The North Charleston Police Department (NCPD) Dive Team volunteered on Wednesday for the 16th Annual SeaPerch Underwater Robotics Competition, held at the North Charleston Sports Complex located on Monitor Street. Our divers assisted with the underwater aspects of the competition.

According to a release from the school district, SeaPerch is an international STEM educational and robotics program that allows students the opportunity to put their STEM and leadership skills to the test by competing with Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles.

This competition consists of students in grades 5 through high school using low-cost, accessible materials to design, construct and operate underwater robots which will be used in pool-based technical challenges. The program aims to promote core learning concepts in fields such as engineering, science and math, while also building on important social skills such as teamwork, and problem-solving.

The Charleston County School District (CCSD) K-12 STEAM Initiative and CCSD Curriculum & Instruction (Science) Department hosted this year’s challenge. Winners of this regional event qualify for the International SeaPerch Challenge, which will be held at the University of Maryland in the spring.