National Youth Science Day: the Drone Discovery Challenge

4-H’s National Youth Science Day (NYSD) took place in Washington D.C. yesterday, and included this year’s National Science Challenge: Drone Discovery.

The 2016 National Science Challenge was developed by Cornell University Cooperative Extension.   The challenge is a “hands-on engineering design challenge” exploring drone technology and applications to solve real world problems. “Drones are revolutionizing the way we work and play, whether you are a filmmaker looking for the perfect aerial shot, a rescue worker mapping damage from natural disaster or a farmer determining how to increase crop yield,” says the Challenge announcement. “As drones play an increasingly important role in the world around us, 4‑H National Youth Science Day (4‑H NYSD) 2016 introduces youth to the burgeoning field of drones in a hands-on, interactive design challenge.”

4‑H NYSD drew 100,000 participants in 2015, making it one of the world’s larges design challenge.   The “Drone Discovery” challenge was a 3 part engineering design challenge allowing participants to experiment with drone design, remote sensing, and coding for drone applications.

Young people around the world and in all 50 states conducted the experiment, while the  national 4‑H Council hosted the flagship event in Washington, D.C.

“What’s so exciting about 4‑H NYSD is that it’s a hands-on, interactive learning experience that uses cutting-edge topics from the real world to get youth excited about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM),” said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4‑H Council. “For many kids, this experiential approach to learning ignites an interest in STEM topics that can quickly grow into a passion. Facilitating this progression—from interest to sustained passion—is what 4‑H STEM is all about.”

Drone manufacturer DJI was a national sponsor of the event.  “Drones are changing the world, and DJI is proud to work with 4-H to help the next generation of young leaders understand the science and engineering to unlock their potential,” Brendan Schulman, DJI VP of Policy and Legal Affairs, tells DRONELIFE. “As the world’s largest maker of unmanned aerial systems, DJI believes National Youth Science Day is an excellent opportunity to show students how their creativity and cutting-edge technology can help develop innovative new ideas in flight.”