Pono STEAM Kits: Experiment STEM Education Challenge Grant Project
Easily replicable STEAM kits rooted in locally sourced natural materials and ancestral knowledge unique to Hawaii. These flexible kits support open ended learning and sharing to grow trusted art/science education spaces centered in Hawaiian frameworks, frugal science tools, and biomaterial design. |
Maui Silt-Sock Mycoremediation Experiment Program
As Maui faces catastrophic contamination to soil and water due to devastating fires in Lahaina and Kula, locally-driven solutions to bioremediation are essential. A Maui middle school pilot program designed to accompany a larger myco-silt sock toxin absorbing research program will empower local youth to participate in research, expand their existing knowledge of bioremediation, and contribute their cultural and community knowledge to a more resilient Maui. |
2023 Garage Makerspace Workshops
A 2023 multigenerational STEAM workshop series in the Nest garage makerspace Final Report a Purple Mai’a Ka Maka ʻĪnana Think Tank supported program |
Floating Kīpuka Play Kit
A LEGO-based platform for dreaming sustainable and equitable futures. A hands-on storytelling tool using LEGOs, custom LEGOs, local natural materials, clay, and story cards to bringing community and cultural knowledge forward in innovation conversations centered around a custom suspended LEGO table.: www.floatingkipuka.com/ Project developed through a 2022 Ginkgo Bioworks Creative Residency and in joint fellowship residency of the Lucas Fellowship of Montalvo Arts Center and Santa Clara University Art & Art History Department. |
BioQuilts
Community Collaborative Experimental Biogrown Quilts. Elevating diverse community voices in the storytelling, materials exploration, and questions driving the future of sustainable biodesign. Workshops in Japantown, Mayfair and Little Saigon, San Jose, California in 2021. bioquilts.weebly.com/ |
BioJam Camp
co-founder of BioJam, a Stanford Department of Bioengineering pilot program that engages teens in bioengineering and biomaterial design as pathways for them to share their learning in their home communities: biojamcamp.weebly.com/, kits and community events |
Mycelium Woven Chambers
A hands-on experiment using natural local materials to create woven mycelium chambers that can be incorporated into Hawaiian bioremediation systems centered in locally sourced materials and Hawaiian knowledge systems and ritual. Students weave local palm frond chambers to growing mycelium as bioremediation units to incorporate into fire burn scar soils or to be used in regenerative disposal of contaminated soils from soil experiments. |
Mycelium Exploration/Fungus as a Building Material
Exploring fungus as a design and building material to grow. Here is link to this as a community collaborative art exploration: https://myceliumchandelier.weebly.com/ |
Collaborative Biodesign The MIT Silk Pavilion was the inspiration for this project. How might we collaborate with other organisms to build structures? This project explores making table lights in collaboration with silkworms and results in illuminated cocoons built into the framework.
Silkworm Basket Cardboard Strips to Laser Cut Lesson plan and slide deck |
Root Study Tool
(lesson plan) Make a Mini Root Study Ecosystem tool using natural liquid soil nutrients in hydrogel beads. This exploration is a hands-on activity connecting to conversations about nutrient ecosystems in Chinampas. Participants plant seeds for Tres Hermanas de Milpa seed to grow and observe the root system growing in hydrogel beads and decorate protective covering. Note: the plant seed focus can be changed to reflect plants and plant systems Indigenous to your community. Comparisons can also be made to other Indigenous agricultural water and land management systems. |
Bioplastics Exploration with Chitin and Agar
Using chocolate molds and food trays as molds, this project explores recipes combining agar and chitin to create a hard cast material. (lesson plan and recipe cards) |
Kombucha Leather
How might we grown our fashion using yeast and bacteria? Recipe Link Kombucha Light Ornament |
Gummy Bear Population Genetics
(lesson plan) Students explore population genetics in monohybrid crosses using gummy bears. Students determine the genetic possibilities for each gummy bear combination using Punnett Squares. Using these charts and the gummy bears, students determine which traits—dominant or recessive—will appear in offspring. |
Explorations with Mealworms as Plastic Eaters
In the past few years, researches have discovered that mealworms can digest Styrofoam and other polystyrene plastics. This makerspace project spanned a few months in spring of 2018 in which mealworms were given only a diet of styrofoam. Next, a small assembly designed table was created in Tinkercad and 3D printed. Mealworms silhouettes are in the table legs. The remains of the partially eaten styrofoam is placed on top of the table. The use of a Chinese art object display table was inspired by the Dublin Science Gallery Installation "Plastivore" by Oliver Kellhammer. This small scale project can be a way to both explore mealworms as plastic eaters and also explore a new take on Gongshi, the art of the Chinese Scholar's Rocks. 3D print file for mealworm table legs 3D print file for table top and lower table ring (lesson plan to be linked here soon) Mealworm Art Collaborations Projects exploring art collaborations with mealworms to be linked here soon. |
Millifluidic Tool Workshops
This is a workshop introducing the concepts of microfluidics through low cost DIY materials. How might we engage the general public in conversations centered on Frugal Science and the future of lab-on-a-chip low cost microfluidic testing devices? How might a simple DIY exploration expand into conversations of soil testing and water quality testing? Criteria: A blended art/science activity that teaches the basics of how passive millifluidics works through passive fluid control using capillary forces. An activity that can inspire diverse communities to imagine useful future applications of microfluidics through their own creative explorations with low-cost and accessible materials. Simple enough to invite iteration. Quick enough fluid movement to be observed over a period of minutes rather than hours. Lesson plan and slide deck |
Bioyarn
slide deck Lesson plan This is a blended bio and design workshop that invites students to create algae string and imagine designing with it. Students also envision recipe modifications. |