Episode Details

Presented by Sarah Hillard, CTE and Science Teacher, Millennial Tech Middle School, San Diego Unified School District (CA); Abel Garnica, Recreation Services Supervisor, City of San Diego Parks and Recreation; and Adrienne White, VP of Marketing, Robolink

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Robolink.

The webinar recording can be accessed here.

Discover how a city partnership powered the Aerial Drone Competition to become an enrollment driver for Millennial Tech Middle School, one of San Diego Unified School District’s growing schools.​

This edWeb podcast features two pioneers of middle and high school drone programs in San Diego: CTE Teacher Sarah Hillard and Abel Garnica from San Diego Parks and Recreation. Together, they outline what it takes to launch and sustain a successful drone competition program. You hear how drone flight immediately engages students (no building required), why drone competitions are uniquely equitable (results depend on student effort, not budget), and how a partnership can solve problems some schools can’t crack on their own: space, staffing, and long-term sustainability.​

You leave with a flight plan for your own drone program, covering:

• Pre-flight Check — How to make the case to your principal or district
• Takeoff — Securing your first small grants and getting equipment in students’ hands
• Altitude — Building a city or community partnership that keeps the program flying through staff changes and budget shifts
• Landing — Using your drone team as a school recruitment and community engagement tool

Plus: You get the contact info for the RECF Aerial Drone Competition support manager in your region, who can help with grants for new drone teams.​

This edWeb podcast is of interest to K-12 district leaders, principals, STEM coordinators, CTE directors, CS and STEM teachers, and afterschool program directors.

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