) IN WHAT WAYS AND TO WHAT EXTENT CAN THE PROJECT IMPROVE EQUITABLE STEM EDUCATION, INTEREST IN CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE AND AQUACULTURE, AND WORKFORCE PREPARATION WHEN MODERN DATA SCIENCE AND AGTECH APPROACHES ARE USED IN THE CURRICULUM? THIS PROJECT STRIVES TOWARDS FOUR OUTCOMES: (1) STUDENTS LEARN TO USE EMERGING AGTECH AND DATA SCIENCE PRACTICES, (2) STUDENTS LEARN STEM WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT AQUACULTURE IN HAWAIIAN SOCIETY, (3) STUDENTS CONDUCT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN AQUACULTURE, AND (4) STUDENTS ARE PREPARED TO ENTER THE STEM WORKFORCE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF CURRENT AGTECH PRACTICES OR CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION IN THE RELATED FIELDS AT COLLEGES. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS (ITEST) PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS PROJECTS THAT BUILD UNDERSTANDINGS OF PRACTICES, PROGRAM ELEMENTS, CONTEXTS AND PROCESSES CONTRIBUTING TO INCREASING STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE AND INTEREST IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) CAREERS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

ADVENTURES IN DRUG DISCOVERY: INTEGRATING DATA SCIENCE INTO THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM - IN THIS ADVENTURES IN DRUG DISCOVERY (ADD) PROJECT, THE INSTITUTE FOR FUTURE INTELLIGENCE (IFI) AND THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA (UF) WILL COLLABORATE WITH DIVERSE HIGH SCHOOLS IN FLORIDA, HAWAII, MARYLAND, OHIO, RHODE ISLAND, AND SOUTH CAROLINA TO DEVELOP NOVEL EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES AND CURRICULUM MATERIALS TO HELP TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TEACH AND LEARN DATA SCIENCE AS A METHOD FOR ACCELERATING DRUG DISCOVERY. THE KEY INNOVATION WILL BE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR MOLECULAR SCIENCE (AIMS), AN INTEGRATED LEARNING PLATFORM BASED ON USING VISUAL AND INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO OPEN THE “OPAQUE BOX” OF THE SCIENCE, DATA, AND COMPUTATION NEEDED TO FIND OR DESIGN NEW DRUGS. POWERED BY AIMS, THE CURRICULUM MATERIALS WILL PROVIDE PRACTICAL MEANS TO INTEGRATE DATA SCIENCE INTO CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY COURSES. THE MATERIALS WILL BE ALIGNED WITH RELATED EDUCATION STANDARDS SUCH AS THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS. THE PROJECT WILL INTEGRATE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING AND INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND DIVERSITY. PARTICIPATING TEACHERS WILL BE SUPPORTED BY ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS AND LEARNING COMMUNITIES. THE PRODUCTS OF THE PROJECT WILL BE DISSEMINATED THROUGH A CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM THAT USES A GAMIFIED VERSION OF AIMS TO ENGAGE THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO EXPLORE DRUG DISCOVERY. AFTER THE PROJECT ENDS, IFI WILL MAINTAIN THE PRODUCTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO SERVE TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND THE PUBLIC. THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT FALLS WITHIN THE MISSION OF NIH'S NATIONAL CENTER FOR ADVANCING TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCES (NCATS) RELATED TO “INCORPORATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING INTO THE DRUG DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.” THE SPECIFIC AIMS ARE: 1) TO DEVELOP THE AIMS TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS USING A DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH FRAMEWORK THAT INVOLVES ITERATIVE DESIGN CYCLES INFORMED BY STUDENT AND TEACHER FEEDBACK BASED ON CLASSROOM TESTS; 2) TO LEVERAGE THE COMPLEMENTARITY BETWEEN CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING AND INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING TO DEVELOP CONTENT THAT ACCOMMODATES THE UNIQUE INTERESTS, VALUES, AND FUNDS OF KNOWLEDGE OF DIVERSE STUDENTS; AND 3) TO CREATE A CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM FOR DRUG DISCOVERY BASED ON GAMIFYING COMPLEX COMPUTATIONAL PROCEDURES SUCH AS MOLECULAR DOCKING AND DRUG SCREENING. TO SUPPLEMENT IFI AND UF'S EXPERTISE, THE PROJECT WILL ALSO INVOLVE RESEARCHERS AND EDUCATORS IN MOLECULAR SCIENCE, DATA SCIENCE, AND SERIOUS GAMES FOR CITIZEN SCIENCE FROM HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, AND NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY AS CONSULTANTS.

INTEGRATING DATA SCIENCE AND HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE INTO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BIOTECHNOLOGY CLASSROOM WITH APPLICATIONS TO ANTIBODY ENGINEERING -ANTIBODIES ARE PROTEINS NATURALLY PRODUCED BY THE VERTEBRATE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THEY ARE IMPORTANT IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, SERVING AS REAGENTS IN RESEARCH, DIAGNOSTICS, AND THERAPEUTICS. USING ANTIBODY ENGINEERING AS A FOCUS FOR TRAINING, STUDENTS AT KAPI?OLANI COMMUNITY COLLEGE (KCC) WILL LEARN PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR THE BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE. INDEED, THE BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IS EXPERIENCING A PERIOD OF GROWTH THAT REQUIRES TALENTED PERSONNEL TRAINED ACROSS MANY DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING DATA SCIENCE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND MACHINE LEARNING. MOREOVER, THE PANDEMIC SEVERELY IMPACTED THE ECONOMY IN HAWAI?I DUE TO ITS HEAVY RELIANCE ON TOURISM. THUS, TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY AND CREATE HIGH-PAYING JOBS IN HIGH-TECH, KNOWLEDGE-BASED, AND EMERGING INDUSTRIES SUCH AS BIOTECHNOLOGY, THE STATE OF HAWAI?I IS INTERESTED IN DIVERSIFYING INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIES TO ENSURE THE STATE CAN FUNCTION IN A TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED WORLD. AS A MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTION, WITH A NATIVE HAWAIIAN STUDENT POPULATION OF ~20%, KCC CONTRIBUTES TO THE ENHANCEMENT OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN STEM. THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE ANTIBODY ENGINEERING INTO KCC?S REGULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE BUILDING OF A CAPABLE WORKFORCE FOR THE GROWING BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOMANUFACTURING SECTORS IN HAWAI?I. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DIVERSIFICATION OF THE ECONOMY IN HAWAI?I AND HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON NATIVE HAWAIIAN STUDENTS AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY IN THE STATE OF HAWAI?I AND ACROSS THE NATION. THIS PROJECT WILL INTRODUCE NEW ANTIBODY ENGINEERING MODULES TO THE BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AT KAPI?OLANI COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THE FIRST GOAL IS TO TRAIN STUDENTS TO ENTER THE BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE. THE SECOND GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA SCIENCE IN BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOMANUFACTURING AND TO ENHANCE THE UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE. THE THIRD GOAL IS TO TRAIN STUDENTS IN THE DESIGN, PRODUCTION, PURIFICATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIBODIES USING THE DESIGN-BUILD-TEST PARADIGM. ACCOMPLISHING THESE GOALS WILL EXTEND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY SERVICE FACILITY AND TRAINING CENTER (MASFTC). THE SPECIFIC AIMS FOR THIS PROJECT ARE: (1) DEVELOP CLASSROOM AND LABORATORY MODULES TO SUPPORT EXPERIENTIAL-BASED UNDERGRADUATE LEARNING AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES USING THE DESIGN-BUILD-TEST PARADIGM AS APPLIED TO ANTIBODY ENGINEERING. (2) DEVELOP DATA SCIENCE AND BIOINFORMATICS EDUCATION MODULES WITH A WEB-BASED GRAPHICAL USER-INTERFACE TO GUIDE CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES AND LABORATORY COMPONENTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES. (3) ESTABLISH THE KCC-ANTIBODY CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (KCC-ACE) DATABASE TO RECORD THE DESIGN-BUILD-TEST ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY KCC STUDENTS AND FACULTY. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON THE EDUCATION OF TECHNICIANS FOR THE ADVANCED-TECHNOLOGY FIELDS THAT DRIVE THE NATION'S ECONOMY. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SMARTCAD: GUIDING ENGINEERING DESIGN WITH SCIENCE SIMULATIONS

CHANGE MAKERS: CROWDSOLVING THE ENERGY CHALLENGE THROUGH CYBER-ENABLED OUT-OF-SCHOOL CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: A SOLAR AND WIND INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATIVE FOR HAWAII (SWITCH) -THIS TRACK 2 ATE PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY CULTIVATING THE NEXT GENERATION WORKFORCE TO LEAD HAWAII?S TRANSITION TO 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2045. A CENTRAL CHALLENGE IN RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION IS IT OFTEN CONFRONTS OTHER BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS FOOD, WATER, AND CULTURE, AS ITS DISTRIBUTED NATURE DEMANDS A LOT OF SPACE. AS SUCH, LARGE-SCALE DEPLOYMENTS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATORS IN OUR COUNTRY WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE WITHOUT ESTABLISHING WIDE SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE. STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THAT GREATER PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING AND DESIGNING OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS CAN INCREASE THEIR TRANSPARENCY AND GAIN MORE PUBLIC TRUST AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT PARADIGM OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF RENEWABLE ENERGY LACKS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO ADDRESS PUBLIC CONCERNS WITH TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND THEN COMMUNICATE THE ENGINEERING RESULTS TO STAKEHOLDERS. THIS PROJECT WILL SUPPLEMENT THESE ELEMENTS TO EXISTING COURSES IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND USE THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS TESTBEDS FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN AND PRACTICE THOSE ?SOFT SKILLS.? IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS IN HAWAII, KAPIOLANI COMMUNITY COLLEGE (KCC) AND THE INSTITUTE FOR FUTURE INTELLIGENCE (IFI) WILL DEVELOP INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT ENGAGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO LEARN THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NEEDED TO TAKE ON THE RENEWABLE ENERGY CHALLENGE. THESE PROGRAMS WILL USE STUDENTS? OWN HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITIES AS THE APPLICATION SCENARIOS FOR DESIGNING HYPOTHETICAL SOLAR AND WIND ENERGY SOLUTIONS. STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW TO MEET THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES WHILE MINIMIZING ADVERSE EFFECTS ON LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS, CULTURES, AND ECONOMIES. TO CONSOLIDATE THE PATHWAY OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FROM THE SECONDARY LEVEL TO THE TERTIARY LEVEL, THE PROJECT WILL DESIGNATE KCC STUDENTS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THESE PROGRAMS AS TEACHING ASSISTANTS TO TEACHERS AND DESIGN TUTORS TO STUDENTS IN COLLABORATING HIGH SCHOOLS TO HELP THEM IMPLEMENT CUSTOMIZED VERSIONS OF THE PROGRAMS. THE PROJECT WILL BE EMPOWERED BY ALADDIN, AN OPEN-SOURCE, WEB-BASED COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN TOOL DEVELOPED BY IFI AS A CITIZEN SCIENCE PLATFORM THAT SUPPORTS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEERING AND PLANNING. ALADDIN ALLOWS ANYONE TO DESIGN THEIR OWN RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES, SHARE THE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS VIA SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND DRAW PUBLIC INTEREST IN CROWDFUNDING THEIR CONSTRUCTION. KCC WILL RUN ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS TO INTRODUCE THE CURRICULAR AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS OF THIS PROJECT TO SECONDARY TEACHERS IN HAWAII. INTERESTED TEACHERS WILL THEN PARTNER WITH KCC TO IMPLEMENT THESE INNOVATIONS IN THEIR SCHOOLS. THIS PROJECT WILL BE OVERSEEN BY AN ADVISORY BOARD CONSISTING OF EXPERTS IN THE FIELDS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, TECHNICAL EDUCATION, AND POLICY MAKING. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON THE EDUCATION OF TECHNICIANS FOR THE ADVANCED-TECHNOLOGY FIELDS THAT DRIVE THE NATION?S ECONOMY. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EXPLORATIONS: DEVELOPING A DIVERSE STEM WORKFORCE THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND IMMERSIVE INTERNSHIPS -?MA KA HANA KA ?IKE? TRANSLATES TO ?LEARN BY DOING? IN THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE. THIS CONCEPT IS IMPORTANT AND REFLECTS A HISTORY OF HANDS-ON, PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES INHERENT IN THE RELATIONSHIP HAWAIIANS MAINTAINED WITH NATURE THROUGH FARMING, FISHING, AQUACULTURE, AND NAVIGATION. TRADITIONALLY, HAWAIIANS PASSED KNOWLEDGE FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER THROUGH DIRECT EXPERIENCES, MUSIC, CHANTS AND HULA. FOUNDED IN A RICH ORAL HISTORY, THE EMPHASIS OF MA KA HANA KA ?IKE HAS GAINED MOMENTUM FOR CULTURE BASED TEACHING AND LEARNING. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OFFERS A BROAD FRAMEWORK OF HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING FIELD TRIPS, SIMULATIONS, SHORT PROJECTS AND PRACTICAL TRAINING. INTERNSHIPS OFFER MORE STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES AND ENABLE STUDENTS TO GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITHIN A PARTICULAR PROFESSION AND ARE OFTEN RELATED TO SPECIFIC CAREERS WITH THE GOAL OF PREPARING STUDENTS FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT. THE INTENT OF THIS PROJECT IS TO EVALUATE IF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN EMERGING STEM TECHNOLOGIES, WHEN INTRODUCED IN THE CONTEXT OF TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN KNOWLEDGE, MOTIVATES STUDENTS TO PURSUE CAREERS OR FURTHER STUDIES IN STEM FIELDS AND IF IT PREPARES THEM TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE. THIS PROJECT WILL INTRODUCE STEM STUDENTS TO EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES USING A THREE-TIERED PROGRAM OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND INTERNSHIPS THAT WILL INSPIRE, INFORM AND IMMERSE. STUDENTS WILL DISCOVER POTENTIAL STEM CAREERS RELATED TO EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH A ONE-YEAR PROGRAM. THE FIRST TIER, INSPIRE, WILL EXPOSE ABOUT 300 STEM MAJORS AT KAPI?OLANI COMMUNITY COLLEGE (KCC) TO PRESENTATIONS BY PARTNERS IN GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA, NON-PROFITS AND INDUSTRY. THE SECOND TIER, INFORM, WILL INCLUDE SITE VISITS TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPERIENCE THE REAL WORKPLACE. SOME PARTNERS WILL PROVIDE HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES OR MICRO-INTERNSHIPS. THE FINAL TIER, IMMERSE, WILL SUPPORT SELECTED STUDENTS IN AN 8-12 WEEK SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT THESE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, WHERE THEY WILL GAIN DEEP, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN THEIR CHOSEN FIELD. TWELVE TO 15 PARTNERS WILL BE ENLISTED IN YEAR 1 AND AS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS ARE DEVELOPED IN YEARS 2-3 EVEN MORE PARTNERS ARE EXPECTED TO JOIN. THE SPECIFIC OUTCOMES EXPECTED ARE (1) EXPOSE AS MANY AS 300 STEM MAJORS TO EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, (2) PREPARE STUDENTS TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE IN INDUSTRIES THAT USE THESE TECHNOLOGIES, (3) FORMALIZE EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, (4) DEVELOP INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE MENTORS AS THEY HELP BUILD THE FUTURE WORKFORCE, (5) ALIGN WORKFORCE TRAINING WITH REGIONAL WORKFORCE NEEDS, (6) CREATE MORE INDUSTRY INTERNSHIPS AND CAREER PATHWAYS AND (7) CONNECT STUDENTS TO HAWAIIAN CULTURE THROUGH MA KA HANA KA ?IKE. WE BELIEVE THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENTERING THE STEM WORKFORCE AND CONTRIBUTE TO DIVERSIFICATION OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY. ALTHOUGH THIS PROJECT INTRODUCES MANY DISCIPLINES, THERE IS A COMMON THEME FOR THESE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ? DATA SCIENCE. STUDENTS WILL WORK WITH TECHNOLOGIES TO PROCESS, ANALYZE AND GAIN UNDERSTANDING FROM THESE DATA. IN MANY CASES, PARTNERS UTILIZE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING (AI/ML) AS PART OF THEIR WORKFLOW, EXPOSING STUDENTS TO PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF AI/ML. THROUGH THIS APPROACH, STUDENTS WILL LEARN ABOUT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WITHIN RELEVANT INDUSTRIES, WHICH WILL BETTER PREPARE THEM TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE. THIS PROJECT IS CO-FUNDED BY THE ADVANCING INFORMAL STEM LEARNING (AISL) PROGRAM. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.