Sometimes the future of engineering doesn't begin in a university lab.

Sometimes it begins with a group of middle school students, a pile of PVC pipe, a soldering iron, and a question:

"What if we could build a robot that works underwater?"

Last weekend, Unity Junior High School's Underwater Robotics teams traveled to the University of Michigan's Canham Natatorium to compete in the Michigan Regional SeaPerch Challenge — a competition where students design, build, and pilot remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that complete real-world underwater missions.

The challenge simulates storm response scenarios: repairing damaged infrastructure, removing debris, protecting marine life, and collecting water samples after natural disasters.

These students didn't just participate. They dominated.

🏆 Team Oasis — 1st Place (Middle School Stock Class)
🥈 Team Phoenix — 2nd Place (Middle School Stock Class)

Out of every middle school team competing, Unity finished #1 and #2. Let that sink in.

These students engineered their robots from the ground up — designing hydrodynamic frames, testing buoyancy, calculating speed, experimenting with propellers, and rebuilding multiple prototypes until they found what worked best.

They learned how to:

• Think like engineers
• Solve real-world problems 
• Work as a team
• Test, fail, improve, and try again

And they did it in a college pool at one of the top universities in the country. 

Watching these students pilot their robots through underwater obstacle courses and complete simulated rescue missions, you realize something powerful:

The next generation of engineers isn't waiting until college. They're already here.

Cicero District 99 couldn't be prouder of Team Oasis, Team Phoenix, and every student who spent months designing, building, testing, and refining their underwater robots.

The future looks pretty incredible. And apparently... it swims!