They say it takes a village to raise children, and that is never more apparent than when it comes to providing the best education for the leaders of tomorrow. For several years now, a village of education-minded technology supporters in the New England area has been coming together to help spread the fundamentals of drone technology to high school students. The consortium consists of a team from MassRobotics in Boston, Massachusetts, and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Founded in 2015, MassRobotics is the largest independent, non-profit robotics innovation hub. The organization is overseen by experts from throughout the robotics and drone industry, including entities like Amazon Robotics and MIT. MassRobotics partnered with Brown University Professor of Computer Science Stefanie Tellex to offer a Drone Academy to students interested in pursuing a career in drone technology. In 2020, thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, Professor Tellex developed an introductory mini-drone program for university students. To make the program more applicable for high schoolers, Professor Tellex, with the help of MassRobotics, reached out to Duckietown, a robotics and AI education program developed by a group of MIT graduates.

During the first summer, Professor Tellex and Duckietown trained 10 high school teachers on a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) program that utilizes drones. “There’s something about flight that captures the imagination,” Professor Tellex said. “The idea here is to use that excitement to introduce students to robotics and artificial intelligence, which can seem a little daunting at first. But these autonomous drones are really good for teaching the basics in a fun way, and we think it’s a great way to get kids interested in STEM.”

For the program, Professor Tellex and Duckietown’s new drone branch, DuckieSky, developed a simple, easy-to-build and operate drone, yet one still sophisticated enough to teach the basics of drone technology. The students learn how to assemble the small quadcopter drone, which comes equipped with an onboard camera and computer called Raspberry Pi. Once the students have mastered the physical hardware of the drone, they are taught how to code the drones to operate autonomously. “One of the key things in robotics is the interaction between the hardware and the software,” Professor Tellex said. “These drones are a great way to bring that all together in a really tangible way.”

For teachers like Rick Simard from Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, who participated in the two-week program, this opportunity is something that can change the lives of his students. “What this will mean to our students is beyond words,” he said. “Computer science was once thought to be the future; however, it is no longer the future, it is the ‘now.’ This drone program covers the entire STEM program and is a great addition to our growing computer science offerings.”

This past summer marked the fifth year of the collaboration bringing this drone STEM program to high schoolers. In celebration of the success of the program, the developers reached out to Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, to better reach underserved communities. Igbekeleoluwaladun Daniels, a high schooler at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland, was able to attend the drone program at the Howard University campus. “I believe that it would look good on my resume,” he said. “I’m really interested in creating algorithms and software for drones to help them detect things like hostility and work with companies like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, or Boeing.”

With collaborative programs like the Drone Academy, students like Igbekeleoluwaladun are being provided access to the resources needed to ensure they have the best educational opportunities possible. “As we celebrate the completion of these academies,” MassRobotics stated, “we look forward to continuing our mission of inspiring and educating the next generation of tech leaders. Here’s to the bright futures of our students and the incredible innovations they will bring to the world.” Enrollment for the 2025 round of Drone Academy programs at participating universities will be available beginning in February 2025. As the Drone Academy continues to inspire and educate the next generation of innovators, it is clear that programs like these play a vital role in shaping the future of technology. By equipping students with hands-on experience in drone technology and STEM fields, these initiatives are helping to bridge the gap between education and real-world applications.

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