Prince William & Manassas to host national robotics competition, drawing hundreds from across the nation

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

For Immediate Release
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Buske, Communications Specialist, 571-257-3218, jbuske@visitpwc.com
 
Prince William, VA – Prince William and Manassas will host hundreds of students from across the country this week as they arrive for a national underwater robotics competition.
Hosted by the Prince William County Schools, the 2012 National SeaPerch Challenge will be April 11-13, with the competition taking place April 12 at the Manassas Park Community Center. A dinner with guest speaker Aneesh Chopra, former White House chief technology officer, is also planned.
 
Prince William was selected to host the 2012 challenge because its school system has been in the forefront of this innovative program and was one of the first to integrate SeaPerch into its curriculum. Prince William’s close proximity to the nation’s capital, historical attractions and companies with robotic divisions also made it an attractive location, officials with SeaPerch said.
 
 “The community is thrilled to host the National SeaPerch Challenge,” Discover Prince William & Manassas Executive Director Ann Marie Maher said. “Event organizers recognize that between our history, technology and excellent school systems, we are an ideal location for student-geared competitions and educational tours.”
 
Discover Prince William & Manassas, the area’s convention and visitors bureau, has partnered with the Prince William schools to connect the more than 500 students, coaches and volunteers-who are coming from as far as Hawaii- to the area’s rich history, museums and other attractions while they are in town.
 
SeaPerch, which is administered by AUVSI and funded by the Office of Naval Research, challenges students to build a robot that can compete in an underwater obstacle course and salvage operations challenges. After the competition, students will tour local companies who specialize in robotics and the Manassas National Battlefield Park.
 
“Our goal is to create the next set of engineers or inspire kids to think about a career that they may not have been aware of before,” said Denyse Carroll, Prince William County regional Science Technology Engineering and Math coordinator.
 
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Discover Prince William & Manassas is the Convention and Visitors Bureau marketing Prince William County and Manassas,Virginia as a destination for leisure and business travelers, group tours, conferences, meetings and events.

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