Attack of the Drones!
Amount Requested: $400.00 Number of Students Reached: 250+
The TGIF Selection Committee appreciated this teacher’s description of her unique project.
Type a brief description of your project.
Last summer, my classroom received ten indoor Tello Drones as part of a summer camp program. While having these drones for coding activities is excellent, it would be more exciting if the kids had obstacles to code their drones to fly around and through. We are currently taping hula hoops to chairs and ceilings to make our own. We also did not receive spare parts for our drones, so when a propeller breaks, we do not have backups other than those that come with the drone. Finally, our drones need storage and are sitting on a shelf in danger of being broken when not in use. I would love to use this grant to enhance this project by purchasing a drone obstacle course, take-off and landing pads, spare parts (propellers and propeller guards), and a pegboard storage system to hang the drones on the wall. Hence, they are safe when not in use. The students love the drones, and adding these accessories could take this project to the next level!
Why is this project needed for your school?
This project is needed for our school because we already have the drones but still need the accessories to make this project truly soar. Because it is an enrichment add-in, it is not part of the general curriculum, and therefore, I do not have the classroom funding to purchase the needed equipment to take this project to the next level.
What is the projected long-term effect of this project?
Engaging with drones in the classroom offers students tangible STEM experiences that directly apply to the real world, fostering a deeper understanding of these concepts. Drones are a rising industry, and this field has many career opportunities. Having drones in the classroom could spark a student's interest in this career path. But, even for those not interested in a future career with drones, this project offers hands-on experience in problem-solving, collaboration, and troubleshooting that can carry over into any career. This project in our school provides a unique, valuable experience that will cultivate excitement amongst learners of all ability levels. My project objective will be to enable students to problem solve and utilize computational thinking through the coding of drones. Objectives in this activity are measured through student demonstration, code/pseudocode, and student reflection.
Timeline of project implementation/completioN:
This unit will be offered each semester in my Advanced Robotics classroom for 8th grade. Smaller coding activities will also be available as enrichment activities for my 7th grade classes. Other than replacing broken parts, these items can be reused from semester to semester.
Project Budget:
All of these items can be purchased on Amazon: Drone Racing Obstacle Course: $59.99 Drone Racing Gate: $63.99 Propellers: $21.18 Propeller Guards: $28.50 Landing Pads/Take Off Pad: $25.98 Peg Board Hanging Wall Organizer System: $139.99 Subtotal of Project: $339.63
Biomedical Innovations Project Fund
Amount Requested: $1,000.00 Number of Students Reached: 7
Dylan's application was very well-written, detailed, and showed the impact it would have on their students.
Biomedical Innovations is the senior capstone class for the Biomedical Science Program. These students use the knowledge they have gained over their four years in the program to conceive, research, and design a capstone project centered on something in the biomedical field. These projects range from experiments on the development of antibiotic resistance to everyday household cleaners to job shadow experiences (prosthetists, oncologists, epidemiologists, OB-GYNs, and more!) to community awareness projects. In the past, these projects have been funded entirely by students and other donors, but I would like the opportunity to help students pay for the materials necessary to run their projects with everything they need without being limited by budgetary concerns.
The Biomed program provides students interested in the medical field with practical skills for their future. Both lab skills are helpful as they continue their education and move into the medical field, as well as helping them develop the critical soft skills required to work and interact with patients. I have also found that these projects prepare them for college and careers by increasing their problem-solving skills, technical writing abilities, communication skills, and confidence. Students also bring awareness of their topics to the student body and the community. This year, groups of students are working on raising awareness for Leukemia and raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, as well as students working on a registration drive for Be The Match. This company saves lives by matching bone marrow donors to recipients nationwide.
The students involved in these projects learn valuable skills that they will take with them forever. They learn to conduct research, seek out community partnerships, make professional contacts, and learn valuable organizational and project management skills. Students create these capstone projects from scratch by being thrown into the "deep end." Community awareness is a popular project category- students teach their peers and their community about a medical issue and often raise money or collect goods to donate. In the last three years, students have raised over six-thousand dollars for various charities and research organizations (Children's Hospitals, Epilepsy Research, PCOS Research, etc.) This number would be higher if those students didn't need to deduct operations costs. This year, students have the potential to make a big difference in people's lives long term. For example, one group will run a campaign to encourage the community to sign up to become potential bone marrow donors by educating people about the process and the need for donors. This project might save someone's life.
Timeline of project implementation/completion:
This year's students will be completing their projects in late February or early March of 2024. They are currently seeking venues for their community awareness projects and determining their materials lists for experiments.
Project BudgeT:
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