AI and education expert to keynote for Hawaiʻi STEM Conference in March

Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks program has announced that Brendan Brennan, author, AI and STEM education expert and former UH curriculum designer, will be one of the keynote speakers at the 16th Annual Hawaiʻi STEM Conference, taking place on March 24 and 25 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center in Honolulu.

Brennan is an educator, designer and entrepreneur with roots in Boston, Honolulu, Osaka and California. Throughout his career, he has collaborated on innovative educational initiatives and start-ups to improve learning experiences and strengthen communities. His approach is internationally informed, using insights from kaizen (continuous improvement) in Japan, Polynesian wayfinding and sustainability in Hawaiʻi and human-centered design in California. Brennan’s work seeks to bring these diverse perspectives together to inspire meaningful change in education.

While at the UH Education Laboratory School, Brennan contributed to designing learner-centered curricula and teacher training programs, exploring the intersection of technology and education. These experiences have influenced his ongoing efforts with initiatives like the Janus Group, Moonshot Lab, ARES Learning and Design Mindset.

He is also the author of “Hansei Reflections,” a student reflection journal powered by AI, and “The Socratic Algorithms,” a book that reimagines ancient philosophy in the context of modern artificial intelligence.

At the Hawaiʻi STEM Conference, a two-day educational and professional development event that welcomes teachers and students from across the state, Brennan will deliver the first day’s keynote address. He will be joined by over 150 other STEM academics and professionals who attend the conference to lead breakout sessions for students and teachers, present their work in the interactive exhibit hall, and participate in a fast-paced networking session event. The theme of the event this year is “Our Kuleana, Our Future: STEM Solutions for Hawaiʻi.”

The Hawaiʻi STEM Conference is designed to introduce students to a wide variety of Hawaiʻi-based STEM careers while engaging them in interactive and fun learning experiences led by STEM industry experts. Teacher attendees also have access to STEM professional development opportunities to help them gain the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the latest industry-standard technology and research in their classrooms.

Students in grades 6-12 and teachers serving grades K-12 who are interested in attending the event can register here.

STEM industry professionals who are interested participating in the conference can visit the Hawaiʻi STEM Conference website to find more information about being a breakout session presenter, exhibitor or networking session participant.