Education Through Aviation
STEM AVSED
UAS4STEM
By Kyle Jaracz, Education Director | kylej@modelaircraft.org
Nothing brings together the aviation community as easily as supporting the youth of our nation, because we all understand the importance of providing inspiration to the future aviators who will occupy our sky. In the spirit of collaboration and mentorship, the AMA is proud to announce that the FAA’s Aviation & Space Education (AVSED) team will provide judging support for our annual educational youth drone competition, UAS4STEM, sponsored by Skydio.
FAA’s STEM AVSED outreach program was created in 1961 to prepare and inspire the next generation of skilled professionals for the aviation and aerospace communities. The program continues to reach communities throughout the US and beyond to provide expertise and resources for civil and commercial aviation.
UAS4STEM is an acronym for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Participating student teams complete a ground school, build a UAS/drone, learn to program it for both line-of-sight and autonomous flight, present a briefing on their efforts, and work together to achieve specific mission objectives. The emphasis of the competition is on developing solid foundational knowledge, technical skills, professional teamwork, communication, and problem-solving capabilities.
The FAA AVSED team will be providing more than 20 hours of volunteer support and mentorship as they evaluate student Flight Readiness Review presentations during the virtual preliminary competition in the spring of 2023. This ensures that the students have access to well-qualified professionals who will provide direct feedback as they compete for a place in the international UAS4STEM championships, held during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the world’s largest aviation event.
AMA has a longstanding partnership with the AVSED team in our joint efforts to educate and inspire the next generation of aviators. The involvement of the FAA AVSED team in UAS4STEM is a natural fit for both parties. Through efforts such as these, we continue to provide opportunities to demystify aviation and showcase real-world opportunities to bring uncrewed aviation to these students as options for future careers and as a rewarding hobby.
More About UAS4STEM, Sponsored by Skydio
The competition is designed for teams of up to 10 students (led by an adult team manager). Students complete an online ground school that covers basics of flight, safety, the National Airspace System (NAS), and more.
This course prepares students to earn their Part 107 certification, which is required by the FAA to operate drones professionally in the NAS.
To learn more, visit https://amablog.modelaircraft.org/uas4stem. To read more about the safe integration of UAS into the NAS, www.modelaircraft.org/safety.
You still have time to put together a UAS4STEM team and compete, but it’s running out! Call us for more information. Maybe we’ll see you (and your UAS4STEM team) at the flying field!
