An introduction to the Pacific Islands Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES) Program housed within the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Presented by Sharon Ziegler-Chong, Director of PIPES, at the 2012 Hawaii Environmental Education Symposium Green Jobs in Hawaii session.

1. Pacific Island Programs for
Exploring Science (PIPES)
Sharon Ziegler-Chong
Noe Puniwai
Ulu Ching
Erika Ho`oululahui Perry
University of Hawai`i at Hilo Office of Research

2. Pacific Island Programs for
Exploring Science (PIPES)
(aka Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science
(PIPES)
• Targeting local youth connected to and passionate
about natural resources and its connection and
relevance to self, family and community
• Paid summer internship program to build
pathways for more local youth to enter, succeed in
and lead environmental workforce
 Working with partners to build bridges, challenges
and support systems to prepare, enable and
develop our conservation leaders of the future

3. Basics
• Recruit interns passionate about conservation
• Recruit agencies with mentors to provide opportunity,
projects and time for interns.
• Summer, paid, project-based experiences
• Partnership funded – agencies themselves, grants,
collaborations
• Mentoring at agency , program staff and peer levels
• Orientation, progress reports, field trips, final paper and
presentations
• Stay connected

4. Results
• Established networks of interns, agencies,
mentors
• Still connected
• Success in pushing interns to think out of their
box.
• Cohort learning and individual growth
• “Diversifying” workforce
• Changing what science looks like in Hawai`i
• Partnerships grow into other programs

5. PIPES Interns 1994 – 2012
407 Interns/486 Internships
350
303
300
250 Interns 227
Participants
200 Internships
150
99 99
81 84
100
50
0
MASSIP REU UH HIP

6. UH-HIP After Undergraduate Degree: Occupation
1997 – 2012 N=179
Education
Careers, 35%
Working in
Conservation
50%
Other

7. UH-HIP After Undergraduate Degree: Education
1997 – 2012, N=179
13% (23) with
Graduate Degree
16% (28) currently
pursuing higher
degree

8. Survey
• Improved success in classes – provides relevance for
coursework,
• Empowered to succeed
• Valuable networking with others inside and outside
program
• More than role models – connected to people as
professionals, colleagues and friends
• Technical skills
• “Essential” skills –
communication, responsibility, problem-solving
• Broadened horizons
• Life-changing

9. PIPES Pipeline as Part of the
Community
Community
Public Events
K-12 Outreach
Undergraduate
Post
Undergrad
Employment

10. Public Events
•Ocean Day Kanaloa
Festival
•County Fair and other
event
•Collaboration with
environmental
education partners to
better serve Hawai`i
audiences

11. • Role of university as a
STEM resource within
K-12 Outreach
community to DOE and
other K-12 groups
• Traveling STEM days
• Summer middle and high
school programs
• Linking college students to
STEM K-12
• Inventory of providers of
STEM programs

12. Undergraduate
Opportunities
• PIPES
• Partnering with other
STEM programs across
campus and state to
create pipeline for
students
• Engaging students in
service learning

13. Graduate and Employment
Opportunities
• Graduate assistantships – with UH
and partners
• Employment through collaborative
research efforts with partners
• Linking research and resource
management efforts to community
through employees and their ohana

14. Conclusions
• Building interest is where we start
• Relevancy and connection to community and
family is key to local audiences
• Mentoring process as important as skills learning
• Impact of engaging community changes how
science is done
• Many researchers interested in connecting, but
need guidance and opportunities to learn
• Partnerships are key to efforts – coordination and
facilitation among partners vs competition for
resources is key.