With the increased popularity of drones and their application in technical careers, a potential class at Arroyo Grande High School (AGHS) has taken to the sky. James Carter has taken note of this in this recent school year, trying to bring a drone operating/racing class into the AGHS curriculum for students who are looking into jobs requiring knowledge of unmanned aircraft that would otherwise fly over student’s heads.
The class’s curriculum will be one of the most interactive so far. Students should expect to fly the drone through a course on campus, learning to interact with goggles that give visuals to the drone, and how to correctly operate the fast-flying drones through the blow-up obstacle course.
“We are focusing on learning how to fly drones, if you watched the video that’s in the bulletin it’s drone racing … so they are going to race drones, so they learn how to wear the goggles [and] control the drone,” Carter said.
Carter hopes to bring in guest speakers from the drone industry to show the impact that drones have on our local area and other jobs.
“As we grow the hope is to bring industry people to talk to the kids so explain why we are doing this,” Carter said.
On the AGHS campus, it is hard to reserve the MPR and gym since sports and P.E. take up most of the time. Carter is looking for open spots in both areas to set up the course.
“It will be in here, but when we build a race track we will have to reserve a room that fits the race track. I’m thinking MPR and then if the P.E. isn’t using the gym,” Carter said. “It’s all blow-up pieces that use air, it’s probably a 20-minute setup and 20-minute takedown.”
With the setup time and take down time being 40 minutes combined, that only offers 14 minutes for flying time in a normal class period.
Like other schools in California, AGHS provides Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses that students follow throughout their high school careers. Carter wants to make this class a CTE pathway that will be offered to other students in the future.
“And if we see that interest, the second level of the class will become a pathway,” Carter said
The hope is that students will be interested in the class, and then work for their operations license as it takes 2 years to complete.
Although Carter does want to have this new class offered as a CTE pathway, Carter also wants to put the main focus on what can be done in the present.
“I’m working with the curriculum right now. First, my goal is to get AGHS students interested through drone racing, and through that, I will be able to gauge if [they] are here just because we are racing and having fun, or are [the students are] here to fly drones,” Carter said.
There are some essentials to start up this class, with the minimum student requirement being 20 people for a thriving class. While 20 people is the bare requirement Carter has at least 23 students who are looking into the class right now.
“Well we did a sign-up, but I know kids don’t like to click on things that get emailed to them, still 23 kids and we only need 20 to do the class,” Carter said
Carter, this year, is only allowing 24 promising students to take this class and hoping that all or most are here to work hard for their drone operating license. The district, for right now, bought 24 kits for the class which is limiting the positions available.
“We are only taking 24 because we are buying kits and can’t have too many kits as of right now,” Carter said.
There are a couple of businesses that deal with the production and testing of industrial drones in the area. One drone business has already reached out to Carter about the possibility of bringing a guest speaker in his classroom.
“We already have someone who contacted us from SLO who builds drones. They want to come into teaching the kids why it’s important,” Carter said.
Kits provided in the class come from Rocket Drones, a local company hoping to help students learn about unmanned aircraft and gain technical knowledge. Overall, both students and staff are excitedly anticipating the new class.
