Henry James Memorial School (HJMS) recently participated in the SeaPerch Competition, winning an amazing 5 of the 6 possible Trophy awards for the Middle School Division, including placing second and third in the Obstacle Course Challenge and first, second and third in the Deep Water Rescue Challenge.
These achievements qualified the students for the National SeaPerch Competition on May 18th in Indianapolis, Indiana.
At the national competition, the team of Dylan Erasmus and Thomas Girard won third place for their performance in the Obstacle Course Challenge.Said Technology Education teacher and coach Bryan Forman, “The students’ trip to Indianapolis was very successful, and they were competing against hundreds of other teams.”
Forman thanked the HJMS school community for their support and participation, including students Lyndsay Candito, Dhruv Zimmerman, Jake Ruzsbatzky, and Jacob Lill for their participation on the qualifying Connecticut teams.
A “Hat Day” fundraiser was held at the school to help raise funds for the team to go to Indianapolis. Said Forman, “This support helped bring home the third place trophy, which will be displayed in the front lobby showcase.”
The SeaPerch Program gives students the opportunity to learn about robotics, and acquire skills in science. technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) while building an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) as part of a science and engineering technology curriculum. Throughout the project, students learn engineering concepts, problem solving, teamwork, and technical applications.
The curriculum includes discussion of potential careers in technical and engineering fields, as well as related fields of study, and also offers a template for an end-of design Challenge.
The program’s long-term goal is to create the next generation of STEM professionals, but most of all, be fun while building teamwork and inspiring young minds. To learn more about SeaPerch, visit www.seaperch.org.
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