Subaru Telescope supporting keiki field trips
More Hawaii Island schoolchildren are receiving an opportunity to benefit from curriculum-related field trips to the Imiloa Astronomy Center during the 2018-2019 academic year, thanks to a gift from the Japan Foundation for Promotion of Astronomy through Subaru Telescope. The donation of $8,950.15 (¥1,000,000) is enabling ‘Imiloa to increase the number of public and charter school students served in its popular field trip program, especially those from the most geographically distant areas of Hawaii Island.
As a center for “informal science” education on the UH Hilo campus, ‘Imiloa has organized student field trips since shortly after its opening in 2006. Currently Imiloa hosts nearly 13,000 students and teachers each year. Each school group receives a customized program designed to take advantage of the museum’s immersive environment, including a state-of-the-art digital planetarium, an interactive exhibit hall showcasing astronomy and Hawaiian culture, and several acres of native gardens.