As we've been reporting, 'Imiloa made its debut on a national stage in late May and early June! Following the itinerary on the East Coast of the Polynesian Voyaging Society's iconic sailing canoe, Hokule'a, we sent an outreach team to Washington, D.C. and New York City for 18 days (May 26-June 12) to share 'Imiloa's unique brand of culture-based science programming with new audiences far from home.

• 1,600 participants directly engaged in programming about Polynesian wayfinding, including training on the Hawaiian Star Compass and navigational starlines
• Perspectives exchanged with 200 colleagues at various roundtables and invited gatherings, including an Indigenous Worldviews in Informal Science Education (IWISE) workshop hosted by 'Imiloa in Washington, D.C.
• Hundreds of others reached indirectly through distribution of our educational handout on "The Art and Science of Oceanic Wayfinding"
• Collaborations launched with six leading science centers and educational institutions, from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (in both Washington, DC and New York City) to the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum, the Hayden Planetarium, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Lower Eastside Girls Club.

'Imiloa's team was made up of Celeste Manuia Ha'o, Education Outreach Coordinator; Mino'aka Macanas, Fiscal Associate; and Margaret Shiba, Director of Institutional Advancement. The charge we received from 'Imiloa Executive Director Ka'iu Kimura was (1) to offer programmatic support to the Polynesian Voyaging Society's historic Worldwide Voyage, (2) to explore future collaboration between 'Imiloa and peer science centers on the mainland, and (3) to facilitate professional development opportunities for 'Imiloa staff with local counterparts.

During the 2015-2016 academic year, 'Imiloa introduced our new MANU 'Imiloa outreach program in schools and communities across Hawai'i Island and state. This new program uses the story of the Hokule'a and the theme of Polynesian voyaging to teach science and math, while inspiring K-12 students to consider majors and careers in STEM disciplines. Our East Coast trip gave us our first ever opportunity to test out some of the same curriculum and tools on participants far from our shores!

Read about what we learned and view more photos>