NPS Discovery Day

On Friday, October 26th, the Naval Postgraduate school hosted their Day of Discovery. This annual event opens the NPS campus to local elementary, middle, and high schools to come for a day of interactive learning and STEM-based activities.

Our program was asked to help out, and over 30 senior cadets spent their school day volunteering at NPS.

Once they arrived in the morning, cadets were tasked with preparing the ballroom as a lunch area for students. Some cadets set up the tables and chairs and others transported lunches from the arriving school buses.

After setup was complete, the cadets were divided into groups and tour guides lead them on a tour of different Discovery Day stations. In the Osama Bin Laden room, cadets learned how the terrorist was found and were able to explore a VR replica of his hideout. The 3D printer station demonstrated how the navy uses this technology to build submarine devices. Other activities like the Cyber tent taught the importance of internet security through spin-the-wheel games and prizes.

Cadets reconvened to have lunch and went back to work, loading lunchboxes back onto buses and cleaning up the ballroom.

At the end, Major Gordon who was supervising the cadets' work told us he and the entire NPS staff was very grateful for the volunteers their work saving them hours of setup/cleanup time. He was especially impressed by the leadership skills the cadets demonstrated and how they were able to efficiently work as a unit.