{"id":139101,"date":"2024-03-21T10:51:27","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T11:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=139101"},"modified":"2024-03-21T18:56:08","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T18:56:08","slug":"navy-volunteers-inspire-next-generation-of-stem-leaders-at-seaperch-regional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=139101","title":{"rendered":"Navy Volunteers Inspire Next Generation of STEM Leaders at SeaPerch Regional"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hosted by the National Museum of the American Sailor (NMAS) and Navy League, this event brought together 136 high school students and 60 advisors from 40 schools for a day of underwater robotics challenges.<\/p>\n

The SeaPerch program, designed to cultivate students\u2019 interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), offers participants the opportunity to construct and operate an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Throughout the project, students gain valuable insights into engineering concepts, problem-solving, teamwork, and technical applications. These skills are vital for shaping the future of the Navy and the broader STEM community.<\/p>\n

David Twifford, a retired Navy master chief and former command master chief of RTC who previously coordinated the SeaPerch community outreach program, emphasized the significance of events like these for young students.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeaPerch is a great opportunity for young students to experience STEM,\u201d Twifford remarked. \u201cPartnering with the military, specifically the Navy, provides students with insights into the extensive engineering work integral to naval operations. It\u2019s not just about ships and Sailors; engineering plays a crucial role in every aspect of Navy operations.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many of the participating students, the SeaPerch competition offered their first chance to interact with military personnel on a personal level. This interaction not only fosters a deeper understanding of the Navy\u2019s role in STEM fields but also highlights the opportunities available within the military community.<\/p>\n

As Twifford noted, Naval Station Great Lakes, home to RTC, offers a wealth of engineering opportunities for recruits, with a large percentage pursuing engineering ratings after completing boot camp.<\/p>\n

The event saw RTC staff volunteers assuming various roles, including event setup and takedown, competition judging, divers, traffic monitors, and ROV triage, showcasing the Navy\u2019s commitment to supporting STEM education initiatives within local communities.<\/p>\n

Kelly Duffy, director of the NMAS, underscored the impact of such experiences on students\u2019 future endeavors.<\/p>\n

\u201cSTEM competitions like SeaPerch provide invaluable learning opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields,\u201d Duffy stated. \u201cIt allows them to hone their skills, collaborate with peers, and gain hands-on experience in robotics and engineering.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SeaPerch competition featured two in-pool components: an obstacle course and a challenge course, with this year\u2019s challenge theme focusing on ocean exploration. Student teams navigated underwater hoops, mapped areas, retrieved samples, and demonstrated their technical prowess in a simulated marine environment.<\/p>\n

Duffy highlighted the enjoyment students derive from such competitions, emphasizing the fun and excitement of building and operating underwater robots.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great way to get practical experience with robotics and other STEM categories,\u201d Duffy said. \u201cBuilding a robot is a fun thing to do, and then we get the unique opportunity to compare and see how well each design works underwater.\u201d<\/p>\n

For RTC volunteers, including Recruit Drill Commanders (RDCs) and instructors, participating in events like the SeaPerch Regional Competition offers an opportunity to impart valuable life skills and lessons in teamwork to young students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe staff at Recruit Training Command are experts in molding young individuals into better humans,\u201d Twifford affirmed. \u201cInteracting with middle and high school students allows us to instill values of teamwork, pride, and competition. These are essential traits for success in both STEM fields and life.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the U.S. Navy continues to prioritize STEM education and workforce development, initiatives like the SeaPerch program serve as a bridge between academic learning and real-world applications, inspiring the next generation of innovators and problem solvers. Through collaboration and mentorship, RTC volunteers are paving the way for a brighter future, one buoyed by curiosity, creativity, and a passion for discovery.<\/p>\n

Boot camp is approximately 10 weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes five warfighting competencies of firefighting, damage control, seamanship, watchstanding, and small arms handling and marksmanship along with physical fitness and lessons in Navy heritage and core values, Warrior Toughness, life skills, teamwork, and discipline. More than 41,000 recruits train annually at the Navy\u2019s only boot camp.<\/p>\n

For more information about Recruit Training Command and its community initiatives, visit www.navy.mil\/local\/rtc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hosted by the National Museum of the American Sailor (NMAS) and Navy League, this event brought together 136 high school students and 60 advisors from 40 schools for a day of underwater robotics challenges. The SeaPerch program, designed to cultivate students\u2019 interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), offers participants the opportunity to construct […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-139101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=139101"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139103,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139101\/revisions\/139103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=139101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=139101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=139101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}