Students from around the country visited Oshkosh, Wisconsin during EAA AirVenture 2024, but it wasn’t just to see the worlds largest celebration of aviation. Instead, they were there to prove their aviation and engineering prowess by competing in the UAS4STEM finals. Not only were national titles up for grabs, but Skydio also provided three complete Skydio 2+ drone kits for the top teams, while the AMA Foundation provided funding for the prize awards.
These students completed a robust ground school coursework, then went on to design, build, and operate advanced drones to complete specific missions based on their beginner or advanced status within the competition.
Through teamwork, competition, and STEM skills, teams constructed and programmed their uncrewed aircrafts to meet a mission-based challenge.
Teams who qualified to advance to the finals consisted of the following.
Beginner Division
- Hardin Valley AEROHatchlings (Hardin Valley Academy) Knoxville, TN
- Corntographers (Yorktown High School) Yorktown Heights, NY
- The Flying Nuggets (community team) Decatur, GA
- Redstone Composite Squadron Bravo Team (Civil Air Patrol SER-AL-119) Huntsville, AL
- 55 Knights (BSA Troops 55B/55G with Civil Air Patrol MAR-VA-007 Knight Squadron) Great Falls, VA
In the Beginner division, the Corntographers secured a strong first place finish which also included a Skydio S2+ drone pro-kit, while 55 Knights secured second place followed closely by the Aero Hatchlings in third position.
Advanced Division
- Bumblebees (Adlai E. Stevenson High School) Lincolnshire, IL
- McIntosh Aeronautics Advanced Team (McIntosh High School) Peachtree City, GA
- Midtown Mavericks (community team) Atlanta, GA
- Redstone Composite Squadron Alpha Team (Civil Air Patrol SER-AL-119) Huntsville, AL
- Some Assembly Required (Explorer Post 1010 Engineering Exploring Program) Rockville, MD.
- St. Mary’s Composite Squadron (Civil Air Patrol MD-089) Patuxent River, MD.
In the Advanced category, Some Assembly Required of Rockville, Maryland became the 2024 UAS4STEM first-place finishers. In second place was Bumblebees Team from Lincolnshire, IL while McIntosh Aeronautics from Peachtree City, GA secured a strong third place finish.
In addition to these, the Dewey O. Broberg Jr. Scholarship was awarded by competition judges to recognize a student who showed dedication to their team, determination, and adherence to the rules and purpose of the competition. This year’s recipient was Lawson Scott of Midtown Mavericks.
If you are interested in supporting the UAS4STEM program and being a part of a great program for young builders, engineers, and flyers, please do not hesitate to reach out to the AMA Education staff at Education@modelaircraft.org. Our team members would be very happy to speak with you and work together towards making UAS4STEM an even greater opportunity for an even greater number of students.
