Three weeks of intensive lessons are now over, and our alumni are ready to conduct surveys using various tools, inspect the artifacts by diving or through exploration vehicles, as well as rescue people and vehicles in distress.
This year, students launched the exhibition of artifacts recovered from the Empress Catherine the Greatbattleship and participated in the battle of underwater robots, which they themselves created.
An “Oceanautica” pilot project was launched in 2017. At first, it was just an elective. For the last two years, however, it has been a standalone course developed by the URC RGS together with the OrlyonokNational Children’s Center.
The program consists of two stages:
1. Correspondence training stage at oceanautica.ru. The number of participants is unlimited.
2. Full-time oceanography program at the OrlyonokNational Children’s Center during the 6thcamp shift. Only the top 100 of the correspondence stage participants are eligible to join the program.
The children who have successfully completed the first (theoretical) stage are eligible to attend a full-time oceanography program, focusing on one of the five available courses:
• Aquanauts: introduction to diving, scuba diving training («Open Water Diver»).
• Hydronauts: principles and methods of piloting manned and remotely operated underwater vehicles; conducting surveys with the help of various tools.
• Rescuers: a hands-on course aimed at acquiring first aid and water rescue skills, learning how to operate various means of water transport and diving medicine 101.
• Custodians: a hands-on course on conservation and restoration of artifacts recovered during the URC RGS expeditions.
• Inventors: underwater robotics.
The hands-on training is conducted using lightweight diving gear, underwater robots, search equipment, and even a mini submarine. The lessons are taught by experts from the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society.
The most active and disciplined students will be invited to participate in underwater research expeditions. Last year, 10 oceanauts earned the chance to visit Gogland together with the URC RGS team. In 2019, 15 alumni of the “Oceanautica” program will visit the island.
In 2019, 1280 kids registered for the competition. 328 of them successfully completed the correspondence stage. Finally, 100 of them came to Orlyonokto participate in the “Oceanautica” program.
The winners were determined by the total number of points received for successfully completing the correspondence course, as well as personal achievements. Under the terms of the competition, the participants were also required to provide full and correct information requested by the organizers.
The registration for participation in the third annual “Oceanautica” program will open in January 2020.
