PARENT MEETING · MAY 2026
We're going back to frickin’ Worlds!
MATE ROV World Championship 2026 · St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
DEPART
JUN 21, 2026
RETURN
JUN 29, 2026
HOST
MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY
INFO
XACADEMY.ORG/WORLDS
02/28
01 · THE NEWS
First place at Regionals.
Hephaestus Robotics is one of a small group of teams advancing to the MATE ROV World Championship. First time winning 1st place at Regionals. Fourth time going to Worlds. Placed 3rd at Worlds last two years.
[
REGIONAL WIN — TEAM ON DECK
]
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
03/28
02 · WHAT IS MATE ROV
The MATE ROV World Championship.
ENGINEERING
Students design, build, and pilot underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles — solving real-world ocean engineering missions on the clock.
WORLDWIDE
Regional winners from across the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia converge for one championship event each summer.
MORE THAN A CONTEST
Teams operate as engineering companies — pitching to judges, defending technical decisions, and writing formal documentation.
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
05/28
04B · ADULTS ON THE TRIP
Your chaperone team.
Five experienced X Academy adults — engineers, mentors, parents — traveling with the team for all nine days.
TS
Tim Sylvester
MENTOR
BM
Barbara Meister
MENTOR
Tim Madsen
MENTOR
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
TM
TS
Heidi Holland
MENTOR
BM
Laura Bost
MENTOR
06/28
04C · THE NEXT 6 WEEKS
The push to Worlds.
Hephaestus has a lot to do before wheels up. Expect long evenings and weekends at X Academy.
01
Improve the ROV
Reliability fixes, mission-specific tooling, fresh tether runs.
02
Pool practice
Drive time, mission rehearsal, pilot rotation.
03
Presentation
Engineering pitch to judges — every team member speaks.
04
Documentation
Technical report polished and bound.
05
Marketing poster
Required deliverable for Worlds.
06
Pack the gear
Crate, foam, customs paperwork, spares list.
07
Clean the makerspace
Leave it better than we found it.
08
Travel prep
Passports verified, Life360 installed, paperwork in.
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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04 · DESTINATION
St. John's, Newfoundland.
The easternmost city in North America — host of MATE ROV Worlds 2026 at Memorial University's Fisheries and Marine Institute.
47.6°N
LATITUDE
+4.5h
VS. CALIFORNIA
9 days
ON THE GROUND
ROUTE · APPROXIMATE
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
08/28
05 · OVERVIEW
The trip at a glance.
DURATION
9
days
June 21 → June 29, 2026
DESTINATION
St. John's
Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
COST
$3,500
Per student · all-inclusive
DEADLINE
May 15
Final payment due
DEPARTURE
Sun, Jun 21 · 1:00 PM from SFO (parents drive)
CARRIER
WestJet · SFO → YYC → YYT
LODGING
Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland
COMPETITION
Jun 25–27 · Memorial University
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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06 · DEPARTURE DAY
Sunday, June 21 → Monday, June 22.
A long travel day — overnight through Calgary, landing in St. John's the next morning.
8:00 AM
Meet at the Makerspace
Final headcount · gear check · say goodbye
8:30 AM
Parents drive students to SFO
International terminal · WestJet check-in
1:00 PM
WestJet · SFO → YYC
Departure · Calgary connection
9:40 PM
WestJet · YYC → YYT
Overnight to St. John's
6:45 AM
Arrive YYT · Mon Jun 22
Ground transfer to the Sheraton · breakfast & rest
ALL TIMES LOCAL TO EACH AIRPORT · WESTJET ITINERARY
10/28
07 · FLIGHTS
Two flights, one carrier.
OUTBOUND · JUN 21 → 22
SFO
SAN FRANCISCO
DEP 1:00 PM
YYC
CALGARY
CONN
YYT
ST. JOHN'S
ARR 6:45 AM
RETURN · JUN 29
YYT
ST. JOHN'S
DEP 7:30 AM
YYC
CALGARY
CONN
SFO
SAN FRANCISCO
ARR 4:40 PM
CARRIER · WESTJET · BOOKED AS A GROUP — STUDENTS SEATED TOGETHER WHERE POSSIBLE.
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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08 · LODGING
Hilton Garden Inn
St. John's Newfoundland
Downtown St. John's, walking distance to the harbor and a short shuttle to Memorial University. Rooms are pre-booked and paired by the team.
CHECK-IN
Mon, June 22 (early morning)
CHECK-OUT
Mon, Jun 29 (morning)
ROOMING
Two students per room · two beds per room · same-gender pairs
SUPERVISION
Chaperone room on every floor used
[
HOTEL · EXTERIOR
]
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
12/28
09 · COST
What it costs.
Per-student trip cost. Every student goes regardless of ability to pay — we ask families to contribute what they can, and we fundraise the rest.
$3,500/ student
PAY WHAT YOU CAN · X ACADEMY COVERS THE GAP
Round-trip flights
WestJet · SFO ↔ YYT
✓
Hotel
8 nights · Hilton
✓
Meals
Breakfast, lunch, dinner — all 9 days
✓
Ground transport
Airport ↔ hotel ↔ venue
✓
Competition fees
MATE registration & mission materials
✓
13/28
10 · PAYMENT
Three ways to pay.
Pick whichever is easiest. Everything settles to the X Academy 501(c)(3) account.
01
FASTEST
PayPal
Send to the X Academy account at xacademy.org/worlds . Confirmation email lands the same day.
02
TRADITIONAL
Check
Made out toX Academy . Mail to: 148 Cypress Park, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
03
DOUBLE YOUR DOLLAR
Company match
X Academy is registered with Benevity — Google, Apple, Salesforce and many others will match your gift. EIN provided on request.
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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11B · HELP CLOSE THE GAP
Donate to send Hephaestus to Worlds.
X Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — every contribution is tax-deductible and goes directly to the trip.
ASK
Grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, your employer, your network.
MATCH
X Academy is on Benevity — most major employers will match dollar-for-dollar.
MAIL A CHECK
X Academy · 148 Cypress Park · Santa Cruz, CA 95060
xacademy.org/worlds
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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09B · WE NEED YOU
Parent volunteers.
Getting Hephaestus to Worlds is a community effort. Sign up for one — or several.
$
Fundraising
Outreach to friends, family, local businesses. Help us close the gap.
→
Driving to SFO
Carpool students from Santa Cruz to SFO on Jun 21 and back on Jun 29.
◉
Supervising practice
An adult in the room during evening pool & build sessions.
◊
Bringing food
Meals & snacks during long practice nights. Pizza is welcome.
SIGN UP
robotics@xacademy.org
XACADEMY.ORG/WORLDS
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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11 · DEADLINE
Final payment due
May 15
2026
Flights and hotel rooms are booked as a group at locked-in rates. We need every payment in by this date so the school can settle the group invoices on time.
If this date is a problem for your family, please talk to Tim directly. We'll work with you.
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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12 · PAPERWORK
Documents we need from you.
All required for international travel. Submit at: xacademy.org/worlds.
EVERY STUDENT
01
Detailed travel form (online)
Fill out atxacademy.org/worlds — dietary, flying with X Academy, emergency contacts.
02
Valid passport — picture page
Any country. Photocopy or clear scan.
03
Medical insurance card
Front and back — photocopy or scan.
04
X Academy · MATE · COE waivers
All three included in the parent packet.
05
Life360 installed on student phone
Required — lets chaperones track location during the trip.
FOR MINOR CHILDREN (ADDITIONAL)
06
Travel authorization letter
Signed by both parents/guardians. Template provided — no notary required.
07
Copy of birth certificate
Photocopy or clear scan.
08
Both parents' signed passport copies
Picture pages — required at the border for minors.
ALL FORMS · XACADEMY.ORG/WORLDS
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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13 · BORDER
Passports & border crossing.
Canada is an international border. Every student needs a valid passport — any country — plus consent paperwork from both parents.
A
Valid passport (any country) good through at least Dec 29, 2026.
B
Travel consent letter signed by both parents — we provide the template, no notary required.
C
Picture pages of both parents' passports.
D
Travel guidance: materovcompetition.org/travel-canada
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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14 · SUPERVISION
Safety & supervision.
ON THE GROUND
—
Adult chaperones on every hotel floor we use.
—
Students never travel solo — minimum buddy pairs.
—
Mandatory check-ins every morning and evening.
MEDICAL
—
All medications and allergies disclosed in advance on the medical form.
—
Photocopies of every student's medical insurance card on file with mentors.
—
Hospital and urgent-care locations pre-mapped near the hotel and venue.
TRACKING & OFF-CAMPUS
—
Life360 installed on every student phone — chaperones see live location.
—
No leaving the hotel zone without a chaperone. Curfew enforced nightly.
—
Group activities only — no solo exploration in St. John's.
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
20/28
15 · COMMUNICATION
Staying in touch.
You'll always know where the team is — and you'll always be able to reach your student.
SLACK
Student & mentor channel — questions, photos, schedule changes.
TIM SYLVESTER
+1 (408) 334‑1700 · tim@xacademy.org
BARBARA MEISTER
+1 (831) 334‑1703 · barbara@xacademy.org
LIVE STREAM
Competition streamed onTwitch �· link shared in Slack on Day 1.
TIME ZONE
St. John's is 4.5 hours ahead of California.
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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16 · CONDUCT
Code of conduct.
Hephaestus Robotics represents X Academy on a world stage. Every student signs the same agreement.
RESPECT
Toward teammates, mentors, judges, hotel staff, and every other team in the competition.
CURFEW
In your assigned room by the curfew posted each evening. No exceptions.
NO SUBSTANCES
Zero tolerance for alcohol, drugs, or any prohibited substance.
STAY TOGETHER
Buddy pairs at all times. Tell a chaperone before changing location, even within the hotel.
VIOLATIONS MAY RESULT IN A STUDENT BEING SENT HOME AT THE FAMILY'S EXPENSE.
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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17B · SUNDAY JUN 28 · FUN DAY
Whales, puffins, and (maybe) icebergs.
A 2-hour boat tour out of Bay Bulls into the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve — peak humpback season, the largest puffin colony in North America, and icebergs often still around in late June.
OPERATOR
O'Brien's Whale & Bird Tours (Bay Bulls, NL)
DISTANCE
~30 minutes south of St. John's
BACKUP
Cape Spear lighthouse + Signal Hill hike
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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18 · CALENDAR
MAY 15
FRIDAY
Final payment due · all paperwork submitted
MAY 29
FRIDAY
Graduation and Schools Out!
JUN 14
SUNDAY
Packing-list workshop at X Academy
JUN 19
FRIDAY
Final mandatory team meeting · gear handoff
JUN 21
SUNDAY
Parents drop students at Makerspace at 8:00AM
JUN 23–24
TUE–WED
Team check-in & safety inspections at venue
JUN 25–27
THU–SAT
World Championship competition days
JUN 28
SUNDAY
Fun day in St. John's · whale & puffin tour
JUN 29
MONDAY
Return to SFO · 4:40 PM · parents pick up at airport
25/28
19 · WHO TO REACH
Your point people.
LEAD MENTOR
Tim Sylvester
+1 (408) 334‑1700
tim@xacademy.org · trip logistics, daily updates, anything urgent
CO-LEAD
Barbara Meister
+1 (831) 334‑1703
barbara@xacademy.org · paperwork, payments, family questions
GENERAL QUESTIONS
robotics@xacademy.org
XACADEMY.ORG/WORLDS
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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20B · BOOKMARKS
Watch & follow.
Everything you need in one place — official MATE pages, the live stream, and our trip hub.
X Academy · Worlds 2026 hub
xacademy.org/worlds
Forms, payments, FAQs, daily updates.
MATE Worlds Championship
materovcompetition.org/world-championship
Schedule, qualifiers, host info.
Travel to Canada (MATE)
materovcompetition.org/travel-canada
Border, customs, and travel guidance.
Location announcement video
MATE 2026 Location Announcement
Quick intro to host city & venue. Link in Slack.
Live stream
Twitch · channel TBA
Competition broadcast Jun 25–27. Watch from home.
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY · WORLDS 2026
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20 · OVER TO YOU
Questions?
Anything we didn't cover — money, logistics, travel, conduct, communication. Now's the time.
NEXT
xacademy.org/worlds · forms & payment
DEADLINE
May 15 — final payment
DEPART
Jun 21 · 11 AM at SFO
HEPHAESTUS ROBOTICS · X ACADEMY
Thankyou.
Your students earned this trip. We can't wait to take them.
SEE YOU AT WORLDS · ST. JOHN'S · JUNE 2026