Students compete in drone competition at St. Martin Upper Elementary

A battle between drones took place inside the gym at St. Martin Upper Elementary over the weekend.

More than 100 middle and high school students from Mississippi and surrounding states showcased their drone piloting, programming, and communication skills in a heart-racing competition Saturday.

The Robotics Education and Competition Foundation hosted the event. Their focus is engaging students in hands-on learning and sparking interest in STEM-related jobs.

Not only do these competitions teach students drone piloting, programming, and coding skills, but also the importance of communication in successful teamwork. St. Martin High student Talisa Austin said, “Most definitely teamwork skills because as an observer, my pilot needs to trust me to know that I’m making the right call where they’re going.”

St. Martin High student Andrew Parker said, “I think the biggest takeaway from me has been communication. It definitely prepares you to do that with jobs and moving forward.”

This was the first-ever drone competition for high school and middle school students on the Coast and almost 30 schools participated. Now that students had a taste of what it’s like battling drones, organizers are expecting an even larger event next year with more schools participating.