The First Annual Florida East Coast (FEC) Aerial Drone Competition (ADC) taking place Saturday, April 20th at the Gifford Youth Achievement Center (GYAC) in Vero Beach will showcase student’s problem-solving and teamwork skills as they traverse the uniquely designed obstacle course.

Organized by the Next Generation Leadership Academy (NGLA), a local 501(c)(3) non-profit, teams will learn about the opportunities related to drone technology while participating in activities designed to introduce flight principles, coding/programming, mission documentation
and communication skills.

The First Annual FEC Aerial Drone Competition consists of the following challenges:
– The Teamwork Challenge
– Autonomous Flight Skills Challenge
– Piloting Skills Challenge
– Competition Logbook Presentation

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, STEM proficiency has been declining since the 1980s. With technology advancing ever faster, it has become critical to guide the next generation, particularly those in underrepresented communities, towards experiences
and education that follow a path to the STEM fields.

“With the help of the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation we are excited to bring the First FEC Aerial Drone Competition. We have high hopes that many more organizations and schools see the potential this program has in providing awareness and opportunity to their
students,” voices Richard Butler, Jr., Executive Director of NGLA. Organizers hope to inspire students to explore and pursue educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, commonly known as STEM fields.

Organizations planning to participate in this year’s competition include:
– Gifford Youth Achievement Center – Vero Beach, Florida
– Indian River State College (IRSC) Trio Program – Vero Beach, Florida
– Sagemont Preparatory School – Weston, Florida

ORGANIZATION REFERENCES
NGLA: Next Generation Leadership Academy, www.nglastem.org
GYAC: Gifford Youth Achievement Center, www.mygyac.org
IRSC TRIO Program, https://irsc.edu/programs/college-readiness-programs.html
REC Foundation: Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, www.recf.org
Sagemont Preparatory School, www.sagemont.com

What an excellent way to inspire our youth to explore STEM!

Watch our students take flight on April 20th. You don’t want to miss it!

For more info, please contact Richard Butler, Jr., Executive Director of NGLA, at rbutler@nglastem.org.