Work in progress - United States Coast Guard Academy Robotics on Water competition as recruiting tool - Program enhancement for STEM & diversity outreach

Over the past two years, the United States Coast Guard Academy developed and implemented a one-day hands-on Coast Guard Academy Robotics On Water program (CGAROW). The program is gaining national attention because of its success in recruiting a diverse group of students interested in pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers in the Coast Guard. In order to meet the growing interest from high schools to host the program, USCGA is standardizing the materials and equipment used in order to make them readily available. Furthermore, to advance CGAROW’s role as a STEM outreach program, educational materials are being developed to reinforce STEM concepts within the current middle and high school curricula. The authors discuss the ongoing enhancement of the CGAROW program, its standardization and curriculum development. Index Terms – Outreach, Robotics, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics.