School drone program prepares students to become commercial drone pilots

Southwest Independent School District students are achieving new heights as a result of the school drone program.

Students in San Antonio can take part in a drone program that prepares them to become commercial drone pilots and get their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 certificate.

The program prepares students for the job by teaching them STEM skills and allowing them to earn credentials in the process.

“There's the STEM part of it, where they can bring in math and English and other subjects, and they can learn those subjects in a fun way,” Rodolfo Urby, aviation teacher at Southwest High School, said, according to KSAT.

The curriculum that is used at Southwest ISD prepares students to pass the FAA Part 107 commercial drone pilot certification test, which in turn enables them to go out and seek jobs in the Drone Industry.

“It can be either a backup, or I can use my 107 license to actually get a job. And like right here in the drone simulator here, it's like showing a job-like scenario,” Leonardo Fernandez, a senior at Southwest High School, said.

School drone program

The drone program has the potential to completely transform the lives of certain families. The Education program centered around drones will be brought to a total of twenty additional schools the following year.

“I think for kids, the biggest thing for families here, especially in our district, is going to be opportunity. You know, exposing them to all sorts of different things they may not have been exposed to,” Urby said.

Leo, for his part, has stated that he has no limitations and that he plans to attend Hallmark University the following academic year.

“So drones, in general, they're fun. They're fun to play with. Fun to raise, fun to do tricks with,” Fernandez said. “I want to work on aircraft.”

Now, the drone program is expanding, in part because of the support provided by the Dee Howard Foundation.