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Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science - PIPES

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Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science - PIPES

Growing the next generation of aloha ʻāina leaders in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific through transformative place-based internships

PIPES Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES) is an umbrella program for several internship opportunities, located at the University of Hawaii at Hilo's Office of Research and Community Partnerships. The Micronesia & American Samoa Student Internship Program began in 1994, and placed island students going to school in Hawai'i and on the mainland in internship opportunities back o

n their home islands. The University of Hawai'i Hawaiian Internship Program (UH-HIP) was developed in 1997 using a similar model in response to the observed lack of local representation within Hawaii’s conservation workforce, in particular that of Native Hawaiian community members. Since 2002, the University of Hawaii at Hilo has run a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program, which enabled us to further expand our internship opportunities. Today, PIPES offers many undergraduate summer internship opportunities across the islands of Hawai‘i and the Pacific. This page is a place where our partners, alum, and others interested in our program can connect with us and see what's new in our program.

06/05/2026

We are pleased to introduce the 2026 PIPES cohort: 35 interns representing their places and communities from Hawaiʻi and across the honua!

Last week, our cohort gathered at Kahaluʻu Manowai for Orientation before heading off to their host sites. It was filled with sunsets, special ʻāina and kūpuna experiences, oli and mele, new pilina, lots of laughter, and moments that reminded us of why we do this work.

They had their first week on-the-job with their host organizations and we can’t believe next week is already week 3! We hope everyone is settling in, connecting with the ʻāina and communities they’ll be working alongside, and embracing all the experiences this summer has to offer.

Swipe through to see where each intern is placed across Hawaiʻi Island and the mentors they’ll be spending their summer with!

Mahalo to our host organizations, partners, funders, mentors, and supporters who make PIPES possible and continue to invest in the next generation of aloha ʻāina.

06/03/2026

Kaulana Nā Kona

We had an incredible week with our 2026 cohort. From service learning to our first ever PIPES oli competition, spending time with kūpuna of place, and learning about one another and the ancestors we aspire to be,… we draw inspiration from the ʻāina of Kahaluʻu kai, uka, and Kekahawaiʻole.

Mahalo palena ʻole to Uncle Māhealani Pai, aunty Kalani Kahulamū Hamm, aunty Val, and aunty Lei Lightner, for letting us share in the experiences of their home, and prompting us to hone in on our pōtential by connecting to ʻāina. Many thanks to our alumni and kākoʻo who also helped to make this past week a wonderful success.

Interns are off on their new journeys! We can’t wait to share more as the summer unfolds…

Naʻū…!

05/16/2026

Graduation season is upon us! We’d like to take this moment to say HOʻOMAIKAʻI, Congratulations, to all of our PIPES interns and alumni who have reached this milestone.

Your hard work, growth, and dedication have brought you to this point, and we’re so proud of all that you’ve accomplished along the way.

This is truly just the beginning of your kaʻao, and we look forward to witnessing your continued growth and the paths you create for yourselves and your communities. No matter where life takes you next, PIPES will always be here to support you.

05/09/2026

The Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project (MKFRP) has been a host organization for PIPES interns for over 12 years. Their mālama ʻāina efforts are integral to the longitudinal well-being of our mauna-centric native species who are the cornerstones of Mauna Kea’s precious watershed. We’re grateful to have continued this partnership throughout the years, as they have been consistent supporters of PIPES’ mission and students. Mahalo MKFRP for our continued pilina and all that you collectively do to grow ʻāina and people abundance!

05/02/2026

KAʻAO MOMENTS OF ʻAPELILA
April flew by for our PIPES team, and now there’s less than a month before PIPES Summer 2026 is in motion! This month brought more amazing opportunities for some of our moʻo ʻāina interns and team.
Kamaka Frasco and Kamaile Scholtz, with PIPES alum ʻĀina Perry, presented their work with the UHH Coral Nursery and Keaukaha community at the UH Hilo TCBES Symposium. Their connections to the keiki and ʻāina/kai of Keaukaha were displayed so clearly and we are proud of their dedication.

Moʻo ʻĀina interns and staff also joined this month’s food distribution with huiMAU! Getting to assist the Paʻauilo and Hāmākua community in this way helped us to deepen our understanding of kaiāulu as a support system.

Leinalu also had the beautiful opportunity to participate in the Waimānalo Limu Festival. Being surrounded by people of all ages brought together for one purpose: limu! Mahalo to Uncle Wally, Aunty Pam, and Uncle Aliʻi for the new memories, laughter, and incredible hospitality. He ʻono maoli nō!

04/25/2026

This monthʻs Mentor Highlight features ʻO Makuʻu ke Kahua (ʻOMKK), rooted in the Makuʻu homestead community, where ʻāina, culture, and ʻike are practiced and passed down. Their work is centered on perpetuating Hawaiian values while building pathways toward self-sustainability for families in Puna. Mahalo to ʻOMKK for continuing to open their space to PIPES interns and shaping the next generation of aloha ʻāina!

04/17/2026

Aloha kākou from our PIPES staff! As summer gets closer, here’s the team behind it all. Wishing you all the best, we’re excited to meet you and build pilina together this kauwela!!

04/08/2026

UH Giving Day is TOMORROW, April 8!

Support PIPES in our mission of growing generations of ʻāina and people abundance through our summer internship program. Every gift makes a difference, no matter the size, and this year your impact and kōkua go even further.

Every dollar donated to PIPES will be matched, doubling the support for our interns and the work happening across Hawaiʻi Island.

Your gift directly elevates our programming, allowing us to support haumāna, grow community partnerships, and mālama the health of Hawaiʻi’s ecosystems.

Click the link in our bio to donate. Mahalo nui for your continued kōkua!

04/03/2026

KAʻAO MOMENTS OF MALAKI🌱
This past mahina has been full of movement, connection, and growing pilina across our pae ʻāina. Here’s what our Moʻo ʻĀina interns and staff have been up to…

From our cross-ahupuaʻa exchange between Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa and Kanaaho Kahulimanu, it showed how strong pilina can be when we come together as stewards of different places, yet feel so aligned in purpose. A kaʻao moment while planting kalo was feeling that excitement of building new relationships while continuing to nurture the ones we already hold. There is so much to dream and envision together when we show up in that way.

During NAKA, our time with our Kauaʻi and limu ʻohana grounded us in more reflection. Using waʻa and navigation as a metaphor, we were asked to think about our own vessels, our safe harbors, and the futures we are working toward. At the same time, being in the intertidal zones reminded us that the places with the most movement and agitation are often where life thrives the most. Growth doesn’t always come from stillness, but from those in-between spaces that challenge us to adapt, reflect, and continue forward.

Some of our Moʻo ʻĀina interns, Waileia and Leinalu, also had the opportunity to support community through HuiMAU’s food distribution! (Sorry, I think I could add more here lol)

Across all of these moments, one thing continues to stand out: whether we are planting, navigating, or serving kaiāulu, we are constantly learning how to better care for our places and each other. The work is not always easy, but it is alive, generative, and rooted in pilina.

02/21/2026

Mahalo iā Hiki Ola no ko lākou komo ʻana i ka ʻohana PIPES a me ka hana koʻikoʻi e hoʻoikaika i ka pilina ma waena o nā kānaka a me ka ʻāina. Ma ke ʻano he hoa ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, a hoʻokumu pū lākou i nā wahi aʻo, piha ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi no nā huʻeaʻo. Hōʻike kā lākou hana i ko mākou waiwai PIPES, e mahuahua nā moʻo ʻāina. Mahalo nui iā ʻoukou no ke alakaʻi ʻana a me ke kākoʻo ʻana i nā hanauna aloha ʻāina hou.

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Hilo, HI

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4pm
Tuesday	8am - 4pm
Wednesday	8am - 4pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm
Friday	8am - 4pm

Telephone

(808) 932-7984

Website

http://hilo.hawaii.edu/uhintern/

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