Extending the Ocean STEM Workforce pipeline: MATE ROV competitions expand their reach to middle schools

In September of 2009, the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation´s (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. The grant project, MATE ROV Competitions: Providing Pathways to the Ocean STEM Workforce, will expand the reach of the MATE Center´s highly successful remotely operated vehicle (ROV) competition network to support the participation of middle schools, with a focus on students from traditionally underrepresented groups. It will provide career information and guidance tools that allow students to see clear pathways from middle school through high school to college and into the workplace. It will improve and expand the MATE Center´s online presence to create a learning community that provides access to resources and encourages communication among students, teachers, and working professionals. Finally, the project will evaluate the impact of these activities and contribute its findings to the knowledge base about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.