In the news: Free Amelia Earhart Girls in Engineering Day on Jan. 31

December 17, 2025, Hilo, HI – Registration is now open for the first 40 girls from Hawai‘i Island in grades 4-8 who sign up for the 10th Annual Amelia Earhart Girls in Engineering Day on Saturday, January 31, 2026 from 8 am to 3 pm at Waiakea High School.

This free full-day program is underwritten by the Zonta Club of Hilo, whose mission is to build a better world for women and girls. Funding support was also provided by the County of Hawai‘i.

“Held annually, the Amelia Earhart Girls in Engineering Day supports 4th to 8th graders to continue STEM curriculum throughout middle school and high school, then pursue college degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math),” said Zonta event chair Deb Lewis.

This annual event was launched in 2012. Instrumental in the program’s success are organizers Dale Olive and Eric Hagiwara, both dedicated, retired science educators from Waiakea High School. Each year the day features a different science theme and attendees participate in hands-on science activities.

Each girl must be accompanied by a parent/guardian or trusted adult for the entire event starting at 8 am. Registration closes at 8:30.

“We want to empower girls to design, build, and believe in your own engineering superpowers!” said Olive. “Students will build a walking ‘brushbot’ (toothbrush robot) to race, do sumo, and take home. They will also explore robotics via a kit robot that they create and keep.”

At Amelia Earhart Girls in Engineering Day, women professionals in STEM fields speak to and encourage middle school girls to continue their STEM pathway. This year’s adult speaker is Dr. Emily Cardarelli, biogeochemist and planetary scientist who seeks to detect signs of life and habitability on Mars and beyond. This year’s youth speaker is Gabriella Tuson, a senior planning to major in engineering at college.

To register online, visit https://tinyurl.com/aegid2026 or email [email protected].

To support Zonta Club of Hilo’s future STEM events and celebrate the legacy of Zontian Amelia Earhart, tax deductible donations can be made to the club’s foundation at https://www.zontahilo.org/donate/.