STEM Education Program

SeaPerch

Hands-on underwater engineering curriculum: 2010 professional development opportunities for Alaska's educators

Basic and advanced SeaPerch workshops originally scheduled for June 1st through 4th in Anchorage have been postponed until late September, when workshops will be held in both Anchorage and Juneau. Watch this page for details. An advanced Super SeaPerch workshop will take place in Juneau on June 14th (this workshop is full and registration is closed).

Documents and Resources

Single ROV Build Kit
Build Tool Kit
SeaPerch ROV Construction Manual - Northwest Program Options - 2010-04NW - DS081810 (PDF)
The Basic Build Manual is designed to be printed out double-sided, and not all sections need to be handed out to students. Print one copy, eliminate the sections students don't need, and reproduce the rest.
SeaPerch Readings and Resources (PDF)
An ROV Passenger (PDF)
SeaPerch Order Form (PDF)

SeaPerch: a unique teaching tool for Alaska's educators

Recognized statewide for its collaborative, hands-on, inquiry-driven learning experiences in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the Juneau Economic Development Council (JEDC) announces two early-summer professional development workshops for teachers in preparation for the SeaPerch program. SeaPerch introduces pre-college students to the wonders of underwater robotics by building and operating a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).

Part of a nationwide initiative of the US Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR)-"Recruiting the Next Generation of Naval Architects"-SeaPerch is administered by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. SeaPerch workshops in Alaska are funded by ONR and by the US Department of Defense through JEDC's SpringBoard program. SpringBoard's educational emphasis reflects the US government's desire to better prepare young people for careers in technological fields.

Using a theme of marine engineering, students learn how to build an underwater ROV (the SeaPerch), equip it with a propulsion system and an electronic controller, and use it to investigate a variety of concepts such as weight and buoyancy. SeaPerch teaches basic skills in ship and submarine design and encourages students to explore naval architecture, and marine and ocean engineering concepts. Problem solving, teamwork, and real-world applications are additional learning opportunities facilitated by SeaPerch.

Mary Hakala, JEDC's Coordinator for STEM Education, is enthusiastic about the impact that SeaPerch has already had in the classroom. "Last year, we trained 37 teachers across Alaska in how to build a marine ROV, and how to implement relevant lessons in the classroom using the ROV as an instructional platform. Teachers' use of the ROV as an educational tool has been fantastic, with many teachers devising their own SeaPerch designs."

Teachers attending previous SeaPerch workshops have come from Anchorage's South Anchorage High School, Romia Middle School, Gruening Middle School, Central Middle School of Science, Dimond High School, Steller Secondary School, Highland Tech High, Central Middle School of Science, East High School, West High School and Service High School; schools of the Lower Kuskokwim School District; the Imaginarium; UAF's Physics Department; and Juneau's Thunder Mountain High School. In turn, those teachers have introduced nearly 1,500 students to the excitement of building ROVs in their classrooms.

More information about the SeaPerch workshops is available at www.jedc.org/seaperch, or by contacting Bob Vieth at 907-523-2342, rvieth@jedc.org.