Thirty Avon Grove High School (AGHS) computer science students earned a spot to advance to the 2022 Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (REC) Aerial Drones Competition (RADC) World Championship that will take place from May 10 to 12, in Dallas, Texas.  

To earn a spot in the RADC, groups of two to four students built and coded drones, which they navigated through an obstacle course in a preliminary competition on March 4. 

The AGHS students are the only team in Pennsylvania that is eligible to attend the World Championship. 

Stephanie Shrake, Avon Grove School District (AGSD) business education technology teacher and computer science honor society advisor, helped the AGHS students join the REC aerial drones program. Through the creative process of designing, building and programming robotic aerial drones, students gained extensive technical knowledge and leveraged real-world engineering with hands-on, project-based learning. 

“Many of the team members plan to go on to college and major in computer science, technology or an engineering-related field,” said Shrake, “and they will be utilizing the skills they have refined through their participation in the program.” 

In addition to preparing for their own futures, students hope to inspire classmates to participate in computer science programs and to help establish a strong foundation for future STEM innovators within AGSD.