The National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology (NIUVT), a partnership with the University of Connecticut (UConn), University of Rhode Island (URI), with the support and collaboration of General Dynamics Electric Boat (EB), hosted two engaging summer camps billed as Boat Camp for Kids this June, at the UConn Hartford and UConn Avery Point campuses. These camps focused on promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) by providing hands-on learning experiences and exciting excursions to foster a love for maritime science and technology among young participants.
Both camps offered a rich blend of scientific exploration, practical activities, and memorable excursions, aiming to inspire future generations of maritime enthusiasts and professionals.
Participants enjoyed a week packed with STEM educational activities, including cartesian divers, aluminum foil submarine competitions, snap circuits, and PVC periscopes. Campers were able to explore a 50-foot inflatable submarine and a mobile manufacturing lab provided by Electric Boat, and engage in ship-to-shore video chats with researchers aboard the Exploration Vehicle Nautilus, operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust, while on expedition in the Pacific Ocean.
The camps also featured fun excursions to UConn Storrs, URI’s research labs and Nuclear Science Center, Narragansett Beach, the USS Nautilus at the Submarine Force Museum, Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport Museum, and the Connecticut Science Center.
The National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology leverages the expertise of EB, UConn, and URI to engage in research, technology transition, and workforce development, accelerating critical research in submarine and undersea vehicle technologies.
In 2017, the University of Connecticut (UConn) and the University of Rhode Island received a grant from the Office of Naval Research to create a community of students, faculty and government and industry leaders who will strive to expand the Navy science and technology workforce in the region. The program is now funded through a Department of Defense, National Defense Education Program grant as of 2021.
