Quest Middle School participated in the first ever RI SeaPerch Derby at the University of Rhode Island, thanks to teacher Shannon Donovan from Scituate High School for coordinating the event. Nine middle and high schools participated from around the state, with a total of 39 teams. Each team built a Remotely Operated Vehicle, called a SeaPerch, for the event. Each competed in a timed course, where they had to maneuver their ROVs through a series of hula hoops, and a mission challenge course, which simulated a rescue and recovery scenario.
Quest students were gracious competitors and had a blast while participating. The opportunity gave them a chance to interact with students from other schools, solve problems, meet professionals from SeaPerch, NAVSEA, NUWC, Coast Guard, and the URI robotics team. In the words of Charlene Tuttle, teacher at Lawn Ave School in Jamestown: “Opportunities like this help build a scientifically literate future and inspires the next generation to persevere, be flexible, and solve challenges!” We could not agree more with this sentiment.
Quest hopes to participate again in the future!