Page 43: of Marine Technology Magazine (June 2011)

www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 43 “Building the SeaPerch is awesome, powerful and empowering, but it’s just the beginning,” said Toby

Ratcliffe, an engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Carderock, Md. “The kids see it as a final product, but they soon realize it can do other things. “The cool thing is they learn troubleshooting. But more than that, it’s the connection between students and engineers as role mod- els.” “For those engineers or scientists interested in starting a community SeaPerch program, I would say there couldn't be a more satisfying activity that not only teaches basic mechanical and electrical skills through hands-on learn- ing, but allows the student builders to test, balance, oper- ate and compete against other teams in a clean, fun and wholesome interactive environment, Kimball says. “To know that you might have sparked a lifelong love of learn- ing, and opened the eyes of just one student to a future career as a scientist or engineer, is its own reward.” “One of the most important things the students learn through this process is that failure is an option,” said Susan Giver Nelson, Executive Director of the SeaPerch Program. (pictured above, left, addressing the students.) “They learn that part of engineering is problem solving, and they had to do so on the deck of the pool.”