Educating the Next Generation: Summer Research Institute Expands to Five Islands

We are scaling up our Summer Research Institute (SRI) across the state. This immersive educational program for high school and college students is designed to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world impact.

By utilizing our network of CARES stations throughout Hawaii as living laboratories, students engage directly with the science of food systems, community resilience, and ʻāina-based stewardship.
The goal is to empower young leaders to tackle global challenges – like climate change and food security –  through a local lens, learning and leading right where they live.

The SRI Experience: Career-Ready and Credit-Bearing This eight-week competitive cohort provides more than just summer enrichment; it builds a professional pipeline for Hawai‘i’s green economy. Students benefit from:

• Working side-by-side with world-class UH faculty to learn research tools and techniques.
• Gaining career-ready skills in sustainability, agriculture, and native species conservation.
• Public high school students earn free college credits, accelerating their path toward degrees in critical STEM and agricultural fields.

By fostering this talent statewide, CTAHR is not just teaching science—we are cultivating the human infrastructure necessary to sustain a thriving, self-sufficient Hawai‘i for generations to come.