Drones Prepare Students for Soaring Careers

Fueled by the highest concentration of private aerospace jobs in the nation and home to the U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), U.S. Air Force Academy, and the United Airlines Flight Training Center, Colorado is uniquely positioned as a leader in both aviation and aerospace. However, filling the pipeline of talent is critical to industry sustainability, an opportunity some charter schools are using to help students soar.

Thanks to partnerships with CrewConcept and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado Skies Academy and Colorado Early Colleges successfully use drone soccer robotics teams to spark student interest and foster a love for flight and space exploration. This year, CrewConcept partnered with five charter school campuses to secure $95,000 in funding from CDOT’s Aviation Workforce Development grant. The schools themselves then joined forces to formalize aviation career pathways for students — from early middle school courses at Colorado Skies Academy to high school-level, industry-focused classes at Colorado Early Colleges.

Read the full article here. Then, get ready to watch the action live on Thursday, Feb. 27 at the 2025 Annual Conference. Round one of the Drone Soccer Tournament runs from 12:15-1:15 PM with the finals slated for 2:30-3:00. We hope to see you there!