2014-2015

News Release

REF NO.: 143

SUBJECT: Regional ROV competition to test skills of junior and high school students

DATE: April 29, 2015

Note to editors:

Students from 30 junior and senior high schools across the province will compete during the Marine Advanced Technology Education Centre (MATE) Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Newfoundland and Labrador Regional Competition being held at the Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) from Thursday, April 30-Saturday, May 2.

The junior high MATE ROV SCOUT competition will take place on Friday, May 1, from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

The high school MATE ROV RANGER competition will begin with opening ceremonies in the MI gymnasium at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 1. The ROV competition will take place on Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Media and the general public are invited to attend both events.

The students will have the opportunity to operate the ROVs they have constructed during the past four months as they execute specific tasks defined by MATE.

The 2015 regional competition is supported by Statoil, ExxonMobil, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Department of Business, Trade, Culture, and Rural Development, Husky Energy, Subsea7, Research & Development Corporation, GRI Simulations Inc. and the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland.

The competition is part of a network of 23 regional contests that take place across the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Scotland, Japan and Egypt.

The competitions connect students and educators with employers and working professionals from marine industries, highlight marine-related career opportunities and promote the development of technical, problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork skills.

The top three teams from the high school RANGER regional event will earn a spot to compete in the MATE International ROV Competition, which is being hosted in St. John’s from June 25-27, at the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Ocean, Coastal, and River Engineering facility. Memorial University’s post-secondary Eastern Edge Robotics team and last year’s international RANGER class from Clarenville High School will join the teams competing in a separate EXPLORER class at the international competition.

Junior high schools taking part in the SCOUT regional competition include Beaconsfield Junior High, Brother Rice Junior High, Corner Brook Intermediate, Frank Roberts Junior High, Hillview Academy, Holy Trinity Junior High, Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Lewisporte Intermediate, MacDonald Drive Junior High, Mount Pearl Intermediate, Pasadena Academy, St. Mark’s School and Villanova Junior High.

Senior high schools taking part in the RANGER competition include Ascension Collegiate, Baltimore School Complex, Belanger Memorial, Carbonear Collegiate, Corner Brook Regional High, Gonzaga Regional High, Heritage Collegiate, Holy Spirit High School, Holy Trinity High, Leo Burke Academy, Lewisporte Collegiate, Mount Pearl Senior High, O'Donel High School, Pasadena Academy, Phoenix Academy, Prince of Wales Collegiate, Queen Elizabeth Regional High School and St. Mark’s School.

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