Arkansas 4-H teams put submersible robots to the test at 2025 SeaPerch Challenge

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas 4-H teams from across the state gathered at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for the 2025 SeaPerch Challenge, remotely navigating submersible robots through obstacle and mission courses.

Two hundred and twenty-six Arkansas 4-H members from 16 counties participated in the March 14 event. The annual competition is hosted by Arkansas 4-H, part of the Cooperative Extension Service, and the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.

Fifty-four teams worked to build remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, using pieces of pool noodles, electrical tape, 3-D printed parts, PVC pipe and other supplies. They then steered the ROVs through an underwater mission course and obstacle course, both designed to mimic undersea exploration or deep-sea missions. Teams were also judged on their technical design reports, where they documented the construction and engineering design process for the robots.

INTERNATIONALS BOUND — The Grant County Aquanauts are the winning open class team for the 2025 Arkansas SeaPerch Challenge. From left to right: Eli Watson, Priyam Laxmi and Garrett Key. (Photo by the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.) 

Michelle McVay, extension STEM instructor for 4-H and Youth Development for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the SeaPerch program is a great example of how 4-H helps participants learn by doing.

“Instead of just reading about engineering, they actually get to build and test underwater robots, figuring things out as they go,” McVay said. “This hands-on experience makes learning more fun and memorable. STEM programs like SeaPerch are super important because they teach problem-solving, teamwork and real-world skills that kids can use in school, their careers and beyond.”

For the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, this emphasis on STEM education is at the heart of the organization’s support for the SeaPerch program.

“When we became aware of the program, the cooperatives took an immediate interest due to the kind of learning that SeaPerch provides,” said Rob Roedel, senior director of corporate communications for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. “I distinctly remember watching the first competition in 2016 and thinking immediately of ways we could make the SeaPerch program a marquee event for the youth of Arkansas. Each year, the partnership between Arkansas 4-H and the Electric Cooperatives allows us to make the program bigger and better.”

The overall winning junior and senior stock teams, open class team and high score overall team will compete at the International SeaPerch Challenge May 31-June 1 in College Park, Maryland.

Winning Senior Stock Class Team:

• DeepWater Vanguard from Grant County: Gavin McGinley, Gracie McKinley and Callen Shaw

Winning Junior Stock Class Team:

• Hydro Rappers from Grant County: Cooper Henderson, Jackson Knight, Priyesh Laxmi and Abby Martin

Winning Open Class Team:

• Aquanauts from Grant County: Garrett Key, Priyam Laxmi and Eli Watson

High Score Overall Winner*:

• Sea-Cret Agents from Grant County: Jaxson Andrews, Ella Daniels, Sarah Daniels and Luke Douthit

*The Sea-Cret Agents had the next highest overall score after the Aquanauts, so because the Aquanauts secured a spot as the winning open class team, the Sea-Cret Agents will take the high score overall spot.

Fun for families

For the first time in the program’s history, the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas were able to set up cameras in the pool and live stream the ROVs as they navigated through the mission and obstacle courses. The video streamed to the organization’s YouTube channel, and it also appeared on display monitors in the waiting area for teams inside the Donaghey Student Center Fitness and Aquatic Center.

“We’ve tried to do this before, but we never got the cameras just right,” said Chance Allmon, audio visual technician for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. “It’s a very hard sport to spectate. So, we wanted the parents to be able to watch their kids and know what’s going on.”

Allmon said it has been rewarding to watch SeaPerch participants grow in their skills since the program first began in 2016.

“During the first few years, the kids were not comfortable with the courses at all. There was a lot of tangling with their tether cables,” Allmon said. “But there were kids just zipping through the course today. We barely saw them drop their ROVs in before they were back out. The kids are really getting this sport down, and it seems like a really fun way to get them into robotics.

“We’re able to give the kids an outlet to learn a new skill, something that will be transferable if they go into engineering or wiring,” Allmon said. “Very rarely will you invest in kids, and it not pay off.”

Engaging and educating the next generation

Roedel said Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas are proud to work closely with the Cooperative Extension Service and Arkansas 4-H.

“The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas are committed to improving quality of life in the communities that we serve,” Roedel said. “The cooperatives make significant investments in the youth with our communities, as they represent the future. The electric cooperatives in Arkansas would not exist today without the dedication of Division of Agriculture extension agents, who went farm to farm with the state’s electric cooperative pioneers to convince farmers to sign up for electricity back in the 1930s and ‘40s.

“The values of Arkansas 4-H, the Cooperative Extension Service and the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas closely align, as we all exist to serve,” Roedel said. “The SeaPerch program is just another example of a service that our partnership provides to the Natural State.”

McVay said Arkansas 4-H’s partnership with Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas is critical to the program’s success.

“The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas play a huge role in making the SeaPerch Challenge possible,” McVay said. “As the sole sponsor since the beginning, they provide the funding, resources and support needed to keep the program running and growing each year. By reaching out to your local Electric Cooperative, new teams can secure their first SeaPerch kit completely free of charge. By supporting this competition, they’re not just investing in the event itself — they’re investing in the future workforce and leaders of Arkansas.”

For more information about the Arkansas 4-H SeaPerch Challenge, contact McVay at mmcvay@uada.edu or visit 4h.uada.edu. To learn more about the SeaPerch program, visit seaperch.org/about.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers program expands; more youth interested in STEM

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Whether they’re helping adults create resumes, safe passwords or avoid phishing scams, Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers are using their technology skills to make a difference in their communities.

DRONE PRACTICE — Callen Shaw, a member of Grant County 4-H, demonstrates how to operate a recreational drone for his fellow Tech Changemakers at the program's Winter Training on Jan. 3. The program trains youth to lead technology skill workshops to adults in their communities, and Arkansas 4-H members have reached more than 10,000 adults since 2021. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

4-H Tech Changemakers began in Arkansas in 2021 with 20 participants from 11 counties. The program trains youth to teach digital skill-building workshops to adults. Participants have given presentations to Extension Homemakers Council clubs, county meetings for Master Gardeners, nursing homes and community centers, all focusing on basic internet safety.

Over the past four years, Tech Changemakers has grown significantly. Seventy-four Arkansas 4-H members from 16 counties attended the program’s Winter Training on Jan. 3. At the training, participants and adult 4-H volunteers learned how to operate recreational drones and test secure passwords. They also learned to use Ozobots, miniature robots that introduce students to coding techniques.

Cindy Phillips, extension Tech Changemakers program technician for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the program has grown, in part, because of past participants’ vocal enthusiasm.

“Our team, and past teams, have been talking to their friends about how great it is to be a Tech Changemaker,” Phillips said. “We have also set up a Tech Changemakers table at several 4-H events, so more kids are seeing us and asking questions about what we do. It’s a great way to meet fellow 4-H members and gain valuable community service experience.”

Community outreach is at the heart of Tech Changemakers. Nationally, 325 Tech Changemakers participants across 18 states reached more than 37,000 adults in 2021. Phillips said that since then, Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers have connected with more than 10,000 adults in the state through workshops and one-on-one tutorials.

“Our goal is to help the adults in our communities cross the digital divide,” Phillips said. “As our world becomes more and more driven by technology, Tech Changemakers help adults learn essential digital skills, including basic internet safety, phishing scams and cell phone use.”

Michelle McVay, extension STEM instructor for the Division of Agriculture, said that today’s teens are the perfect vehicles to deliver this critical information.

“These kids are what we could consider digital natives,” McVay said. “Many of them have used computers and the internet from an early age, so these technology skills are very familiar to them. We’re asking them to use their knowledge to help people in their communities live safer lives and not feel so left behind by technology — by connecting with these adults, Tech Changemakers help them connect with the world.”

Phillips said that in 2025, participants will also teach STEM classes in their local schools.

Technology skills for work and play

At the Tech Changemakers Winter Training, new program participants shared their excitement for the year ahead.

Truitt Shaw, a member of Grant County 4-H, said his older brother participated in the program previously, which got him excited to join.

“I thought it would be very interesting to do what my brother did and help people learn how to use technology,” Shaw said.

Shaw, 12, said he’s interested in becoming a professional animator when he grows up, and he’s already sharpening his skills.

“I make stop-motion videos, where you take a picture and then move an item, so it looks like it moves on its own,” Shaw said. “I also do frame-by-frame animation, where I draw a picture and then I draw another picture, and it plays together and makes it look like it’s moving.”

After the training, Shaw said he looked forward to using his skills to help people grasp concepts that may be new or intimidating to them.

“I think that if somebody like my mom or dad, or my grandma or grandpa, needs help with technology and they don’t understand something, I think I’d be able to help them understand it,” Shaw said.

Thyme Spence, a member of Clay County 4-H, said she joined Tech Changemakers because she “thought it would be a good opportunity for me to grow my 4-H experience.” As a freshman in high school, she took a class about coding, which also interested her in the program.

For fellow Clay County 4-H member Claire McKenney, Tech Changemakers presented an opportunity to learn new skills that may benefit her family’s medical practice.

“I thought it would be a cool way to branch out my learning experience and get more life experience with other kinds of jobs,” McKenney said. “I’m most interested in mechanics and coding, because while my family runs a doctor’s office, I want to become something different and learn engineering so I can be independent.

“If a printer breaks, or there’s a computer problem, I’ll know a bit more about what’s wrong with it and how to fix it,” she said.

McKenney said she thinks her Tech Changemakers experience could “definitely go into a career path and future life experiences.”  

Learn more about Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers online, visit or contact Cindy Phillips at cdphillips@uada.edu.

Mention of product names does not imply endorsement by the Division of Agriculture.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Arkansas 4-H teaches STEM, public speaking skills at Tech Changemakers summer training

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Technology skills are critical for both everyday life and career readiness. To set 4-H members up for success, the Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers program equips participants with practical knowledge — and teaches them how to share their skills with the community.

HANDS-ON LEARNING — Amanda Berryhill and Landen Floyd use science activity kits at the Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers summer training, held June 25-26 at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock. The program teaches participants technology skills, and 4-H members then teach skills classes in their communities to help bridge the digital divide. (Division of Agriculture photo.) 

The program hosted its 2024 summer training June 25-26 at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock. Participants learned how to take photos and write captions for social media, how to operate drones and their applications for agriculture technology, how to create stop-motion videos and more.

In addition to teaching 4-H members about technology, the Tech Changemakers program requires participants to lead digital skills classes for adults in their communities. To help bridge the technology gap, 4-H members teach lessons in identifying phishing scams, setting secure passwords, basic internet safety and more. Since 2021, the program has grown from 30 participants in 11 Arkansas counties to 75 participants in 24 counties.

Cindy Phillips, extension program technician for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the program helps 4-H members develop independence through learning to teach.

“Tech Changemakers learn to plan and set up classes,” Phillips said. “They are responsible for the location, teachers and necessary materials. They teach the lessons. Some of them teach from the front of the room, and some of them teach one-on-one to help participants with the new skill. Our team’s adults are there to support and supervise, while our teens are in charge of all of the areas of the program.”

Michelle McVay, extension 4-H STEM instructor for the Division of Agriculture, said 4-H members enjoyed the variety of lessons and activities offered at the training.

“The kids are really loving it,” McVay said. “This is where the world is going anyway, to being more tech-based. Any opportunity you can get to have the kids engaged, interested and excited about technology, the better." 

Learning by teaching

Lynn Lanthrip, Drew County extension 4-H program assistant for the Division of Agriculture, said the program’s teaching element helps participants better master the material.

“I love getting the kids involved with technology and getting a group of kids excited about teaching,” Lanthrip said. “I think this is very much needed. It’s awesome watching them find their spot in the thing they like to teach.”

Lanthrip’s son was a member of the first group of Tech Changemakers in 2021. She said he benefited from connecting with adult students in the digital skills classes.

“He was 17, and he never liked public speaking,” she said. “But he loved working with people one-on-one, especially with teaching older people. He would go in, and he would be the one at the back helping individuals, instead of leading at the front. It does give the kids who are not strong speakers a way to improve, and it gives them a good way to help and teach.”

As part of the summer training, Phillips brought voice coaches to lead participants in vocal exercises — helping 4-H members project their voices and speak confidently. Phillips said she was inspired by a third-year Tech Changemaker participant, whose public speaking skills and confidence improved through his involvement in community theater.

“They led our kids through some fun, kooky games that helped them understand how to make their voices heard all the way at the back of an auditorium,” Phillips said. “And when we were making s’mores by the campfire, they helped show the kids that if there are noise distractions — like the sound of the cicadas — then they need to accommodate for those.”

Discovering their True Colors

Debbie Nistler, assistant vice president of 4-H and youth development for the Division of Agriculture, led Tech Changemakers through the True Colors personality assessment. Nistler said the test provides valuable insights into the individual traits participants bring to their teams.

After completing worksheets to identify their strongest color, participants split into four groups: Blues, known as the peacemakers; Greens, known as the analyzers; Golds, known as the organizers; and Oranges, known as the activators.

“I wanted to do this activity with you because you will be working on your Tech Changemaker teams in your counties all year,” Nistler said. “I want you to think about not what you are, but what your teammates are, and taking someone for who they are. That is one of the hardest things to do. When we work with people who are different than we are, we often think, ‘Well, they’re not like me.’

“I’m hoping you can take this True Colors training and think about your teammates as Blue, Gold, Green and Orange, and where they fit,” she said. “In a successful team, you need all of those colors to be present.”

Nistler also noted that the late Hope Bragg, former extension instructor in 4-H youth development for the Division of Agriculture, who helped start the Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers program, would be proud to see the program’s growth.

“I am super excited that we have such a great group of Tech Changemakers here today,” Nistler said. “Hope would be very excited to see the number of folks here. Hope’s True Colors were Blue and Green, and she would be very excited to see all of you doing this. You are doing well in honoring her, and I am excited to see what this iteration of Tech Changemakers does over the next year.”

Phillips said that in 2024, the Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers plan to teach original lessons on internet responsibility, how to search for information, email basics, video conferencing and more.

“Our team members complete many hours of service while helping members of their community cross the digital divide,” Phillips said. “Our team motto is ‘Once a changemaker, always a changemaker,’ and I believe they are forever changed by the difference they make in their communities.”

To learn more about Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers, visit 4h.uada.edu/programs/science/engineering-technology/ or contact Cindy Phillips at cdphillips@uada.edu.

4-H is a youth development program operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the Division of Agriculture. The program teaches participants life skills through the “learn by doing” model. Program participants gain knowledge through non-formal, science-based, experiential education activities.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.