PROGRAMMING UPDATES
As 2025 comes to a close, I wanted to reflect on this year’s success, in the hope it will give you a beacon of holiday cheer. Our mission statement clearly states, “We build adventurers through immersive learning experiences to empower their growth and talent in the aerospace and maritime fields,” and we hit our mark.
This year, we were able to provide three Davis students with a Private Pilot’s License, sent two students to live on a freighter for two months with Interlake Steamship, and provided 40 summer internships across the city of Cleveland, connecting students with local organizations, including United Airlines, Burke Lakefront Airport, RTA, Port of Cleveland, Goodtime III, and Magnet.
We engaged 75 students in afterschool programming, where students participated in FABLAB, Drone, Aviation, Maritime, FIRST Robotics, and Skate clubs. Each program had a unique set of projects that expanded the learning scope of each explorer. We participated in multiple community events, including the Cleveland Cavs and the Cleveland Guardians STEM events, Ingenuity Fest, and the Sturgeon Release Event with the Cleveland Metroparks. Our goal at each event was to inform the community about the exciting things happening at Davis and recruit future adventurers. We are incredibly proud of our Davis students who represented us well at every event they completely ran.
Davis is an awesome place: It’s a school that allows students to freely express themselves and explore their career options in fun and innovative ways. It’s a place where everyone has an opportunity to build a pathway for themselves. A huge part of our success is the courage and support of the Davis teachers and staff. Their dedication to student growth and promoting a positive learning experience is what drives our students to leap into their interests and try new things. Argonaut is lucky to have a strong and wonderful partner in our Davis family.
We’re looking forward to 2026, as we strive to do even more and continue the mission. We hope that 2026 is kind to you and yours. As always, Argonaut and Davis open their doors to anyone willing to extend a hand in volunteering with our students.
Happy Holidays and have a Happy New Year,
Argonaut Programming Team
PREPARING FOR SUCCESS: TEAM 8222’S JOURNEY AHEAD
Team 8222, The Argonauts, have been busy preparing for the new season starting in January. The team competed at Kettering University in September. The new team captains and robot operators took their skills to the field for the first time and did a great job! The team competed again in October at the Voltage Valley Vibe Competition where the drive team sharpened their skills and strategy and earned themselves a 3rd place spot for the competition.
Team 8222 has 15 new members! Over the next several weeks, the new members of the team will be participating in a series of workshops to prepare them for the fast paced season. Workshops include strategy building, mechanical and electrical engineering, and programming and coding sessions. During the last week of the training program, they will build the 2025 Reefscape Kitbot, putting their new skills to the test.
2026 FRC Season Kick-Off:
January 10th, 11:00am-2:00pm
Great Lakes Science Center
2026 FRC Buckeye Regional (8222 will compete here)
March 18th – 21st, 8:30am – 5:00pm
Wolstein Center, Cleveland State University
2026 Miami Valley Regional
April 1st – 4th, 8:30am – 5:00pm
Cintas Center, Xavier University
2026 FRC New York Tech Valley Regional
(8222 will compete here)
April 15th – 18th, 8:30am – 5:00pm
MVP Arena
Please visit www.clevelandfirst.org for more information on these competitions.
FALL FAB LAB REPORT: CLUBS, COMPETITIONS & COMMUNITY
This fall has been an incredibly creative season in the Argonaut Fab Lab, with students exploring design, engineering, and fabrication through a wide range of hands-on projects. In Fab Club, students have been busy crafting their own jewelry, designing custom T-shirts, and engineering mini basketball hoops—each project blending art, technology, and problem-solving. Many students also used the laser cutter and 3D printers to create personalized gifts for their families, bringing thoughtful ideas to life through digital fabrication.
Fab Saturdays returned this year with a strong start, welcoming families into the lab for weekend creativity. At our first Fab Saturday of the year, families designed and created their own jewelry pieces with the help of our laser cutters. The second Fab Saturday celebrated Halloween, offering hands-on stations where students and families built wooden jack-o’-lanterns and crafted costume masks using digital design tools.
Our students also took part in the annual Pumpkin Drop, where creativity and engineering collide.
The pumpkin drop is an annual tradition at Davis A&M where students create run ways and drop pumpkins using a parachute in hopes of landing on their runway. This year, my crew earned the award for Best Runway Design with a full-scale Space Invaders arcade machine built entirely from cardboard. The project required exceptional teamwork, long hours both in and out of school, and a shared goal of building the most impressive runway display in the competition.
In October, our 11th and 12th graders attended Manufacturing Day at the Great Lakes Science Center—an annual national event that introduces students to modern manufacturing careers, technologies, and workforce pathways. During the visit, students explored interactive exhibits, met industry professionals, and learned how advanced manufacturing blends engineering, robotics, and innovation to power real-world industries. Our students also participated in hands-on demonstrations, giving them a deeper understanding of how their Fab Lab skills translate into high-demand career fields.
This year, we’re excited to launch PBIS Rewards in the Fab Lab. PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) is a school-wide system that recognizes and reinforces positive behaviors. To kick off the program, the top 30 students earned an exclusive Fab Lab experience where they designed and created their own custom hoodies using our vinyl cutters and heat presses. This week, PBIS students will take on a new project: crafting personalized cutting boards using our ShopBot CNC router, giving them hands-on practice with digital design and precision manufacturing. A special thank you to Mrs. Egan for helping integrate PBIS into the Fab Lab and ensuring that positive behavior leads to real, creative, skill-building experiences for our students.
The Fab Lab continues to grow as a hub for creativity, exploration, and community. With more programs ahead, we’re excited to keep expanding opportunities for students and families to design, build, and discover together.
Davis Maritime: Hands-On Learning Across the Waterfront
Charting New Waters: Davis Maritime Club Navigates Paper Charts
This Fall, members of the Davis Maritime Club took on the challenge of learning to read paper maritime charts. Understanding maritime charts is crucial and is an important foundation for any good captain. Students used their understanding of longitude and latitude to plot points with the coordinates they were provided. Students will continue to develop their skills through seamanship classes and after-school programming.
Exploring the Future: Davis Students at Great Lakes Maritime Career Day
Davis Seamanship class juniors had the opportunity to attend the Great Lakes Maritime Career Day. During their visit, students learned about a multitude of exciting careers in maritime. Students spoke to representatives from Interlake Steamship Company, the US Coast Guard, Cleveland Cliffs, and other organizations. This was an incredible opportunity for students to explore the history of the Great Lakes and learn from people in the field
2543 Student Experience
While some Davis students spent their summer working on our maritime vessels, some members of the maritime club went out on the water for two days of training. During training, club members had the opportunity to practice driving and use radar, sonar, and other tools. Training like this is one of the many ways Davis students can become water-ready if they choose to continue their journey in the maritime field.
Freshman Field Trip
During their first year at Davis, students in the Maritime Science class have the exciting opportunity to learn from local NEO partners that specialize in maritime careers. This year, students visited the Port of Cleveland and took a tour of the facilities. While there, students saw the unloading of steel coils from a container ship. Other students visited the Garret Morgan Water Treatment Plant and saw all that it takes to make Cleveland’s drinking water. This spring, other students will get similar experiences at other NEO partners.
ON FINAL APPROACH: CELEBRATING STUDENT MILESTONES IN AVIATION
We’re finalizing another amazing year in Aviation, and we’re excited to share our students’ accomplishments:
We are more than halfway through the Private Pilot Ground School class. Upon completion, each student will have the opportunity to take the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Knowledge Exam and earn their student pilot license.
Ground School students and the 10th-grade Aviation Science class have completed their discovery flights. One of our aspiring students, DeMere, had an even more exciting experience: DeMere’s first time in an aircraft was during his discovery flight, where he got to step into the pilot’s chair and take control of the Argonaut Cherokee!
Congrats to Brady and Sam, who have each been awarded one of the flight training slots. Once Brady and Sam complete ground school, pass the FAA knowledge exam, and complete their first class FAA medical exams, they will have the opportunity to begin flight training after winter break.
Students in the Aviation Club have built 10 remote control aircraft. We are waiting for a good weather day to go to Flite Test and fly the aircraft.
A few students will soon be starting general aircraft maintenance training with our aircraft technician and inspector, Ioannis Giagtzoglou. As part of their experience, students will learn in the classroom and gain valuable knowledge and experience working on aircraft in the shop. This type of hands-on learning helps prepare them to enroll in an Airframe and Powerplant Tech school after they graduate.
Eyes on the Sky: Latest Drone Program Updates
Students Soaring Together: Davis Drone Soccer Team
At Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School, we are proud to build our innovative Drone Soccer team. This exciting program is gaining momentum, and our students are diving deep into the world of drone technology and teamwork. The Drone Soccer team is not just about competition; it’s about fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration, all while having fun.
We invite other CMSD schools that are interested in joining the Drone Soccer movement. If you would like to learn more or have your school involved, please reach out to Argonaut or Devon Sheehy at dsheehy@argonaut.org.
Engineering Success: Drone Course Information
We’re thrilled to offer education for students interested in obtaining their UAS Part 107 Drone License, a certification that is increasingly valuable in today’s job market. The course will cover all necessary material to prepare students for the FAA Part 107 Exam, which is required to operate drones commercially. The course will be hands-on, engaging, and designed to give students the knowledge and confidence they need to pursue careers in drone technology, whether in the commercial, public safety, or aerospace sectors.
If you or your student is interested in any of our drone programming, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Devon Sheehy or any staff member at Argonaut. We’re excited about where these incredible opportunities take our students!