Over the last several months, dozens of San Diego middle and high school student, grades 5-12, have competed in regional, qualifying events for a national drone competition, and many are proving to be very successful. Two teams (eight students) from Millennial Tech Middle School qualified for the regional championship in Milpitas, Calif. last month (April 10-12).
Produced by the REC Foundation, the Aerial Drone Competition offers students opportunities to build STEM skills in a hands-on, esports-like setting. Teams learn to pilot drones, code with Python, understand flight principles, and build their communication and social skills, all while expanding their interest in the growing drone-related workforce and advanced career opportunities.
This spring, dozens of students in San Diego have joined the competition, including many from Southeast San Diego, an underrepresented and underfunded part of the county, with a grant from the federal government.
At the regional championship, 45 teams competed. “The Graffiti Drones” finished 5th in the Skills Mission and scored an 184 in the Teamwork Mission, while “The Daygo Ducks” ended in 11th place in the Teamwork Mission.
“I am so proud of our students,” said Sarah Hillard, a 3D printing, robotics and drones middle school teacher at Millennial Tech Middle School. “Many of them had never seen a drone, and now they are learning coding, flying, together with their teams. Such a valuable experience!”
CoDrone EDU – Robolink’s career-launching drone trusted in over 4,000 U.S. schools – has been designed for both competitions and the classroom setting. Students code CoDrone EDU’s lights and flight patterns and can harness the power of seven sensors. Integrating fun with coding, CoDrone EDU is an excellent way to learn 21st century technical skills. Robolink offers a free, standards-aligned curriculum using code in both Blockly and Python and professional development resources for teachers.
San Diego-based, Robolink makes career-launching educational drones and learning experiences for grades 5 and up. As the leader in educational drones, they are redefining Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) education by providing hands-on learning experiences that propel students toward high-impact careers in all fields.
“The drone competitions are a great way for students to get hands-on experience, and explore future, potential jobs,” says Hansol Hong, CEO of Robolink. “There are many professions using drones, and even more that demand critical thinking, communication, and collaboration; these events enable middle and high school students to explore them all.”
Many students are now preparing for Mission 2025: Gravity, the national championship, which takes place late this spring.
For more information, visit www.robolink.com.
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