Building a STEM Future for Hawaiʻi Youth
Register today for FishTank 2025!
We invite Hawaiʻi Island youth in grades 5-8 to join our 2025 season of FishTank, a fun and inspiring opportunity to solve real problems impacting our community and compete for awards and cash prizes!
This season’s theme is Food Security.
Learn more and register here.
Learn 3D Printing and CAD!
NexTech’s 3D Printer Program is a tuition-free 6-week exploration and learning opportunity for Hawaii Island students and their families. To learn more and to reserve your spot, visit our 3D Printer Program page.
NexTech Hawaiʻi Mission
UH Hilo MEGA Lab shares augmented reality app of 3D corals!
Our emphasis is STEM skills and career learning through a framework of relationships, relevance, and rigor. We offer tuition-free, project and place-based STEM learning programs for elementary, middle, and high school-aged youth. We offer year-round programs that are open to all Hawaiʻi Island families. The active return of students to our programs as participants and mentors is a sound measure of our success. Learn more.
Career Connected Learning - our secret sauce
This is a critical part of our NexTech STEM mission to inspire students toward their desired careers and build professional ties for future learning and career experiences. This approach is foundational to our programs and is especially evident in our Exploration Workshops and Career Mentoring.
STEM Exploration Workshops
Our workshops offer a closer study of STEM subjects through hands-on activities and interaction with STEM professionals.
Career Mentoring
High school students are carefully paired with a STEM mentor. Younger students meet with mentors in small groups. Essential career skills (leadership, communication, collaboration) are emphasized, and students are offered interest assessments through tools like the Hawaii RIASEC Career Explorer.
FishTank Design Competition
FishTank is a first-of-its-kind program developed on Hawaiʻi Island and inspired by the hit TV series “Shark Tank.” It is an annual STEM engineering design competition open to 6-12 grade students on Hawaiʻi Island. Each competition focuses on a complex local issue, and teams compete for honors and awards and curated learning opportunities. FishTank participants work on authentic issues and develop new engineering mindsets. Learn more…
Coding + Robotics Camps
Our STEM Camps are multi-day events for Hawaiʻi Island youth focused on building STEM skills and guidance for future study in STEM. At our camps, learners develop computer coding skills, CAD/3D printing, drone programming/ operation, robotics, engineering design, ecological field methods, resource stewardship, and leadership skills. STEM Camps are offered multiple times a year and evolve as new project ideas and lessons are developed by our team. Learn more…
3D Printing Program
NexTech offers a 6-week 3D printing exploration and learning opportunity for Hawaii Island students and their families.
Participants are provided a loaner 3D printer, printing materials, software access, and instruction on CAD and 3D printer maintenance and use. The hands-on, in-home experience helps to create proficiency in problem-solving, CAD, and 3D printing and builds interest in technology.
The Success Factory - NexTech Hawaii delivers free educational programs and develops community engagement opportunities to enable STEM awareness and career readiness for Hawaii Island youth.