WATSONVILLE, California – Following a standout performance at the regional competition, a Santa Cruz County high school robotics team is set to make a splash on the world stage.

Facilitated by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education (Santa Cruz COE) in partnership with the X Academy, the Hephaestus Robotics Team secured a 3rd place finish in the Ranger class at the MATE ROV Monterey Bay Regional Competition. This achievement earns the team an invitation to the MATE ROV World Championship, taking place June 20-22 in Kingsport, Tennessee.

MATE ROV (Marine Advanced Technology Education - Remotely Operated Vehicle) competitions enable students to showcase their creativity and engineering skills in a challenging underwater robotics competition. The program aims to build student skills in entrepreneurship, team work, collaboration, as well as technical skills in robotics, computer programming, and design, engineering, and fabrication.

A total of 31 teams of students from across Central California competed in the MATE ROV Monterey Bay Regional Competition, hosted May 4 at Watsonville High School, including 10 teams from Santa Cruz County. Teams competed in three classes based on experience: Scout, Navigator and Ranger. Top three finishing teams in the Ranger class qualify for the MATE ROV World Championship.

“We are incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work of every student who entered the MATE ROV competition, and grateful to the X Academy for this impactful local partnership,” said Dr. Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools. “By working together to build underwater robots, students are able to develop a range of STEAM skills while fostering teamwork and critical thinking.”

The Hephaestus Robotics team is made up of members of the Santa Cruz COE X Academy Robotics Clubs, a program launched at the start of the 2023-24 school year to provide hands-on experience in robotics to all high school students within Santa Cruz County at no cost. The clubs also sent a second team, the Angry Otters to this year’s regional competition, finishing in second place in the Navigator Class.

More than 40 students from 16 local schools, spanning the Pajaro Valley to the San Lorenzo Valley, participated in the clubs in their inaugural year. “We look forward to this continued partnership to expand the skills of students from upper elementary through high school and beyond as we expand our clubs and school support next year,” said Tim Sylvester, X Academy Executive Director.

For more information about the Santa Cruz County Office of Education X Academy Robotics Clubs, visit cs.santacruzcoe.org/robotics

The X Academy is a nonprofit offering STEM enrichment programs to middle and high school students. The organization is currently raising funds to assist students with travel to the MATE ROV. Donations are tax deductible and can be made at www.xacademy.org/.

About the Santa Cruz County Office of Education

The Santa Cruz County Office of Education (Santa Cruz COE) is a public agency striving to lead an equitable and innovative education system for all Santa Cruz County students. Under the leadership of Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Faris Sabbah, the Santa Cruz COE accomplishes this mission by convening education leaders to catalyze systemic change; providing support and oversight to 10 public school districts; and offering a range of arts, environmental education, child development, career and technical education, and instructional programs and services directly to students, from birth through age 24 and beyond. For more information, visit santacruzcoe.org.

About the X Academy

The X Academy is a Santa Cruz 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering STEM enrichmentprograms to middle and high school students since 2014. Its teams won 3rd place in the 2022MATE ROV regional competition and 7th place in the World Championship telepresence division in2021. The X Academy’s flagship program, the Santa Cruz Math Circle, has engaged nearly 400students from 26 schools in college-level mathematics, serving 30 percent Latinx students, 40percent girls, while providing financial assistance for 25 percent of its students. For moreinformation, visit xacademy.org.

High School Robotics Team Qualifies for World Championship