The very best highschool drone applications for aspiring drone pilots and engineers

Drones are more and more common in colleges, not simply as flying devices however as highly effective instruments to show STEM, coding, aviation, and even entrepreneurship. The very best highschool drone applications transcend flight mechanics — they have interaction college students via hands-on studying, construct technical confidence and put together them for industry-recognized credentials just like the FAA’s Half 107 Distant Pilot Certificates.

After in some circumstances years of evaluating drone curriculums, testing platforms, and interviewing college students and educators, I’ve discovered that DroneBlocks is the very best all-around highschool drone training program. That’s based mostly on its stability between inexpensive value, versatility, simple of use for lecturers and precise pleasure amongst college students.

However that’s not the one nice choice. In case you’re trying to construct an interesting FPV program or introduce competition-based flying, Drone Legends is your greatest guess. For coding-focused lecture rooms, CoDrone by Robolink provides a powerful, hardware-integrated expertise.

I additionally thought of a handful of strong secondary choices, together with Drone Cadets and Drone Dojo, which serve extra area of interest roles in training.

How I evaluated these applications

I’ve spent years embedded within the drone {industry}. I received began in drones myself via randomly) enrolling in a drone course (that was on the school stage) approach again in 2013. Since then, I’ve spent a few years evaluating dozens of drone teaching programs not simply from afar, however from contained in the curriculum itself. I’ve flown the drones. I’ve gone via the teachings. In lots of circumstances, I’ve spoken immediately with the scholars who use these instruments — resembling in my collaboration with college students at Kammerer Center Faculty, who reviewed CoDrone after a number of weeks of classroom use.

To make my remaining suggestions, I evaluated:

• Curriculum high quality: How participating and pedagogically sound is this system?
• Scalability: Can it develop from one class to a full CTE program?
• {Hardware} integration: How nicely do the drones work with the course supplies?
• Business relevance: Does it put together college students for real-world alternatives just like the FAA’s Half 107?
• Pupil engagement: Are youngsters excited to continue learning?
• Assist & documentation: Are lecturers supported via coaching or troubleshooting?

So with that in thoughts, listed here are my remaining picks for greatest highschool drone program.

Finest general highschool drone program: DroneBlocks

Finest for: STEM lecture rooms, scalable district-wide applications, and Half 107 prep

DroneBlocks is probably the most complete program for colleges looking for a drone curriculum that’s adaptable, well-supported, and rooted in real-world expertise. Constructed round a small drone known as the Crazyflie Nano Drone, it provides a mild studying curve that begins with block coding and ramps as much as Python, so college students can program their very own autonomous drone missions within the classroom.

I like this product as a result of it’s tremendous scalable. You should purchase only a single Crazyflie Nano Drone for $400. That features the drone itself, plus use of the DroneBlocks App.

After all , you’ll presumably need multiple drone for a classroom. You may begin with only one and slowly construct up your fleet one by one, although the corporate additionally accepts buy orders in case you electronic mail them.

For an extra charge, you should purchase DroneBlocks Curriculum Entry, providing extra studying supplies and tasks for lecturers to simply implement. Enterprise licenses are comparatively inexpensive at simply $695 per yr. With that, you really unlock entry to an enormous library of particular person programs. These vary from coding programs on languages together with Python and Javascript, to piloting programs together with their model of a web-based Half 107 check prep course.

Be taught extra in my DroneBlocks overview.

DroneBlocks grows: new kits centered on FPV drone racing, mild reveals and extra

And that’s not all. DroneBlocks continues to iterate current programs and add extra, increasing it far past a platform designed to show college students to program their very own drones.

A drone mild present course: DroneBlocks not too long ago launched a DroneBlocks Gentle Present Package, enabling you to place collectively your individual drone present ranging in measurement from 10 to 200 drones. A ten-drone equipment prices $7,500, although costs improve the extra drones you add. With that, you get not simply the ten drones (and different tools you want to make it occur like tripods, base stations, batteries and circumstances) but additionally the software program package deal so you may design, simulate, and management your individual drone mild present.

FPV drone racing course: In lieu of (or along with?!) a light-weight present course, you may additionally begin your individual highschool drone racing staff. DroneBlocks partnered with the MultiGP STEM Alliance to supply colleges a FCC Half 15 Compliant FPV Racing Drone Package. Just like the drone mild present curse, that is fairly turn-key and contains the {hardware}, curriculum and racing simulation software program, in addition to registration for 2 groups to enter the MultiGP “Drones in Faculties” League.

That equipment begins with 5 racing drones and prices $3,500. It’s not as many drones as the sunshine present course, however a minimum of it’s far more inexpensive.

Finest highschool drone program for constructing an FPV drone racing staff: Drone Legends

Finest for: Faculties wanting hands-on drone flying and excessive scholar engagement via competitors

Drone Legends stands out for its tactile, FPV-based drone curriculum that trades heavy coding for real-world piloting expertise. Whereas different applications like Drone Blocks are catching on and slowly including FPV a a form of facet dish choice, FPV is the bread and butter of Drone Legends’ highschool curriculum, which is known as FPV Initiator.

And past simply the joys of racing (and the teamwork required), college students are uncovered to actual STEM ideas like physic and engineering. They’ll additionally face problem-solving via immersive “missions.”

In case you’re attempting to begin a drone racing staff or FPV membership, Drone Legends is your greatest guess. Its program cultivates pleasant competitors, storytelling and actual flight expertise — which generally is a highly effective motivator for college kids who don’t join with summary coding classes.

The usual Drone Legends course prices $12,500, although there’s a small class choice for $6,499. With it, you get {hardware} for 10 college students, software program, and the total curriculum.

Try my full Drone Legends overview.

A part of a broader ecosystem of programs for all ages

FPV Initiator is the Drone Legends course concentrating on highschool college students. Nevertheless, Drone Legends really has a whole ecosystem of programs for college kids in each grade.

Children can uncovered to drones at an early ages via a program known as Little Legends, geared towards grades kindergarten via third grade. As youngsters grow old, they’re slowly uncovered to extra superior drone piloting, together with a STEM Fundamentals course for grades 4-8 that teaches some fundamental coding.

Drone Legends has additionally been quickly increasing, together with growing its personal classroom-ready Federal Aviation Administration Half 107 Distant Pilot Examination Prep curriculum.

Finest for coding and common flying publicity: CoDrone by Robolink

Finest for: Pc science lecture rooms that need hands-on drone integration

CoDrone provides one of the programmable drones accessible in training. With assist for Blockly and Python, college students can get hands-on with syntax-based programming and study every part from logic gates to gesture management.

CoDrone {hardware} is sturdy and surprisingly versatile. The bodily part of the drone the place you may watch your coding in motion makes it a stellar companion to a CS class. I labored with scholar reviewers at a sophisticated class with Kammerer Center Faculty, who identified how a lot enjoyable that they had even watching their drones do tips.

Be aware that these college students have been center faculty college students (albeit excessive reaching ones at that). Their overview identified that the coding part was fairly tough. Older highschool college students looking for a problem may recognize it although.

And on the flip facet — if coding is simply too tough — you then don’t need to code it in any respect. In reality, the scholars from Kammerer used the drones with joysticks to show elementary faculty college students methods to fly. They even integrated some fundamental coding, too.

You should purchase particular person CoDrone EDU kits for $249 every. That’s a pleasant entry level both for homeschool college students or maybe educators who’d similar to to strive only one out. Nevertheless, a full classroom would seemingly want one thing just like the full 18-pack CoDrone EDU equipment with lesson plans for $5,700.

Different drone curriculum we favored

Drone Cadets

Finest for: Faculties particularly constructing drone mild present or inventive arts integrations

Drone Cadets is a more moderen program with a daring concentrate on fairness, empowerment, and efficiency arts—particularly via drone mild reveals. It’s one of many solely highschool curriculums that teaches swarm coordination and choreography, making it excellent for colleges that need to combine STEM with arts or media applications.

• Professionals: Distinctive mild present curriculum, sturdy DEI mission, inspiring management
• Cons: Narrower (however nonetheless pleasant!) concentrate on indoor drone reveals

Drone Dojo

Finest for: Homeschool or DIY studying environments

Drone Dojo has wonderful micro drone kits and Raspberry Pi–based mostly tutorials that empower college students to construct drones from scratch. It’s a greater match for impartial learners or hobbyists (maybe college students searching for a private summer time venture) than a structured highschool curriculum.

• Professionals: Nice for self-paced studying, sturdy maker emphasis, strong video instruction
• Cons: Not classroom-ready; lacks assessments, lesson plans or profession readiness instruments

Half 107 check prep: the way it suits in to highschool drone curriculum

Passing the FAA Half 107 Distant Pilot Certificates examination is a gateway to skilled drone work. The FAA requires that you just take and move this examination so as to fly drones for enterprise. That may embody profession paths starting from filmmaking and building to search-and-rescue and agriculture.

For highschool college students, Half 107 certification is a tangible credential they will earn earlier than commencement, giving them a head begin in fast-growing industries. One observe: the flexibility to take the Half 107 check is simply open to folks ages 16 and older.

Applications like DroneBlocks and DARTdrones supply sturdy prep paths, serving to college students grasp airspace charts, climate studies and FAA laws. Even when your college students aren’t flying commercially now, this data reinforces aviation literacy and opens doorways to actual careers. If you wish to embody a Half 107 part in your highschool curriculum, think about these programs.

Associated learn: There’s a drone scholarship for highschool college students. Right here’s how one can win it

How to decide on the very best highschool drone curriculum for you.

• Select DroneBlocks if you need the very best general program with a whole Okay–12-to-career pathway, together with Half 107 prep, FPV flying and lightweight present coaching.
• Select Drone Legends in case your focus is on hands-on flying, constructing pleasure, or launching a aggressive drone staff.
• Select CoDrone in case you’re in a pc science classroom and need a option to combine actual flight into your Python or robotics curriculum.

In case your faculty’s drone journey is simply getting began, any of those will assist launch it—however matching your objectives with the precise platform is vital to conserving college students engaged and future-ready.

FTC disclaimer: a few of the hyperlinks posted on this web page are affiliate hyperlinks, that means I make a fee in case you make a purchase order via that hyperlink.

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