In fall 2023, the Nest Makerspace was awarded an experiment.com grant to explore place-based natural material STEAM kits. The campaign is titled A sustainable Hawai’i bio-makerspace rooted in cultural & ancestral knowledge and one can see associated lab notes at the project link.
Through Fall 2023 through 2024, thought this grant, we will be exploring how to design science kits rooted in cultural and ancestral knowledge unique to Hawai’i. There is no shortage of kits shipped here, but a lack of homegrown kits centering ancestral innovation and local natural materials. If we can develop Hawaiian place based science kits, we will uplift Hawaiian frameworks for solving our unique environmental challenges. We will develop biomaterial and frugal science kits useful to grow trust spaces for local science innovation conversations.
Above are some of the initial activity explorations conducted as free workshops in garage lanai makerspace. These will inform the new DIY kits developed in the new Nest Makerspace and will continue to be refined in multigenerational workshops.