Education

Petoskey News Review

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Alpena High School robotics team sets records at world championship

ALPENA, Mich. — The UR² (Underwater Research Robot Company) competitive robotics team from Alpena High School returned from St. John's, Newfoundland, with a collection of milestone achievements at the 2026 MATE ROV World Championship, the premier international student underwater robotics competition. Competing among 84 teams representing 18 countries, UR² delivered one of the strongest performances in program history, finishing 8th overall—a new program record and the highest finish the team has ever achieved. The team's success extended across multiple competition categories. In the RANGER class competition, UR² set a new program record by scoring 260 points in the product demonstration, the highest product demo score the team has ever achieved at the World Championship level. The product demonstration evaluates the team's ROV and float systems in realistic underwater mission scenarios, rewarding engineering quality, mission effectiveness, and operational execution. UR² also earned the highest engineering presentation score of any team in their competition arena. With four arenas operating simultaneously across the event, this distinction reflects the depth and quality of the team's technical documentation and design rationale. The team's technical documentation earned a score of 96 out of 100—another program best—reflecting the exceptional depth and precision of the team's engineering write-ups,

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Target Huron launches $100,000 workforce development program for Northeast Michigan students

ALPENA, Mich. — Target Huron Economic Development Corporation launched a $100,000 workforce development program designed to prepare high school students for careers and entrepreneurship in Northeast Michigan. The Target Huron RISE Initiative will serve juniors and seniors across Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Iosco and Presque Isle counties. RISE stands for Readiness, Integration, Skill Development and Employment. The program creates a pathway connecting students to real-world skills, industry-recognized credentials and employment opportunities before graduation. It directly addresses workforce shortages that regional employers consistently identify as barriers to growth. "Small businesses are the backbone of Northeast Michigan's economy," said Lenny Avery, executive director of Target Huron. "When we talk about supporting entrepreneurs and helping businesses grow, we cannot separate that conversation from workforce development. A business can have customers, capital and opportunity, but without a skilled workforce, growth becomes difficult. RISE is designed to address that challenge by creating a pipeline of talented young people who are ready to contribute on day one." The Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce partnered with Target Huron on the initiative. "The Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with Target Huron on the RISE Initiative because it builds a strong, intentional bridge between education and