ABOVE: Students at the summit of Maunakea during the 9th annual STARS Program on June 20, 2025.
From the summit of Maunakea, you can see the horizon in all directions on a clear day. It’s the kind of place that reveals a whole new perspective—and a window into the reality that, if you look around, the world is full of possibilities. During the Summer Solstice on June 20, PISCES shared this point of view with 20 high school students from across Hawaiʻi as part of its 9th annual STARS program—a week-long residential program to help young women discover the dynamic and exciting world of STEM careers. The students’ visit included an exclusive tour inside the Gemini International Observatory where they met scientists and engineers and learned about the anatomy and operation of their seven-story telescope.
Gemini Observatory staff share their career stories with students during a tour inside the observatory’s control room.
Back at sea level, the students were busy throughout the week with workshops and presentations that explored hydrology, robotics, geopolymers, aerodynamics, planetary science, and agroforestry. They also visited several observatory headquarters including W. M. Keck Observatory and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope where they joined astronomers for a remote observing run.
This year, STARS included six mentors who volunteered to spend the week with the group of 20 students—the largest cohort yet in the history of the program. Presenters from more than a dozen organizations and science facilities shared their personal and career journeys while demonstrating the real-world applications of STEM fields.
“It was a really unique experience, and I learned a lot along the way,” wrote one student in a feedback survey. “It was really fun making connections with leaders in science, and going to the telescopes for the first time was really rewarding.”
Another student called the program “transformative and eye opening” and said it further fueled her interest in a STEM career.
Hawaiʻi Community College Agroforestry instructor Orlo Steele describes native seeds to students before planting them.
STARS was founded by PISCES in 2014 to build bridges for young women who might not otherwise picture themselves in a lab, observatory, or mission control room. The immersive, hands-on approach explores an array of science, technology, and engineering careers—everything from robotics and rock formations to seed-planting and stargazing.
“[STARS] helped me to connect with other women my age who were interested in the same things as I was,” wrote another student. “It gave me hope for the future of my career and made me realize that women needed to support women especially in a male-dominated field.”
The PISCES team would like to thank the many individuals and organizations who generously gave their time and resources to support STARS this year. Mahalo nui to:
- Hawaiʻi Science & Technology Museum
- ʻImiloa Astronomy Center
- Keiki Labs
- Hawaii Community College – Tropical Forest Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management
- Akamai Workforce Initiative
- Lavaloha Chocolate Farm
- STARBASE Hawaiʻi
- Gemini Observatory / NOIR Lab
- W. M. Keck Observatory
- Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope
- Maunakea Visitor Information Center
- Center for Maunakea Stewardship
- UH Hilo College of Natural & Health Sciences
- UH Hilo Dept. of Geology/Volcanology/SDAV
- UH Hilo Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
- UH Hilo Institutional Research Support
- USGS Hawaiʻi Cooperative Fishery Research Unit