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From the Director Dear Friends of the Institute for Astronomy, The mission of the Institute for Astronomy is to pursue cutting-edge astronomical research and to teach astronomy to both graduate and undergraduate students. Yet we would be remiss if that were all we did. That is why we have become involved in such programs as the Akamai Workforce Initiative (see story in this issue), HI STAR, and the Astrobiology Laboratory Institute for Instructors (ALII), and why we have an active public outreach program on three islands. HI STAR (Hawaii Student/Teacher Astronomy Research) is a one-week summer program that brings students entering grades 9 through 11, and their teachers, to the UH Manoa campus to work on astronomy research projects. Its purpose is to equip interested and talented students and their teachers with sufficient skills and knowledge so that they may pursue astronomy research during the school year, perhaps culminating in a Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair project, and even a decision to pursue science as a career. The ALII workshop is designed for secondary science teachers. It emphasizes professional development, and includes lectures, tours of astrobiology-related UH Manoa laboratories and shops, and activities drawn from the Voyages through Time curriculum developed by the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute. If the United States is to maintain its leading position in science and technology and Hawaii is to participate in this preeminence, it is essential that our children are interested in and educated for careers in science, technology, and engineering. The IfA is engaged in science and technology education to make a significant contribution in this regard. Aloha!
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