This post was written by Partnership Coordinator Laura Smart.
Arrowhead Elementary is rallying the troops for the school’s first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Robotics Club. Navy divers and electronic technicians from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit TWO (MDSU 2), a school Partner in Education, are sharing their expertise and specialized equipment with fifth-grade club members every Thursday afternoon.
To whet – or should we say “wet” – the students’ appetite for STEM, sailors brought in a Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle (ROV). Students participated in a demonstration of the robot’s capabilities and learned that its sonar, mechanical grabber and positioning and low light camera systems allowed dive teams to retrieve submerged objects that may be as deep as 300 meters with zero visibility.
“We wanted students to be able to see a real-world application for technology. In this case, the ROV helps Navy divers locate objects during rescue and recovery missions, especially when human safety is threatened. It also gave them a chance to have some hands-on time with the controller, too,” said NDC Donald Thornton. “We hope to spark an interest in STEM to help students realize the future opportunities available to them in these fields. These are the professional skills the military is looking for.”
Robotics clubs in 61 schools throughout the division are preparing for the Third Annual STEM Robotics Challenge (SRC), which will be held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center June 6. This year’s theme is “STEM the Erosion!” The divisionwide competition requires students to build a robot that performs a community service and positively impacts the watershed by planting beach grasses and building seawalls within a specific time frame. Teachers and community volunteers serve as mentors and technical advisors.
In advance of the competition, students are completing problem-solving activities, researching beach erosion and plantings that could lessen erosion, creating simple circuit boards to gain a better understanding of how robots work and blogging about their experiences. All of the activities will ultimately lead to designing and programming a robot that they can be physically manipulated to perform the needed tasks at the spring competition.
“It is wonderful to see how excited our students are while they are participating in STEM Robotics. We hope this will instill a lifelong enthusiasm for STEM as well as encourage the development of their real world problem-solving and critical thinking skills,” said gifted resource teacher and STEM club co-sponsor Jane Shultz.
To learn more about how your organization could partner with a school to assist school robotic teams, contact Patrick Konopnicki, Director of Technical and Career Education in Virginia Beach City Public Schools at 648-6180.