If Hawaiʻi’s future environmental challenges will be inherited by today’s students, then students must also be empowered to shape the solutions.

That idea was the foundation of the ʻImi Wai Ola Student Science Conference, an annual gathering where students from across Hawaiʻi come together to present projects, and, more importantly, engage with one another as collaborators, researchers, and emerging leaders. Through various initiatives—including Pacific American Foundation’s Kilo Kai program, APIS, the PAF internship program—students investigate environmental issues directly affecting their communities. By learning by doing, ma ka hana ka ʻike, they build the confidence and relationships needed to be problem-solvers.