Sign In | Join


discuss Community

Frequently Asked Questions

General information about the SeaPerch program
Who sponsors the program?
Who manages the program?
What is the program's history?
What do we need to make a successful SeaPerch program?
What are some of the benefits of SeaPerch?
Do I need permission to link to the SeaPerch website?
Where can I download the SeaPerch logo?

Planning a build
Who can do SeaPerch?
What age group is SeaPerch appropriate for?
How long does the build take? What is the time commitment that is required for a successful program?
Can SeaPerch be done as a solo project?
Is there a competition in my region?
How can I get connected with others doing SeaPerch in my area?
Do I need training?
What if we don't have a pool?
How many kits should I plan to use?
Do I need tools?
What does it cost?
I would like to do this, but have limited funding. Can you help?
What if I have a sponsor willing to help me fund part or all of the kits I need?
How can I organize a competition? Are there guidelines available?
How can I find teacher training in my area?
Is there a curriculum?
Can I add enhancements?
How do the pre-assessment and post-assessment surveys work? Why do we do them?
Is there a hard copy of the surveys I can look at to prepare for distribution? Some of our students may need extra time to complete the survey, so we need to prepare.

Ordering kits and supplies
How do I get kits?
Can I order kits if I'm outside the U.S.?
Can I buy just one kit?
We did SeaPerch last year and have the batteries from our first set of kits. Can we order kits without batteries at a reduced cost?
Where is the list of parts included in a SeaPerch ROV kit?
Do orders really need to be placed online? I would prefer to place my order by telephone or fax.
What payment methods are accepted?
I need to prepare a purchase order. To whom should the purchase order be made payable?
How can I obtain a copy of the grant application I submitted?
How can I obtain a copy of my invoice/receipt?
I have placed an order and need to cancel it. What should I do?
I just placed my order and I need to make a change to it (e.g. change quantities, substitute items). What should I do?
I am having trouble with the online ordering system on the website. How can I get technical support?

Shipping
When can I get started? How long will it take to receive my kits?
I need my kits sooner. Can my shipment be expedited?
Do you ship outside the United States?
What are the shipping costs?
If I apply for grant funding to support my program, how will I know if the grant was approved?

During the build
My build start date has changed. What should I do?
I need the URLs (web addresses) for the pre- and post-assessment surveys for my students. How can I get them?

Pre- and Post-Assessment Surveys
How do the surveys work?
Why does SeaPerch require participants to do pre- and post-assessment surveys?
Why is it necessary to complete the pre- and post-assessment surveys online? I would prefer to administer paper and pencil surveys to my students.
My survey instructions refer to a program ID number but I cannot find one. What should I do?
Is there a printed copy of the surveys that I can review before directing my students to complete the survey online?

Regional and National Challenges
How do the SeaPerch regional and national challenges work?
I want to participate in the SeaPerch competition, but my school does not have an existing team. In order to plan for the competition, and start the team, we need to know when and where the regional competitions are. Where can we find information about regional competitions near us?
Is it possible for me to attend the National SeaPerch Challenge as an observer without bringing a team? We have just started our program and I am interested in seeing the competition.
We are interested in starting a SeaPerch region. Can you please provide some guidance and details on how we might go about doing this?
We are in an area without a regional competition and we are interested in participating in the national challenge.
How do we figure out what region we fall in? When are the regional challenges?
What happens if we do not have a region within a reasonable amount of miles?

General information about the SeaPerch program

Who sponsors the program?

The Office of Naval Research sponsors the SeaPerch program.

Who manages the program?

SeaPerch is managed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Foundation, located at 2700 S. Quincy Street, Ste. 400, Arlington, VA 22206.

You can download the AUVSI Foundation W-9 form here.

What is the program's history?

See the Origin of SeaPerch for more Information on the program's history. http://www.seaperch.org/origin_of

What do we need to make a successful SeaPerch program?

A committed champion willing to advocate for the program. A group of teachers/principals, an administration willing to take this on, a university/college/community college partner, local industry support, community volunteers/mentors, and government involvement for mentors/tech support is always helpful.

What are some of the benefits of SeaPerch?

Do I need permission to link to the SeaPerch website?

Coming soon...

Where can I download the SeaPerch logo?

Download web-ready and vector graphics of the SeaPerch logo on the logos page. The logo should not be altered by changing its colors or the height/width ratio.

Planning a build

Who can do SeaPerch?

Schools do it as part of a curriculum or after school activity. Also, clubs such as 4-H, Boy or Girl Scouts, homeschoolers, just about any group of middle or high school students gathered with an interest in STEM! 

What age group is SeaPerch appropriate for?

Any age from 6th grade through college freshmen can benefit from the program, as it's easily scalable for those ages depending on how you wish to use it.

If you will be using the kits with younger students, we recommend lots of supervision and that you allow extra time for completion of the build.

Please keep in mind that the tools and supplies that are used during a build require dexterity and good hand-eye coordination. For this reason, we typically recommend building the ROVs with kids who are in at least 6th grade.

Check out some of the training videos that we have on our website to get a better idea of what your students would be doing during their build. The videos can be found under the "Getting Started" tab on the SeaPerch home page. 

How long does the build take? What is the time commitment that is required for a successful program?

SeaPerch is scalable to meet your needs and learning outcomes. It takes approximately 10 hours for students to build the SeaPerch and test it.  Add a few hours for redesign for a competition. If you wish to stretch it out and incorporate other activities/teaching units into the actual build, some schools have taken a whole semester to build the SeaPerches. It's all up to you and what concepts/outcomes you want to teach and achieve.

Can SeaPerch be done as a solo project?

Yes, absolutely!

Is there a competition in my region?

Coming soon...

How can I get connected with others doing SeaPerch in my area?

Coming soon...

Do I need training?

We offer teacher training as an option for those of you who would like to be trained in the building of the SeaPerch. On-site training is offered in several locations at set times throughout the year, currently Bethesda, MD, Annapolis, MD, and Newport, RI. Check our website regularly for announcements about training at these locations.

If on-site training is not an option for you, our online training videos can walk you through the entire build process and are available for beginner or advanced users. The videos can be viewed at any time, and stopped and started as needed. Videos are supported at various times with live webcasts for troubleshooting.

You will need to have a SeaPerch kit and tool kit in front of you prior to beginning.  These can be ordered through the SeaPerch website.

What if we don't have a pool?

Many times, local hotels, YMCAs or colleges will allow access for your testing and Challenge, once you explain your mission. If all else fails, you can purchase a small INTEX above-ground pool.

How many kits should I plan to use?

We recommend two to four students on a kit to encourage the teamwork aspect of the project.

Do I need tools?

There is a teacher tool kit that you can order as well which provides everything you will need to build the SeaPerch. We recommend one teacher tool kit for every 10 individual SeaPerch Kits ordered.

What does it cost?

In total, a basic SeaPerch Kit (including battery and charger) currently costs $155. A tool kit containing tools that can be used for multiple SeaPerch builds (and reused year after year!) currently costs $235. We recommend purchasing one tool kit for each ten kits. Shipping and handling is included in these costs.

I would like to do this, but have limited funding. Can you help?

Through the Office of Naval Research (ONR), there may be some grant funding available to help provide up to ten kits and one tool kit to help you get started. There is a short grant application that you will be asked to complete as part of the kit ordering process. To apply for a grant, start at the Order Kits and Parts page, scroll down and click "Apply for a Grant."

What if I have a sponsor willing to help me fund part or all of the kits I need?

This will help us bring SeaPerch to an even larger audience of eager students!

How can I organize a competition? Are there guidelines available?

Coming soon...

How can I find teacher training in my area?

Coming soon...

Is there a curriculum?

Yes, there is a standard build curriculum. It meets many of the national learning standards for STEM for middle and high school, which is one of the key benefits of the program. There are also complementary activities that can be found under Teach on the website that will help you teach concepts. A Resource and Activity Guide is also available which includes an overview of how to start a program, makes suggestions for managing a SeaPerch competition in your area, and provides information to help students, teachers, and mentors make STEM career connections.

Can I add enhancements?

You can purchase any small underwater camera and add those onto the vehicle. A sensor suite could also be added which can measure and report. These will be made available on the website soon.

How do the pre-assessment and post-assessment surveys work? Why do we do them?

The SeaPerch pre and post assessments are surveys that are intended to gauge the progress that students make during the course of participating in a SeaPerch build program. The pre assessment survey can be taken anytime prior to the start of the actual learning activities begin and is intended to capture a baseline measure of interest and knowledge. The post assessment survey should be taken directly following the completion of the program. For some students, this may be after a semester long course. For others, this may be at the culmination of a daylong event.

The pre and post assessment surveys are administered through an on-line survey tool and a special code is linked to each program so that we can link the results to your school or program. Note that individual student responses pre or post are not tracked so there is no personally identifiable information that is linked to any student. We aggregate the survey results by program, not by student.

The SeaPerch program is funded by the Navy through the Office of Naval Research and it is critical that we demonstrate measurable success in helping to get kids excited about learning and generate interest in STEM. This is a requirement of the program.

TBA

Is there a hard copy of the surveys I can look at to prepare for distribution? Some of our students may need extra time to complete the survey online, so we need to prepare.

Yes, please contact us to request a copy of the survey. <