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Coding Money for High School Students

The Navy will host a competition for high school students who can help navigate, detect and act on "targets" using technology.

A Marine demonstrates an ordnance disposal robot to high school students. Photo By: Cpl. Michael Dye, U.S. Marine Corps.

A Marine demonstrates an ordnance disposal robot to high school students. Credit: Cpl. Michael Dye, U.S. Marine Corps

The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) is looking for teams of high schoolers in public, private and governor’s schools from Richmond to Stafford and throughout the Northern Neck to compete in a coding competition.

The deadline is January 6, 2023, for signing up to participate, which will be held March 31 to April 1, 2023, at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) Dahlgren Campus.

High school students will compete in:

Python coding: Developing Python programming skills in a “real world” representative application.
Sensor integration: Integrating a variety of sensors to carry out a “strike” mission.
Navigation, detection, and action: Programming a robot to navigate, detect and act on an adversarial unit.
Command and control: demonstrating command and control over Bluetooth communication.

The two-day competition will challenge high schoolers to establish communication with a tiny robot on wheels, program it to maneuver a mat, navigating through the “sea” and around “land masses”, then detect, acquire and act on a target. Winners will split an expected cash prize.

To sign up today or for more information, contact Chief Technology Office Director of Academic Engagement Michael Clark at (540) 653-9154 or michael.p.clark95.civ@us.navy.mil.