Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture

The Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture (INPEACE) will design the Loko Iʻa traveling exhibit, an Indigenous STEM experience. Loko lʻa are traditional fishponds, a central Native Hawaiian land management practice, and the exhibit will incorporate interactive activities while utilizing observational, problem-solving, and hand-on approaches designed to engage youth and families in their own communities. Project activities will include collecting information from cultural experts, researchers, and kupuna; compiling information into a design reference guide; developing conceptual plans with community and design experts; completing and refining exhibit layouts, specifications, and materials; and securing cost estimates for fabrication and buildout. The resulting designs will reflect a culture-based STEM exhibit that provides Native Hawaiians the opportunity to view the world and their environment through a lens that is relevant to their lives.