{"id":204845,"date":"2024-10-10T10:53:59","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T20:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=204845"},"modified":"2024-10-10T10:53:59","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T20:53:59","slug":"drone-technology-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/10\/10\/drone-technology-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Drone program opens STEM<\/abbr> opportunities for O\u02bbahu JROTC<\/abbr> students"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"people<\/p>\n

Nearly 20 students from five Oʻahu<\/span> schools participated in a groundbreaking drone technology program during their fall break, aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship skills among Navy JROTC<\/abbr> (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) students.<\/p>\n

The University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> Office of Innovation and Commercialization<\/a> (OIC<\/abbr>) hosted the weeklong Pathways to Innovation and Entrepreneurship (PIE-X<\/abbr>) program, October 7–11. Students from Radford, Campbell, ʻAiea<\/span> and Kaiser High Schools, and ʻEwa<\/span> Makai Middle School, learned about unmanned aerial systems (UAV<\/abbr>) and developed solutions for search and rescue operations.<\/p>\n

\"students<\/p>\n

National Security Innovation Network Regional Engagement Principal Gloria Choo is one of the leads with the program and is based within OIC<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s been fantastic,” Choo said. “The amount of subject matter experts that are here to talk to them about careers has been great. One of the things I\u2019ve seen our students be exposed to is this may be an opportunity for them as a career, or just fulfill an interest that they were looking for.”<\/p>\n

The program, organized by the Pacific Technology Cooperation Group, combines classroom instruction with hands-on experience. The first three days focused on educational components, while the final two days included mentorship from U.S. Department of Defense and industry professionals, and a capstone project, including a drone competition.<\/p>\n

“The thing I want to major in is architecture and with the UAV<\/abbr> geo spatial awareness; I think it’s really useful when it comes to trying to build buildings, see the surroundings and collect data based on what I’m looking at,” said Salina Roura Puaatuua, a senior at ʻAiea<\/span> High School.<\/p>\n

Developing skills for developing fields<\/h2>\n

PIE-X<\/abbr> aims to remove barriers for students entering STEM<\/abbr> careers, particularly in Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s growing IT<\/abbr>, cybersecurity and data sectors. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, systems engineering, data analysis and programming literacy, while promoting teamwork and adaptability. Key objectives include developing spatial reasoning skills for interpreting aerial imagery and planning flight paths, as well as teaching students to modify strategies for various scenarios.<\/p>\n

The program represents a strategic investment in Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s future workforce, preparing students for potential careers in both private and defense sectors. By focusing efforts on students involved in Navy JROTC<\/abbr> programs, the initiative seeks to inspire students to envision their future careers in Hawaiʻi<\/span>, while contributing to the state’s technological advancement. For more information about PIE-X<\/abbr> visit this website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

OIC<\/abbr> is housed in the 糖心视频<\/abbr> Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

—By Marc Arakaki<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Students learned about unmanned aerial systems and developed solutions for search and rescue operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[1505,1432,313,947],"class_list":["post-204845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-innovation","tag-office-of-innovation-and-commercialization","tag-stem","tag-uh-system","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t