INDIAN HEAD, Md. — More than 400 students and their families packed the College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) Velocity Center in Indian Head, Maryland, April 22 to get a hands-on look at some of the exciting arts and science activities and opportunities available in their backyard.
Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) joined other local participants to showcase the importance of STEM during CSM’s second annual Art of Innovation Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Festival. Attendees participated in hands-on STEAM activities to include performing arts exhibits, 3-D printing activities, and – of course – robotics demonstrations from NSWC IHD’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robotics technicians.
Families who visited the NSWC IHD booth learned about the critical technologies developed by one of the county’s largest employers. The command’s display included a fighter pilot ejection seat, giving students and their parents a visual understanding of the instrumental role command technology plays in ensuring a pilot can successfully eject during an emergency. Attendees also had an opportunity to interact with and learn about EOD robots and the role technology and engineering plays in keeping EOD operators, military members and first responders safe while deployed.
“It’s always a great opportunity to meet the community and get the kids excited in the field of STEM,” said Daniel Swick, a robotics technical in the command’s Unmanned Systems Branch. “These students are the future of our field and if our demonstrations at these events drive them to a career in STEM, that is a win-win for everyone.”
NSWC IHD — a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Establishment — is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, manufacturing and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.