Maunakea Observatories Participate in Hawaiʻi Island Summer Fun Programs
Posing outside the Hale Hōkū portable planetarium. From left: Jasmin Silva with the Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope, Emily Peavy & Leinani Lozi of the NSF’s NOIRLab/International Gemini Observatory, and Chris Yoakum of PISCES.
In support of ʻohana and keiki during summer vacation, the County of Hawaiʻi Department of Parks and Recreation hosts the Summer Fun Programs each year, providing recreational opportunities for keiki at public parks and gyms across Hawaiʻi Island. For over a decade, the International Gemini Observatory, along with other Maunakea Observatories, has had the great pleasure of working with the Summer Fun Programs and coordinating a variety of educational activities and visits.
As summer break comes to a close, the Gemini Hawaiʻi Education and Engagement team is reflecting on this year's visits to the Hawaiʻi Island Summer Fun Programs. From June 12 to July 14, 2025, staff from the Maunakea Observatories visited 11 different Summer Fun Programs, reaching over 500 students across the island, from Nāʻālehu to Honokaʻa, Keaʻau to Kona.
Inside the Hale Hōkū, students learn about the summer night sky and the shape of Maui’s Fishhook.
Image Credit: Emily Peavy
This year, the Gemini team’s visits featured the new digital Hale Hōkū, a portable planetarium. Hale Hōkū allows students to gain insight into the current night sky, engage in stories directly connected to their home, and fly through the solar system to learn about Maunakea Observatories' discoveries in our own cosmic neighborhood.
“The students are all so curious and insightful,” says Emily Peavy, Senior Education and Engagement Assistant, “even though they are all excited to play and relax during the summer break, they are also so curious about the universe.”
Students work on building a string craft inspired by the work of the Gemini Planetary Imager.
Image Credit: Leinani Lozi
Alongside the Hale Hōkū experiences, students also created models of exoplanet systems using string, popsicle sticks, and beads designed to imitate the first-ever exoplanet image captured by the Gemini Planetary Imager.
The success of the program would not have been possible without the support of the staff at Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope, Jasmin Silva & Alexis Acohido, PISCES, Christopher Yoakum, and the Maunakea Astronomy Outreach Committee. Mahalo to everyone who helped make these visits such a success!
