66 Arkansas and Mississippi Teams to Compete on March 1 in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas — February 26, 2024 — The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas and Arkansas 4-H will host the 2024 Arkansas SeaPerch Challenge, an underwater robotics competition, on Friday, March 1, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Aquatic Center. A record number of 66 teams — made up of 241 youth from 12 Arkansas counties and one Mississippi county — will participate in the event.
The partnership between the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Arkansas 4-H and the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas has created a dynamic impact on interest in the program throughout the state. Since 2016, when the partnership was formed, participation has increased by more than 400%.
"The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas’ heritage is closely tied to the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, as extension agents were crucial in the deployment of electricity in rural Arkansas in the 1940s," said Rob Roedel, senior director of corporate communications for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. "Today, the partnership remains strong with this tremendously successfully robotics program, due to the dedication of educators and Arkansas 4-H chapter sponsors.”
A SeaPerch is a remotely operated submersible built by youth participants from more than three dozen parts, including PVC pipe, pool noodles, three 12-volt motors and batteries. During the contest, teams must navigate their SeaPerch through obstacle courses and complete other tasks, such as successfully moving plastic rings from one part of the course to another part. The goal is to ignite students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
The winning team from the Arkansas SeaPerch Challenge will advance to the International SeaPerch Challenge, held from May 31 to June 1 at the University of Maryland.
To learn more about the Arkansas 4-H SeaPerch Challenge, visit 4h.uada.edu. More information about the SeaPerch initiative can be found on the SeaPerch website.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives; Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides services to the distribution cooperatives; and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC), a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 600,000 homes, farms and businesses in Arkansas and surrounding states.
For additional information, contact:
Rob Roedel, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, (501) 570-2296 or email Rob.