My name is Kira Reklai. As a Navigating Home Fellow, I had the unexpectedly fun experience of joining the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Ambassador Program (STEMAP). This program helps STEM professionals connect with the community through different engagement activities.

In STEMAP, each participant picks a focus group as the main audience for the activities we design during training. A big part of the program is learning how to understand the values and needs of the communities we serve.

All our training had been online, so the session during the last week of July was our first in-person meeting as a group. Corinne, the program facilitator from the University of Utah, led our two-day workshop.

For me, the best part was sharing ideas with other STEMAP participants and building my skills in community and relationship development. For my focus group, I chose cultural knowledge experts on Guam, including yo’amte and their apprentices. Because they are experts themselves, my project aims to honor their traditional and cultural knowledge. I hope to work with them to create educational materials that support their needs and values, as well as contribute to the efforts of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability & Sea Grant Science Communication team.