{"id":64267,"date":"2017-08-29T12:59:30","date_gmt":"2017-08-29T22:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=64267"},"modified":"2020-03-12T16:04:20","modified_gmt":"2020-03-13T02:04:20","slug":"hawaii-cc-pisces-internship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2017\/08\/29\/hawaii-cc-pisces-internship\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawai\u02bbi CC<\/abbr> collaboration equips students for growing high tech workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Students
Students Andrew Hasegawa, right, and Jack Andersen, center, will intern at PISCES<\/abbr> this fall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To provide students with hands-on experience in computer programming and robotics work, The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems<\/a> (PISCES)—a state-funded aerospace agency—and Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College<\/a> has launched a new credit-based internship program. The program will develop Hawaiʻi<\/span>’s skilled labor workforce by offering college students high-tech learning opportunities while earning classroom credit. <\/p>\n

Two Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr> students will participate in the new program during the fall 2017 semester, earning hour-for-hour classroom credit towards their degrees. Andrew Hasegawa<\/strong> and Jack Andersen<\/strong>, both electronics technology<\/a> majors, will design and develop an autonomous navigation system for the PISCES<\/abbr> planetary rover Helelani<\/em>, enabling the 700-pound robot to drive itself. The students will also develop a delivery system for an unmanned aerial vehicle to mitigate little fire ant populations in tree canopies—a PISCES<\/abbr> project in partnership with the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Ant Lab.<\/p>\n

Although classroom learning is invaluable for foundational knowledge, it can at times be lacking in more realistic problem-solving scenarios. This internship provides me with hands-on situations that I’m sure will serve me well in my overall education and future employment opportunities.
\n—Andrew Hasegawa<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Both students are already familiar with the Helelani rover’s configuration since developing the robot’s software and hardware systems during PISCES<\/abbr>’ 10-week internship program this summer. <\/p>\n

“Although classroom learning is invaluable for foundational knowledge, it can at times be lacking in more realistic problem-solving scenarios,” said Hasegawa. “This internship provides me with hands-on situations that I’m sure will serve me well in my overall education and future employment opportunities.”<\/p>\n

PISCES<\/abbr> and Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr> intend to make the credit-based internship an ongoing program to provide unique learning opportunities for Hawaiʻi<\/span> college students outside of the classroom.<\/p>\n

“I am very happy to be working closely with Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College to provide students the opportunity to practice and improve the skills they learn in the classroom,” said PISCES<\/abbr> Program Manager Rodrigo Romo. “At PISCES<\/abbr> we are committed to providing Hawaiʻi<\/span>’s youth with as many tools and opportunities as possible to meet the demands of the growing high tech industry in the Islands.”<\/p>\n

“Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College believes that preparing our students for the jobs of the 21st century goes beyond our classrooms,” said Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr> Chancellor Rachel Solemsaas<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0“Along with industry partners like PISCES<\/abbr>, we can provide academic rigor in internship-based courses and programs. I am amazed with students’ testimony about their place-based learning experiences and their enthusiasm in applying their skills to the real world.”<\/p>\n

—By Thatcher Moats<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The collaborative program will provide hands-on experience in computer programming and robotics work to develop Hawaiʻi<\/span>’s skilled labor workforce.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[541,61,1168,313],"class_list":["post-64267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-computer-science","tag-hawaii-community-college","tag-robotics","tag-stem","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t