LFHS SeaPerch Team Qualifies for Nationals

by Ronnie Zamora/LFCISD

The Los Fresnos High School Engineering Club, competing in its first SeaPerch event, qualified for nationals at the U.S. Navy SeaPerch Challenge Friday at the Harlingen Aquatic Center.

Six of the 32 schools competing qualified for the 2017 National SeaPerch Challenge. Location and date for the national event have yet to be determined. LFHS finished fifth.

The SeaPerch Program provides students with the opportunity to learn about robotics, engineering, science, and mathematics (STEM) while building an underwater remotely operated vehicle. part of a science and engineering technology curriculum. Throughout the project, students learned engineering concepts, problem- solving, teamwork, and technical applications.

Members of the LFHS team that competed were Carlos Altamirano, Isaac Escareño, Jarod Perez, Evan Randolph, and Jose Trujillo.

The SeaPerch challenge is part of the Los Fresnos CISD Project Lead the Way curriculum. Students prepared for the event before and after school for about four weeks.

During the challenge, the robots operated by remote control must go through hula hoops and perform other activities under water. There are two parts to the competition – obstacle course and finesse.

“The students learned how to solder all components, including capacitors and resistors,” said LFHS engineering teacher and program sponsor Javier Martinez Garza. “They also learned how to use hand tools like wire strippers.”

The competition was part of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley HESTEC (Hispanic Engineering, Science, and Technology) week.