By GARETT VALCOURT
GARETT VALCOURT | The Advertiser
Students from Bethlehem High School and Middle School are preparing to compete on the international stage after qualifying for the International SeaPerch Challenge, an underwater robotics competition to be held at the University of Maryland this spring.
The qualification came after a strong showing at a regional SeaPerch competition held on March 7. Bethlehem High School had four middle school teams and two high school teams participate. One high school team earned first place in the Open Class, another secured first in the Stock Class, and one middle school team also took first place in Stock, earning all three a coveted invitation to the international competition.
The SeaPerch program is an innovative STEM initiative that engages students in designing, building, and navigating remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) through complex obstacle and mission courses. The International Challenge brings together top teams from around the world for a highly competitive and collaborative event focused on engineering, teamwork, and innovation.
The Bethlehem teams are coached by David Williams and Kaycee Valcourt, who both praised the students for their dedication, creativity, and persistence.
“These students have spent countless hours designing, building, testing, and refining their robots,” said Kaycee Valcourt. “Their determination and willingness to take on challenges is what brought them this far, and we’re so proud to see them earn a spot at internationals.”
