Above: Waiākea Intermediate students brainstorm survival tactics for living on another planet during Fall Journey Through The Universe Week.
The first-ever Fall Journey Through The Universe (JTTU) Week held Oct. 20 – 24, 2025, was a success! We were excited to be among the dozens of educators and volunteers who helped engage more than 1,800 students across East Hawaiʻi. During the week, our team met with more than 200 elementary, intermediate, and high school students to lead activities on flight dynamics, the search for extraterrestrial life, and how to survive on other planets. Our Avionics Engineer and Project Manager Amber Imai-Hong also shared her storied career path of becoming an engineer.
JTTU is the leading STEM education outreach program on the Big Island and has been held annually each spring for the last 22 years. Mahalo nui to the International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab for organizing this impactful event!