Webb Students Mentor Middle School Students

On Saturday, May 15, 2010, 31 middle school students from St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Day School in Bay Shore, New York, visited Webb. They came to participate in a SeaPerch competition run by members of Webb’s Student Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).  The fifteen teams of St. Peter’s students competed using SeaPerch ROVs that they had constructed during this school year; the sixth graders utilized the standard SeaPerch design while the seventh and eighth graders competed using their own custom designs.

The day’s competition included in-water games held in the Robinson Model Basin and a pool set up in Webb’s front parking lot.  The competitors also made oral presentations in the Henry Auditorium, and held a poster session in the Visconti Reception Room.   Each team was assigned a Webb student as a mentor for the day, to provide them with support throughout the competition.  The Webb students also ran the various in-water games and judged the presentations and posters.  Several Webb students stepped in quite admirably, quickly repairing failed propulsion and control systems, and returning the ROVs to the water so that the competition could proceed without delay.

The beautiful weather and surroundings, together with the spirit of friendly competition and teamwork, made the event a great success.  By the end of the day everyone involved — students, parents, faculty, and Webbies alike — was already looking forward to participating in next year’s event.

The SeaPerch program was developed by an MIT Sea Grant, is sponsored by a grant from the Office of Naval Research, and is facilitated by SNAME.  Additional information about the SeaPerch program can be found at http://www.seaperch.org.   For information regarding SeaPerch at Webb please contact Matt Werner at mwerner@webb-institute.edu.