Digital Maritime STEM Outreach | Virginia Digital Maritime Center

Previous Digital Ship Challenges

2025 Digital Ship Challenge

During the 2025 Digital Ship Challenge, high school students from around Hampton Roads were tasked with designing and building an innovative support vessel that can maintain stability at sea. Students utilized engineering design, innovation, ship design and construction, research and statistics to build their vessels to be tested against real-world situations. To see the 2025 Challenge Packet, click HERE.

The winners of the 2025 competition were:

Wet Socks Winner — 1st Place – Team Wet Socks from Advanced Technology Center in Virginia Beach

2nd Place – Team IED #2 from Grassfield STEM Academy in Chesapeake

3rd Place – Team Catalypso from Advanced Technology Center in Virginia Beach

Watch the recap video of the 2025 Digital Ship Challenge!

2024 Digital Ship Challenge

During the 2024 Digital Ship Challenge, local high school students designed and built cutting-edge container ships that then navigated the varying sea states of the Atlantic Ocean. On the day of the event, students delivered captivating presentations, detailing their design and construction processes for their container ships. Hampton Roads maritime professionals served as advisors, panelists, and judges throughout the competition and had the chance to showcase their companies. To see the 2024 Challenge Packet, click HERE.

The winners of the 2024 competition were:

1st Place – Team Indigo from Landstown High School in Virginia Beach

2nd Place – Team Buoys in the Hood from Advanced Technology Center in Virginia Beach

3rd Place – Team Crazy Crab Cargo from Hampton High School in Hampton

Watch the recap video of the 2024 Digital Ship Challenge!