What’s Right with Our Schools: Aerial Drone Championships at UTC

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Middle schoolers from 22 states recently touched down at UTC to for the Aerial Drone Championships. They learned lessons in programming, teamwork and technology. That’s a timely example of what’s right with our schools.

Annemarie Lampright is an event partner for the 2024 National Middle School Drone Championship.

She explained, “Today we’re celebrating kids from all around the country with drones. So, this is our first annual Middle School Championship where we have invited kids from all over the country to compete. We have over 60 teams competing, which consist of over 585 of the finest kids throughout the country. We have 22 different states represented. All 60 teams had to qualify at a local qualifier to make it here the championship.”

Matti Grey Donnelly is an 8th Grader at EO Coffman Middle School in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.

He said, “You’re learning how to operate the drone. And you have to know how to work the controller and program it.”

Lampright adds, “They’re going to go through and program their drone to work through a maze without being used with a remote control. On the second area that they’ll be graded on, will be something called piloting. and in the piloting think of it more like an obstacle course with your drone. The third section is with something called teamwork. And on the teamwork field they work together with an alliance team. And the two Alliance teams do not know who each other is. They’re put together randomly, and they have to work together to complete the field.”

Boone Gobble is another 8th grader from Lawrenceburg.

He said, “My school is EO Coffman Middle School and Middle School in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. This is a big innovation in robotics for younger kids especially most of the time you’re only given opportunities to fly drones and do drone competitions in college and higher levels. So, bringing this at the middle school level and having so much involvement, we have I think they said 22 States here. Hawaii is the farthest state. And it’s just cool to see all the involvement and the outreach that drones have across the nation.”

Hope Thamson is from the Lawrence County School District.

She said, “Just seen huge connection between what’s going on um with our students and also in our community with our Workforce Development strategies as well, we’ve been able to really make that connection between you know what the students are learning versus you know how this is going to help them you know as they move forward into their career path.”

Evan Turner is the Five33 CEO.

He said, “I started flying drones uh when I was actually 13 years old and got into flying and racing when I was around 14 years old. There’s so much opportunity in the drone industry right now. And the fact that these kids are getting exposed to it at such a young age is incredible. I did not have a drone program at my school middle school or high school and the fact that they’re getting exposed to it so young is incredible. It’s going to open up job opportunities for them. And it’s putting them on a trajectory for success. Which I love.”

Lampright concluded, “These are the skills that we need to see kids have in the workforce for the future. Because if they can’t work together, there’s no way that they’re going to move forward to problem solve.”