Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) will kick off its annual Sea Air and Land (SeAL) challenge in early spring 2023. This event challenges middle and high school-aged student team’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills to design, build, and compete devices capable of navigating various environments. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) sponsors this event and lends subject matter expertise to ensure the event provides enough realism to replicate national security interests, such as potential threats confronted by the U.S. Joint Forces and first responders when executing counter weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) efforts.
“Engaging students from a diverse background and at an early age is critical to growing our STEM workforce and establishing a robust student pipeline into national security-related careers,” said Prof. Douglas E. Wolfe of Penn State. “More than 327 students from 9 different states participated in last year’s event, and we expect a significant increase in enrollment for this year’s SeAL Challenge. This level of participation makes this program extremely impactful on guiding students towards higher education in STEM-related fields.”