Aquatic ROV Workshops

Deep Dive for Title I Schools

The Pontchartrain Conservancy has partnered with Electric Girls and the WWII Museum for our deep dive, Aquatic ROV Workshop, which is a program for educators and students in grades 9-12 in the Pontchartrain Basin. It is design-focused and hands-on.

Our educators and partners will provide a series of in-school or after school workshops to help students build, test, and challenge their aquatic ROVs. Workshops cover topics such as circuits and soldering, remotes and tethers, frames and buoyancy, and scientific applications.

Once a week for eight to twelve weeks, students will focus on a different aspect of their ROV. PC educators and partners will facilitate most workshops except pool practices and optional 3-D printing. Educators will be expected to allow for additional work on the ROVs between workshop visits to ensure there is adequate time to build the ROVs. After the ROVs are built, students will participate in pool and field-based challenges designed to test the maneuverability, speed, and versatility of their ROVs.

Equipment for building the ROV, such as soldering irons, drills, and PVC cutters, will be provided by PC and our partners. The ROV and related materials for the finished ROV such as foam for buoyancy and PVC for the frame must be purchased by the school. Please visit the MATE website for ROV options, and be sure to check out our PDF materials below.

We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2021. If you are interested in participating in this program, please complete our online application here.

Expectations

What you can expect from us...

A short series of workshops and challenges designed to take students through the building and operating of an ROV
Access to relevant equipment for use in building your ROVs
Guidance for the duration of the program and facilitation at each visit
Online and digital materials and lesson plans to help extend the learning between visits

What we can expect from you...

Purchasing of the ROV kit(s) of your choice and all supplementary materials for the ROV
Coordinating of logistics for each on and off-campus visit including buses, access to electricity and projectors, etc
Timely return of materials including photo releases, evaluations, etc
Engaged educators for visits who work with students as they build and test their ROVs
Integration of the building of the ROV and practice opportunities into the days between visits using provided materials

FAQ

How many students can participate? We recommend small groups to ensure that all students can have hands on access to the processes involved in building the ROV. For one ROV, four to five students can be a team. Schools can build more than one ROV. A class of ten with two ROVs tends to be a good ratio of teammates to tasks.
What do the ROV challenges look like? They will vary and include a series of tasks for the ROVs and teams to accomplish. Check out this video to see examples of some challenges.
Does this program have any fees? No. We facilitate the program and provide the equipment for free to Title I schools. The schools purchase the ROVs and related materials and also provide transportation to pool practices and challenges.
What if we do not have the budget to purchase the ROVs? At the current time, PC does not have specific funding for this program. We are in the process of locating funding which would include covering the costs of ROVs for participating schools. In the meantime, there are small grants that could help to cover the costs of purchasing your ROV kits and supplies. Please visit this link for more information.
Can we have more than one day a week? Though we want the ROV Workshops to be a deep dive experience, PC educators and partners will only be physically present with your students once a week (except for pool practices and optional 3-D printing). However, support can be offered throughout the semester via the online and digital resources designed to extend the learning.
Do I already have to know a lot about ROVs and how to build them? No. This program is designed for educators who will benefit from the hands-on and facilitated aspects of this program.