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LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS – More than 100 students representing 29 schools and organizations participated in the sixth annual Navy Great Lakes SeaPerch Regional Competition April 8 at Lake Forest Academy.
The SeaPerch Program provides students with the opportunity to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as well as robotics while building and operating an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Throughout the project, students learn engineering concepts, problem-solving, teamwork and technical applications.
These concepts are critical in developing the future of the Navy.
The event commenced with opening remarks from RTC SeaPerch Coordinator Lt. Emmett Whalen, who welcomed guests and thanked event partners, the National Museum of the American Sailor (NMAS), Recruit Training Command (RTC), and Navy League. Distinguished guests included State Senator Adriane Johnson from Illinois’ 30th District, RTC Executive Officer Commander Stephanie Hayes, and RTC Command Master Chief Nicholas Wallace.
“We have multiple commands from Naval Station Great Lakes supporting this evolution and after two years of COVID, of everybody being locked away, it’s great to reintroduce ourselves back into the community,” Wallace said. “This is a great Navy community outreach event. We’re having conversations with our community neighbors that didn’t even know there was a military organization near them.”
Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Anthony Pittman was among the 40 RTC volunteers at the event. Working at the triage table, Pittman and other Sailors assisted student teams with circuit boards, electrical wiring, structural integrity, propellers and other ROV issues.
Pittman, a Recruit Division Commander (RDC), said he enjoyed interacting with the teams and their advisors.
“As an RDC, you never really know the background of someone who joins the service,” Pittman said. “To know you’re helping the next generation, and you might see them again, is very cool.”
Pittman earned his bachelor’s degree in technology management from Rogers Williams University, graduating with a 3.65 grade point average in 2014. He credits the Navy for providing the educational opportunity.
“I received my degree while I was in the service, and if it wasn’t for the service, I think I wouldn’t even had a chance to see that college,” he said. “Who knows? Today might have been the step one of these students needed to go ahead and do something for this country and themselves.”
Whalen said this regional competition would not have been possible without the volunteer Sailors.
“The RTC volunteers are crucial to the SeaPerch program,” he said. “The Sailors have a wide range of skills and knowledge and they’re able to help repair ROVs and provide technical assistance. It’s an opportunity for the kids to socialize and interact with active duty Sailors, grow their interest in STEM and the Navy.”
The U.S. faces a shortage in STEM graduates that may result in a lack of expertise within mission-critical areas. In this backdrop, SeaPerch has grown from its infant stages at Massachusetts Institute of Technology into a national K-12 STEM Outreach Program with backing from The Office of Naval Research (ONR) and The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME). RTC recognizes its global competitiveness lies within the students who will be the scientists and engineers of the future, and strongly believes in sharing the responsibility of developing these students with the community in which they reside.
The SeaPerch competition included two in-pool components: an obstacle course and a challenge course. Student teams were required to navigate both vertically and horizontally through a series of underwater hoops, open trap doors, to transport and deliver cargo loads and tools between structures. The inspiration for this year’s challenge is space exploration.
During a pause in the competition, Wallace took a turn at maneuvering an ROV through several obstacles.
“I think this program is pretty awesome in the way it brings together science, technology, engineering and mathematics and gets younger generations excited about them,” he said. “They’re excited about building these robots, working with circuits, and developing an interest in STEM. The demands of STEM fields change quickly and we’re going to need future generations in those fields to keep our nation and our Navy at the cutting edge of warfighting.”
Awards were presented to the top three finishers in middle school, high school and open divisions. Three teams advanced to the National SeaPerch competition, June 4 at College Park, Maryland: ‘The Dolphins’ from Union League Boys and Girls Club, Chicago (high school division); ‘My Little Pony’ from Mahone Middle School, Kenosha, Wisconsin (middle school division); and ‘The Otters’ from Stevenson Middle School, Melrose Park, Illinois. The ‘Turbo Boosters 04’ from Wayland Academy, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin won the open division.
Vicky Nykza, a teacher and STEM advisor at Unity Junior High School in Cicero, Illinois, said her and team co-advisor Katy Mascheri appreciated the RTC volunteers.
“We participated twice before COVID at Great Lakes,” Nykza said. “I think it’s great the Sailors don’t know much about them, but they can talk to students and speak about what they’ve learned. It’s an opportunity for them to see STEM careers they can look forward to.”
Boot camp is approximately 10 weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms, firefighting and shipboard damage control along with lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp.
For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/rtc
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2022 11:46 |
| Story ID: | 428025 |
| Location: | LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 99 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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