SeaPerch
Arkansas 4-H SeaPerch Challenge
**Website Updates to Be Completed - January 2025**
If you have questions, please reach out to the STEM Instructor, Michelle McVay at mmcvay@uada.edu.
The Arkansas 4-H SeaPerch Challenge is held every year as a qualifier for the International SeaPerch Challenge.
In the 2024 Season, the Arkansas 4-H SeaPerch Challenge was held at the University of Arkansas Little Rock on March 1, 2024.
In the 2025 Season, the Arkansas 4-H SeaPerch Challenge will be held at the University of Arkansas Little Rock on March 14, 2025.
As in years past, the registration will be through your local county extension office. and team registrations will be $80/team. We will have the Open, Junior Stock & Senior Stock Classes available. Registration will need to be completed by NOON on Friday, January 31, 2025.
There are many resources available for the SeaPerch Challenge. Listed below are a few that have been found most useful. Click here for the 2020 webinar describing details about the SeaPerch program and that years SeaPerch Challenge. Be sure to check out the 2025 Challenge Course information as that section has changed. Feel free to contact your local county extension office with any questions.
- SeaPerch Kit
- Basic tools
- Construction Manual
- Testing pool (private pools, community pools, hotel)
- Extra Parts for competition - suggested extra motors, propellers & control box)
The 2025 Arkansas 4-H SeaPerch Challenge will have the classes listed below. For a full breakdown of the classes for your teams check out this document..
- Junior Stock Class: This class is for Junior competitors (ages 9 - 14) that are competing in the stock class ($25 limit on modifications & limit to 3 SeaPerch thrusters)
- Senior Stock Class: This class is for Senior competitors (ages 15 - 19) that are competing in the stock class ($25 limit on modifications & limit to 3 SeaPerch thrusters)
- Open Class: This class is for Junior or Senior competitors (any age) that are competing in the open class (no budget or thruster restrictions)
This year, teams will have 4 events for teams to be scored for placement. Details about scheduling will be announced shortly. An OPTIONAL new event will be the Real-World Innovation Poster. Check out the info below.
- Engineering Design: This is an updated version of the Engineering Notebook. This is now a 5 page (maximum) document that outlines the Engineering Design Process for the team. Check out these instructions for the report. Follow the rubric carefully to make sure you get all the easy points! This will be a digital submission and must be submitted to Lori Canada lcanada@uada.edu by March 4 at 4:30, please put SeaPerch Report - TEAM NAME.
- Meet the Team Poster: 4-H strives to develop well-rounded individuals that excel in soft skills such as presentation and interviews. Each team may present
their ROV to a panel of judges. Components of the poster presentation include introduction
of team, design of the ROV, modifications to fulfill tasks, successes, challenges,
engineering design process. Each member of the team must have a roll in the presentation
(even if it is just introducing themselves). Team members will have 5 minutes to introduce
themselves and their SeaPerch. A short Q&A time will be at the end of the interview
by the judging panel. Possible Interview questions. and scoring rubric. Instructions for this event can be found here!
- Mission Course: The mission course changes each year. This year we are exploring hydrothermal vents in the deep. The added element of moving water will be part of the challenge! For full information of this year's courses check it out here. In this pool course, teams will accumulate points for ranking. Rubric
- Obstacle Course: The obstacle course is a series of 5 hoops that allows for teams to navigate through
the water. This is a timed event and will have 2 chances to run to get their best time.
- Real-World Innovation Poster: This is an optional event for the SeaPerch Challenge. This will allow for teams to think outside the box and how the ROV technology can be utilized for real world applications. Check out the instructions for the poster and rubric for direction.
- Community Outreach Project: This is a NEW optional event for the SeaPerch Challenge. Whether you volunteer your
time in your community, or your team finds a way to connect and offer support—share
what the SeaPerch Teams are doing in their communities. Details can be found at Community Outreach!
2025 Competition Details
The competition will be held in-person on Friday, March 14, 2025 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock pool. Registration is due at NOON on Friday, January 31, 2025.
The Engineering Notebook has been replaced with the Technical Design Report. . This report is a 5 page maximum report with the following sections.
1. Abstract (1/2 page)
2. Task Overview (1/2 page)
3. Design Approach (2 pages)
4. Experimental Results (1 page)
5. Reflection & Next Steps (1 page)
6. Acknowledgements (no page limit)
7. References (no page limit)
Be sure to check the resources below for full details of the report and the rubric. Be sure to check the rubric for those EASY points!
Technical Design reports are due to Michelle McVay via Microsoft Form submissions by Friday, February 14, 2025 at NOON. Form can be accessed HERE. If you are unable to access the form, please email Michelle at mmcvay@uada.edu and include in the subject line SeaPerch Report - TEAM NAME.
Or you can upload via Microsoft Forms Here:
Each team will have a 5 minute presentation to a panel of judges. Please include in the presentation the content for video submission. THIS WILL NOT BE A VIDEO SUBMISSION. A few minutes of Q&A will follow the presentation. Possible interview questions
Interview times will be announced after registration.
Interview Instructions & Questions Team Interview Scoring Rubric
We will have participation in both of the obstacle course and mission (challenge) course. Be sure to check out the pools rules along with the score sheets for each course that we will be using.
As the NEWEST portion of the SeaPerch Challenge, this allows for teams to think about how they can utilize the SeaPerch ROV technology into new and innovative ways to solve real-world problems and apply them to situations. Have your teams submit a poster explaining how they would use the technology of the ROV in relevant ways around them. This allows for thinking outside the box to utilize these technologies in ways that may make tasks more efficient, more productive, or easier.
Submit posters to Michelle McVay via Microsoft Form submissions by Friday, February 14, 2025 at NOON.
Real WorLd Innovation Instructions Real-World Innovation Rubric
2024 Competition Results
Congratulations to all the teams for competing this year!
Junior Team Winners
*1st Place - THE WET WILLIES, Grant County
2nd Place - Submarine Crew, Madison County
3rd Place - Stingrays, Grant County
Senior Team Winners
*1st Place - Deep Water Vanguard, Grant County
2nd Place - Baddies, Madison County
3rd Place - Blue Abyss Battalion, Howard County
Open Team Winners
*1st Place - Aquanauts, Grant County
2nd Place - The Crocodiles, Madison County
3rd Place - Non-Boat, Newton County
*International SeaPerch Challenge Qualifier
Junior Team Winners
1st Place - Submarine Crew, Madison County
2nd Place - Saline Co. 4-H SeaCow Submarines, Saline County
3rd Place - Manta Rays, Howard County
Senior Team Winners
1st Place - Deep Water Vanguard, Grant County
2nd Place - Blue Abyss Battalion, Howard County
3rd Place - The Wet Bandits, Union County
Open Team Winners
1st Place - Aquanauts, Grant County
2nd Place - The Crocodiles, Madison County
3rd Place - Shark, Pike County
Junior Team Winners
1st Place - Submarine Crew, Madison County
2nd Place (Tie) - Stingrays, Grant County
2nd Place (Tie) - Swamp Donkeys, Madison County
3rd Place - Snoopjaws, Howard County
Senior Team Winners
1st Place - Baddies, Madison County
2nd Place - Team Tip of the Spear, Grenada County, MS
3rd Place - Deep Water Vanguard, Grant County
Open Team Winners
1st Place - Aquanauts, Grant County
2nd Place - The Crocodiles, Madison County
3rd Place - Big Dawgs, Newton County
Junior Team Winners
1st Place - Scubabots, Grant County
2nd Place (Tie) - Manta Rays, Howard County
2nd Place (Tie) - The Whales, Miller County
3rd Place - THE WET WILLIES, Grant County
Senior Team Winners
1st Place - Deep Water Vanguard, Grant County
2nd Place (Tie) - Pope County Diffusers, Pope County
2nd Place (Tie) - Blue Abyss Battalion, Howard County
2nd Place (Tie) - Narwhal, Pike County
3rd Place - Watery Graves, Pulaski County
Open Team Winners
1st Place - Aquanauts, Grant County
2nd Place (Tie) - The Odyssey, Newton County
2nd Place (Tie) - Non-Boat, Newton County
3rd Place (Tie) - The Crocodiles, Madison County
3rd Place (Tie) - Shark, Pike County
Junior Team Winners
1st Place - Team 1, Perry County
2nd Place - Pope County Aqua Tanks, Pope County
3rd Place - Saline Co. 4-H SeaCow Robotics Lime Shock SeaStars, Saline County
Senior Team Winners
1st Place - Watery Graves, Pulaski County
2nd Place - Narwhal, Pike County
3rd Place - Pope County Diffusers, Pope County
Open Team Winners
1st Place - The Crocodiles, Madison County
2nd Place - The Odyssey, Newton County
3rd Place - Shark, Pike County
1st Place -
2nd Place -
3rd Place -
