NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md., – Rows of black laboratory tables, posters of the periodic table of elements and catchy Albert Einstein words of wisdom were all but forgotten as 36 Great Mills High School students got their first glimpse of their new science project Feb. 9. Over the next three months the students will be building, programming and flying brand new Quadcopters.

As part of an educational partnership agreement between Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and St. Mary’s County Public Schools, the students in Allen Skinner’s STEM 10 Physics and Engineering course will be mentored by professional engineers from the Navy base.

“I just wanted to be a part of the students’ curriculum and their ability to learn and to grasp new concepts,” said Steve Hudziak, industrial specialist with NAWCAD Research and Engineering (AD 4.1.9.1). “I work on base with NAVAIR, and my kids and I have played with [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] for our own enjoyment, so I have a vested interest because my kids are part of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program.”

The students were divided into teams of six and will learn how to build, pre-program and fly a comprehensive mock rescue mission with the Quadcopters.

“I really want to learn teamwork skills and different elements of design,” said sophomore Anna Staats as she eagerly examined her team’s Quadcopter kit. “We actually have to build this and code part of it. I am really interested and would like to learn more about computer coding.”

The rescue mission scenario was co-written as a collective effort between Skinner, members of the NAWCAD Educational Outreach Office and members from the Academy of Model Aeronautics community at Greenwell State Park, Maryland.

“We modeled our specs after some of the robotics competitions and some of the national and international robotics competitions that we already participate in,” said Skinner. “But they’re mostly ground-based robots. They’re the kind you play with on a board. We wanted to try something new with flying and robotics.” The mission planning team also incorporated guidance from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle System International (AUVSI).

The 2015 STEM project was selected by Skinner to give the students an opportunity to acquire a working knowledge of skills that transfers into real-world occupations.

“This technology is cutting-edge, and UAVs are big in the news,” said Skinner. This is a field that’s exploding right now. These students are getting the chance to get their hands on some really cool, cutting-edge technology, and that’s exciting.”

Note: This is a three part story series that will follow the Great Mills High School students’ 2015 STEM project progress.