The Partnership in Advancing Computational Thinking (PACT) project is a five-year initiative funded by the National Science Foundation’s Tribal Colleges and Universities Program at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu (Award# 2413982) and Kaua‘i Community College (Award# 2413983). The project aims to empower students to pursue rewarding careers in STEM fields by promoting culturally significant research and fostering community appreciation through culturally relevant approaches. Additionally, the project aims to strengthen teaching and research capacity by cultivating professional development opportunities, including panel discussions, particularly in response to emerging technologies.