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Platform To Launch STEM Program

Whether you are bringing Hopper into your classroom, after school drone club or summer camp, Build Fly Code has the resources and community connections to help you succeed.

 

Access the platform through any device and engage students with the platform or download and localize materials for use in your own systems.

Meaningful Experiences for Students

Build Fly Code provides everything needed to create fun and engaging STEM experiences for students of all ages and abilities. Need a single activity to accompany a geometry lesson, or a capstone event ?

 

Hopper and the Build Fly Code Activity Set provide all of the tools that you need.

Build

Fly

Code®

Unlock Student Engagement

Lifetime access to the Build Fly Code platform as a base from which to launch a STEM program. Build Fly Code provides educators with access to guides, resources and community. Using the platform's resources as a launching point, educators of all backgrounds are enabled to guide students of different abilities through the process of building, flying and coding Hopper.

Professional Development Options

Build Live

Join a member of the FTW team for a two-hour virtual workshop to build Hopper in community with others, your coworkers or other educators in the Build Fly Code community.   A two-hour video session hosted via Zoom,  allowing for live instruction, new network connections and a flying Hopper at completion of training.  If you have coworkers who would benefit from joining the session contact us to schedule a private session.

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Fly and Code Live

Join a member of the FTW team for a one-hour discussion of the next steps after build, including flying Hopper, code and coding Hopper and classroom implementation.   A one-hour video session hosted via Zoom, this opportunity will allow you to get live instruction, as well make new connections and have knowledge to begin using Hopper with your students.  If you have 10 or more coworkers who will be training together, contact us to schedule a personal Fly and Code Live Virtual Session.

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Independent Build - using Platform Content

The Build Fly Code platform contains the full instructions, written and visual to complete the build of the Hopper drone. Take advantage of the flexibility of asynchronous learning to build on your schedule.   Approx build time: 2 hours.

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Office Hours

Join a member of the FTW team to troubleshoot your Hopper, or ask any questions.

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FTW CODE

​FTW CODE is our own custom block-based coding platform that works in tandem with Hopper and is a core component of our Build Fly Code program. FTW CODE was designed with educators and students in mind and strives to make coding fun and accessible.


Blocks are designed to work specifically with Hopper, while also maintaining core functionality found in traditional block-based programming apps.


Our platform also allows for students to be able to save, download and share their code with educators and fellow peers.

JROTC Case Study

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Engaging Tomorrow’s Leaders: The Impact of Drone Technology at JROTC STEM
Leadership Camps

For Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) cadets, developing a diverse skill set is crucial for their career readiness, particularly in STEM fields. The Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) JROTC STEM Leadership Camp, a joint effort by Broward and Miami-Dade Counties in Florida, harnesses For The Win Robotics' Build Fly Code platform to provide nearly 350 high school cadets with hands-on experiences in drone technology. This case study explores how integrating drone coding and flying into leadership training can significantly enhance both technical and soft skills.

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Hands-On Workforce Development

The Build Fly Code platform introduces cadets to the fundamentals of building, flying, and coding drones, offering them practical and engaging educational experiences. Cadets troubleshoot hardware issues, which sharpens their mechanical skills and attention to detail. Hands-on control exercises not only improve their understanding of aerodynamics but also enhance their coordination skills.


"What a great opportunity—we're learning to fly drones and to code drones." - Debra Hixon, Vice Chair, Broward County School Board, Countywide At-Large.

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Skill Building Through Real Challenges

Drone operations at the camp demand critical thinking and adept problem-solving as cadets tackle technical troubleshooting, flight path planning, and safe drone operation. These challenges teach them to think quickly, devise innovative solutions, and adapt to new situations—skills that are valuable in any career path.


"At the camp, every day you're doing something new, exploring, and having an amazing time. There's something here for everyone." - Student, Northeast High School.

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Leadership and Collaboration

Integrating drone activities at the camp does more than teach technical skills; it strengthens leadership qualities. Operating drones requires teamwork, coordination, and effective communication, enabling cadets to lead projects, delegate tasks, and collaborate toward common goals.


"It's not solely drones you do at this camp—participants do other things to represent themselves as leaders, to represent themselves as their own individual, who they are. That's also what this camp does for kids." - Student, South Plantation High School.

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Preparing for Diverse Career Pathways

The skills cadets acquire through the Build Fly Code platform are applicable in numerous career fields. Cadets who choose military service benefit from the alignment of these skills with the technology-centric nature of modern defense. Similarly, those pursuing civilian careers find doors opened in industries like aerospace, robotics, and information technology. The program also lays a solid foundation for careers in aerial photography, agriculture, and environmental monitoring—the platform’s focus on fostering essential communication skills makes a wide range of fields more accessible.

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A Commitment to Future Innovators

The BCPS JROTC STEM Leadership Camp, through the Build Fly Code platform, has enriched the educational experiences of its cadets, equipping them with the necessary skills and confidence to become tomorrow’s innovators and leaders. The transformative impact of integrating advanced technology into their training is evident, highlighting the enduring benefits of hands-on learning in developing well-rounded, proficient individuals ready to face future challenges.

CSinPA

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STEM and Computer Science Education Wanted

Today it often seems like students are experts in technology, capable of navigating new devices and programs with ease. But can they build these technologies? Do they have the skills necessary to transition from user to developer?

 

The Pennsylvania Department of Education saw the need for more STEM and computer science education and established the PAsmart Initiative to provide the training students need to prepare for the workforce of the future. PAsmart targeted grants provided awards up to $35,000 to schools and local education agencies with little to no existing computer science curriculum in the 2018-2019 school year.

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From Pilot Program to Statewide Solution

Over the course of the next year, schools and teachers worked diligently to develop new lesson plans and programs to teach the fundamentals of computer science. During the 2019-2020 school year, less than 24% of students across the commonwealth participated in computer science education. Of those approximately 339,000 students, less than 23% were students of color and less than 4% were English language learners. Then the COVID pandemic hit, and schools shut down, leaving 2018-2019 grant recipients wondering: will our new pilot programs work in hybrid and virtual environments?


In January 2021, For the Win Robotics emerged as an adaptable and accessible solution during the pandemic uncertainty. What began as nine teachers engaged in a pilot program to learn how to build, fly, and code drones grew into an immersive statewide partnership that has reached more than 2,600 students and 147 educators to date and growing. This multi-year engagement continues today with a hands-on, STEM and computer science-based learning program for Pennsylvania students.

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The CSinPA Build Fly Code Program

Developed in collaboration with PaTTAN and the Pennsylvania Rural Robotics Initiative, the CSinPA Build Fly Code professional learning program empowers educators to engage in and create CS learning experiences using drone technology. Tailored to both in-person and virtual learning, the program is designed to support all educators in teaching the same program objectives:

 

  • Develop and identify STEM and CS instructional materials that are standards-aligned, universally designed, and culturally relevant for in-person, hybrid, and/or distance learning environments.

  • Recognize and create a plan to close equity gaps in STEM and CS education, specifically for students with disabilities and other historically underrepresented populations, such as students of color and female students.

  • Articulate the need for STEM and CS education in our communities by presenting real-life examples and applications.

  • Demonstrate foundational STEM and CS content knowledge and skills.

Thank You To Our Partners

Working with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education, PaTTAN provides a full array of professional development and technical assistance targeted to improving student results. This professional development and technical assistance takes many forms in order to the meet the varied needs of PaTTAN’s constituents. Week-long summer institutes, ongoing professional development series, webinars, on-site assistance, and individual student or teacher supports are how PaTTAN provides support to schools.

PaTTAN.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) oversees 500 public school districts, more than 170 public charter schools, public cyber charter schools, Career and Technology Center/Vocational Technical schools, public intermediate units, the education of youth in State Juvenile Correctional Institutions, Head Starts and publicly funded preschools, and community colleges. PDE established the PAsmart Initiative to focus on ensuring Pennsylvania students and workers have the skills and abilities to meet the economic needs of the 21st century.

Pennsylvania Department of Education.

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