Only one local event will bring together electronic dance music, bokeh photography, travel tips, adorable chicks and massage. All for free.
The second annual Kapiolani Community College Community Tech Fair will be held on the school’s campus on the slopes of Diamond Head on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. It’s being organized by the KCC library, with the support of many campus programs.
“The library has an interest in digital literacy,” said Joy Oehlers, a librarian and one of the event’s organizers. “We can’t talk about information literacy if we don’t connect it to digital literacy, and people need both skills to participate actively in our community or be informed citizens.”
The fair aims to celebrate everyday technology and provide something for everyone. Hands-on activities and practical workshops include button making, 3-D printing, computer decluttering, ancestry and health research, and virtual reality.
Oehlers says student clubs, faculty from various departments, and community groups will all be featured. Does she have a favorite?
”I’m biased towards our student club efforts,” she said, including the Information Communications Technology Club, the Chemistry Club and the New Media Arts Club.
“Our student Sean AhLoo is presenting an interactive session using FL Studio — a digital audio workstation — to create trap, pop and EDM music.”
She said even participants who can’t read music will be able to take a tune from their head and turn it into an audio file to share online.
Fellow librarian Joyce Tokuda, meanwhile, will share tips on finding cheap airline fares online.
Photography will be a major theme this year, according to Oehlers, who said she only recently bought her “first decent camera.”
”I’m not even good with my phone camera,” she said.
Shutterbugs will be able to experiment in a light-painting room, then graduate to the “Bokeh Corner,” where they’ll be able to craft the perfect Instagram selfie with props and special lighting. Finally, budding photographers will be able to join photo walks around the campus to practice.
“You know we have stunning views as well as strutting roosters, adorable chicks, and if we are lucky, our manu-o-Ku will be feeding its baby some freshly caught fish,” Oehlers said.
Other exhibitors include Oahu Makerspace, Canon, Best Buy, Microsoft and the state library system. Great Big Games will show how giant Jenga and Connect Four games can be just as fun as video games.
Last year’s event drew more than 250 attendees, and the school is hoping for an even larger turnout this year. There will be door prizes given out throughout the afternoon.
“We’ll have lots of small-group workshops for seniors, school kids and families,” she said, adding that the tech fair fits in with the college’s broader mission of providing everyone access to education and lifelong learning.
“As an open-access, or open-admission, educational institution, we enroll students even if they don’t have a high school diploma or GED,” she explains. “We want prospective students to know about our programs, interact with our faculty and engage with our student volunteers.”
The KCC continuing education office will be highlighting some of its more popular courses, including massage therapy. It is tech related, Oehlers said.
“Who doesn’t love free massages after texting and gaming too much?”
For more information on the KCC Community Tech Fair, visit bit.ly/kcctechfair.
Ryan Ozawa is communications director for local tech company Hawaii Information Service, and a lifelong technologist. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram at@hawaii.
