A team of TCS sixth graders will let their creativity and problem-solving skills take flight at the city-wide G3 Drones for Good competition this March. TCS students have already started working on the challenge to develop innovative, drone-based solutions for a problem in their community, state or world.
“The drones program is an engaging way for our students to experience the iterative design process using a technology that fascinates them,” said sixth grade science teacher Kelly Lyn, who leads the TCS Drones for Good team. “Not only are they learning more about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), they are also experiencing the gratification of collaboration and persisting through the ups and downs of a trial and error process.”
This year’s competition will consist of three components:
Problem-Solving: Each team will identify a problem and develop a conceptual solution for that problem that utilizes drone technology. SNEAK PEAK: The TCS team is exploring several innovative concepts for using drone technology to support rescue efforts after natural disasters.
The Design Challenge: Students will construct their own quadcopter drones, a wonderful opportunity to let their imaginations and ingenuity soar.
The Flight Challenge: Students will pilot the drones they’ve built and test their flight skills in areas including hovering, precision landings and throttle control.
A student-led robotics team at Grady High School founded the Drones for Good Competition in 2014 and explain their mission this way: “We envision a world where STEM leaders are heroes and role models; Where all students have opportunities for meaningful STEM challenges; and where students grow into innovative, creative, problem-solvers who are ready to tackle the big problems of the next century.”
What started as a competition among five middle schools has quickly grown into a STEM outreach program for more than 40 teams from across the metro-Atlanta area.
