AstroDay

To inspire youngsters to become interested in science
and to consider extending their academic endeavors
to possibly acquire employment here at home

Quite frankly, we decided to create AstroDay to reach the public and particularly children. We want to increase the Big Island resident employment presence at the Mauna Kea Observatories. "Say what?" We want to see more local people working at the observatories. And we're not just talking about drivers, cooks or telescope operators (although all these support positions are very important), but rather astronomers, physicists, optical, electrical and software engineers.

"So how is that going to happen?" Well, it won't happen very quickly. Drastic change will not happen over night. It won't happen in a year, or five. Not even ten years will show much of a difference. Perhaps it may take twenty years or more for changes to occur in the population to produce a larger cross section of qualified individuals in the employment pool and for changes to occur in the 'system' to provide more opportunities for these people.

"Twenty years?" Sounds daunting, but nothing worth doing ever comes easy and without a price. But if we can inspire ONE kid to become interested in science... if we can motivate ONE student to work a little harder in school... if we can inspire ONE child to expect more from themselves and achieve, then all the work put into AstroDay would have been worth the effort. And the twenty years? Well, it would give that child time to prepare themselves for that opportunity when it becomes available.