NSWCDD STEM
Building the next generation of STEM talent through hands-on education.
The mission of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Program is to inspire, engage, educate, recruit and retain a workforce which will meet tomorrow’s naval technological challenges.
- Elementary, middle and high school after-school clubs that meet with a Dahlgren Division mentor weekly for hands-on demos and engineering activities
SeaPerch – Middle and High School
- Students build an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from scratch with the help of Dahlgren Division mentors and educators
- Dahlgren Division provides tools and materials for ROVs
- Annual competition for regional schools to compete in challenges to navigate their ROV through a series of underwater obstacles
- Winners from regional competition move on to compete nationally
Career Talks and Mock Interviews – Middle and High School
Dahlgren Division scientists and engineers visit schools to discuss and answer career, education and technical questions from middle and high school students
NSWCDD STEM Community Outreach
Summer Middle School STEM Academy
- Multiday summer camp hosted at King George Middle School with hands-on STEM activities and information to increase interest in STEM disciplines and careers
- Past activities have included:
- Navy-focused robotic missions
- STEM-career discussions and speakers
- Balsa wood tower design
- Foil-boat engineering
- Lab demos
Community Outreach
- STEM Nights and STEM Expos
- Local STEM events focused on bringing many science and engineering organizations together to offer hands-on experiences for students
- Career and Internship Fairs
- STEM advocates attend many regional events to provide information on internship and career opportunities at NSWCDD
- Dahlgren Downtown
- Event hosted in downtown Fredericksburg to give local citizens and students a chance to learn about NSWCDD’s past, present and future
Resources and Professional Development for Educators
- STEM activities and resources available
- Robotics trainings
- Partnership with University of Mary Washington College of Education
Department of Defense (DoD) and Naval STEM

DoD STEM’s mission is to inspire, cultivate, and develop exceptional STEM talent through a continuum of opportunities to enrich our current and future DoD workforce poised to tackle evolving defense technological challenges.
The Department of the Navy (DON) has a rich history of providing STEM education and outreach opportunities that cultivate a diverse and well-trained pool of talent for the Navy and Marine Corps. Our warfighters’ superiority depends on scientific and technological innovations and breakthroughs of today and in the future. To promote an environment where these breakthroughs continue, the DON must foster initiatives and collaborations to promote the development of the future and current naval STEM workforce.
