Navy scientists and engineers are steering young people to potential science and math careers.
The Navy-mentored “Hornets” and “RoboJackets” joined 50 robotics teams –all with intriguing names– to compete at the FIRST Tech Challenge Virginia State Championship on February 28.
Naval Surface Warfare Center Commander Rear Adm. Lorin Selby, NSWC Dahlgren Division computer scientist Marin Kobin (left), and members of the James Monroe High School RoboJackets are pictured at the 2015 FIRST Tech Challenge Virginia State Championship. Student teams designed, built and programmed their own robots prior to competing against other teams at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) event. (Photo: U.S. Navy/Released)
The Orange County High School Hornets and James Monroe High School Robojackets team members were among 500 students cheered on by parents, teachers, coaches and mentors at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia.
What’s more, the Hornets and 11 exotically named teams –ED Too, Geeks in Just their Underpants, Tuxedo Pandas, Heptahelix, Team Aperture, Techie Tornadoes, The Blockheads, The Bionic Tigers, Vertigo, Nerd Herd, and Evil Purple Sox– qualified for the FIRST Tech Challenge East Super-Regional Championship held in Scranton, Pennsylvania, March 19-21.
All student teams designed, built and programmed their own robots prior to competing against other teams at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) event.
Naval Surface Warfare Center Commander Rear Adm. Lorin Selby and members of the Orange County High School Hornets are pictured at the 2015 FIRST Tech Challenge Virginia State Championship. Student teams designed, built and programmed their own robots prior to competing against other teams at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) event. The Hornets scored high enough to win a spot at the FIRST Super-Regional Championship held in Scranton, Pa., March 19-21. (Photo: U.S. Navy/Released)
“This is a superb effort for this team and what they represent,” said Simon Gray, assistant program manager for Mission Systems in the Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) Electric Ships Office and Hornet team mentor. “Coming from a rural location, the team overcame significant challenges to access engineering resources. Thanks to a group of mentors with a gracious professional mindset, our team has become an inspiration to others and knows no bounds to their potential.”
NAVSEA and the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) sponsored teams advanced to the state championship by winning awards and robot performance categories at qualifying tournaments across Virginia throughout the competition season.
“Not only have NAVSEA guidance and the NDEP grant increased our team’s awareness of Navy engineering, but the personal interaction with Navy civilians has promoted an understanding of engineering fundamentals,” said Gray. “It is immensely gratifying to witness the team spirit and see the smiles on all of the team members.”
Naval Surface Warfare Center Commander Rear Adm. Lorin Selby speaks to students at the 2015 FIRST Tech Challenge Virginia State Championship. The admiral joined about 1,500 spectators at the event, inspiring students – ranging from sixth graders to high school seniors – in his opening remarks and as he engaged them in conversation. Two Navy-mentored teams were among 52 student teams who designed, built and programmed their own robots prior to competing against other squads at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) event. (Photo: U.S. Navy/Released)
Rear Adm. Lorin Selby, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) commander, joined about 1,500 spectators at the event, inspiring students – ranging from sixth graders to high school seniors – in his opening remarks and as he engaged them in conversation. “FIRST Tech Challenge is a great opportunity for students to get hands-on experience in math, science and engineering,” said Selby. “Programs like FIRST Tech Challenge are absolutely critical in developing and inspiring our nation’s next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians.”
“The admiral said he had a blast,” reported Marin Kobin, NSWC Dahlgren Division computer scientist who is the RoboJackets lead Navy mentor. “The students and spectators loved meeting and talking to Admiral Selby, and he clearly enjoyed getting to know the program, the teams, and the robots.”
Kobin exudes enthusiasm as she talks about mentoring students participating in FIRST as a way to build students’ science, engineering and technology skill – to inspire innovation and foster well-rounded life capabilities that include self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
“By exposing students to the FIRST program, we give them the skills and the resources to pursue college degrees or certificate programs,” said Kobin, who personally benefited from FIRST as a high school student in New York.
Kobin and Gray also help the students they mentor to develop critical thinking skills to solve a particular problem or series of problems by researching, designing, building and operating a robot. As mentors, they guide robotics team members to resolve issues on their own with a minimal amount of adult intervention.
They are among hundreds of NAVSEA mentors who volunteer in the FIRST science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program to show a diversity of pre-teens and teens that math, science and engineering are fascinating, fun and socially relevant.
Navy officials anticipate the students may one day use their STEM skills at Navy warfare center laboratories to design future technologies supporting U.S. warfighters and America’s homeland defense and security personnel engaged in real-world missions.
All FIRST Robotics Competition regionals and tournaments are free and open to the public.
For additional information on FIRST programs and events, visit FIRST or Virginia FIRST.
Story and information provided by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
Follow Armed with Science on Facebook and Twitter!
———-
Disclaimer: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense. For other than authorized activities, such as, military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation sites, the Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this DoD website.
