Instead of watching marine science from the sidelines, Waldport High School robotics students recently found themselves behind the controls, guiding an underwater robot through aquarium tanks and the waters of Yaquina Bay.
Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with a camera, members of the WHS Robotics Club partnered with the Oregon Coast Aquarium to conduct live tank inspections. Students examined the Aquarium’s Med Pod and Port Orford Reef tank before heading to Yaquina Bay to inspect the inlet pipe.
Under the direction of Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher Philip Reed, the experience represents years of partnership and intentional collaboration.
“Our partnership with the Aquarium really started when I was working on my Action Research Project,” Reed said. “Charissa Stair (Education Engagement Manager at the Oregon Coast Aquarium) was amazing and very open to facilitating a wide range of projects for my Exploring Computer Science class.”
That collaboration has grown steadily. In previous years, Waldport students have built visitor-friendly apps, created laser-cut pins for the Aquarium’s Junior Aquarist program, developed exhibit enhancements, and designed interactive technology for the Aquarium’s jelly exhibit using 3D modeling, microcontrollers, sensors, and LED lighting.
This year’s ROV inspection allowed former computer science students who are now robotics club members, to apply those technical skills in a professional setting.
Stair said the partnership highlights how education and industry can work together to expand students’ perspectives. “Part of my job is to partner with teachers who want more than the regular programming we offer for field trips,” Stair said. “Working with Philip and his classes has been one of the best parts of my work. I love helping students see how their different passions and interests might overlap in unique ways that could lead to a career they never considered.”
Reed believes these experiences are essential to CTE education. “As a CTE teacher in Oregon, I know the value of a good business partnership in order to give our students the most ‘bang for their buck,’” he said. “It’s one thing to read about a job in a textbook; it’s an entirely different beast to actually stand in the room where it happens.”
Beyond robotics and coding, students develop communication, accountability, adaptability, and professionalism. The projects also provide meaningful experiences students can reference in college applications, resumes, and future job interviews.