Section 1: What is SeaPerch?

STEM literacy is vitally important. The demand for STEM-educated workers continues to grow exponentially each year. The next generation of jobs, those with the largest growth projections by far, are jobs in STEM-related fields that inspire innovation. Starting a SeaPerch program is an ideal opportunity to foster a passion for STEM.

SeaPerch is an innovative underwater robotics program that guides students through the process of building a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) while supplying educators with the resources and training to help them through the process.

Using a kit comprised of low-cost, easily accessible parts in either a classroom or out-of-school setting, students learn important engineering skills and scientific principles, which, along with problem solving, teamwork and critical thinking, provide for an introduction to rewarding career opportunities.

Schools are able to teach many of the concepts required for their grade level using a fun, hands-on activity. The interdisciplinary nature of the program allows educators to increase proficiency in many areas including language arts, history, art, and career and technical education.

Program History

SeaPerch was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2003 based on the book, Build Your Own Underwater Robot and Other Wet Projects, by Harry Boehm and Vickie Jensen. Grants from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded the continued development of the program that started very modestly with just 750 students in two school districts. Since 2007, SeaPerch has experienced unprecedented growth and has reached hundreds of thousands of students and educators worldwide.

SeaPerch is managed by RoboNation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on providing a pathway of hands-on educational experiences that empower students of all ages to develop innovative solutions to address global challenges. RoboNation offers a portfolio of nine educational programs that includes various multi-domain competitions, professional development, educational resources, products, and a supportive community of international students, educators, and professionals. SeaPerch provides the K-12 component to complement the organization’s more technically advanced programs such as RoboBoat, RoboSub, Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) and Maritime RobotX.

Our tagline of "Build a Bot, Change the World" says it all. To learn more, please visit https://robonation.org/.

Why Project-Based Learning?

Students learn best by doing. By building a SeaPerch ROV, students become active learners as they are introduced to STEM and real-world concepts in an engaging, project-based learning activity. Project-based learning fosters students’ natural curiosity, leads to an enduring retention and deeper understanding of information, and enables learners to appreciate the practicality, relevance and importance of what they are learning. These benefits, along with many others, extend beyond the four walls of a classroom and spill over to students’ everyday lives. Let SeaPerch help you create a love for lifelong learning in your students!

Consider the following testimonials from a few educators who have used SeaPerch in their classrooms:

“I am writing to let you know how beyond happy I am with the outcome of the ROV event. The children were thrilled to learn science via such a meaningful, hands-on activity.”

“Kids were more excited to come to class during the project. There were many sparks of interest related to STEM topics ... and many had glimpses of what a fun and challenging career might be. Many of my students can't imagine even leaving the county, so a project like this really opens a door to the world - especially when the kids start noticing all the robotic applications in the news every day.”

“As a dedicated educator and a science lover, I have to say that the SeaPerch Program is giving me and my students the opportunity of a lifetime. The program facilitates the learning of a wide variety of skills and gives science teachers a powerful tool to turn the learning experience of the students into an active, challenging and highly engaging one. In my past eight years as a science teacher, I had never experienced so much fun and excitement inside and outside my classroom.”

What Can I Expect my Students to Learn?

SeaPerch offers a strong foundation for students as they experience real-world learning, grow their STEM knowledge, curiosity, and confidence, and explore future career connections. Throughout the course of the project, students can naturally engage with and build understanding in many areas.

SeaPerch programs take many forms. Some are focused on inspiring students through outreach and last only a few hours, while others span years of engagement. There is no one-size-fits-all model so we’ve developed a flexible program to meet your interests and needs. Whether you are looking for a project to do at home, want to engage your students in a project with real-world uses, or just want a fun way to teach introductory STEM skills, SeaPerch can help.

Any group of middle or high school students gathered with an interest in STEM can participate in SeaPerch! No matter how small your group might be, the SeaPerch program can impact students for lifelong learning. Beginner level students will learn a great deal as they make connections of the basic build to the ROV’s maneuverability and speed. More advanced students will be able to integrate additional physics and engineering concepts into their designs and strategies.

The tools and supplies that are used during a build (drills, soldering irons, PVC pipe cutters, glue, etc.) require manual dexterity as well as hand-eye coordination for effective and safe use. For this reason, it is recommended to build the ROVs with students who are in at least 6th grade.

Modifications and additional supervision would be required if using the kits and tools with younger students or students who need special accommodations. Suggested modifications include, at a minimum:

• pre-cutting the PVC pipe
• pre-drilling the PVC pipe
• pre-soldering the controllers
• keeping the group size small (three students per kit)
• assigning at least one adult to each small group of students

These are some basic recommendations. Further modifications may be necessary, depending upon the group. Schools/clubs/organizations are ultimately responsible for their programs and for the safety of their participants.

Another option to consider is VPerch, our web-based program that gives students the opportunity to design and test their SeaPerch ROV in a virtual environment prior to building in the real-world. This program is available for free download at https://seaperch.org/vperch.