By Peru Flying Labs

The human brain possesses an incredible capacity for learning during its early years. As such, equipping children with the necessary tools and knowledge during this critical period is essential for unlocking their full potential. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to quality education, resulting in a limited number of science and technology professionals in the country. To address this issue, it is vital to foster and encourage interest in STEM subjects at a young age. One effective way to achieve this is by introducing children and teenagers to captivating and engaging topics, such as drone technology.

Students of the “Experiment and Inspire” group learning about the Phantom 4 Pro drone

On April 16, 2023, a groundbreaking initiative called “Alas para el Futuro” was launched to spark and nurture children and young adults’ interest in STEM fields by showcasing the practical applications of drones in modern society. This program aims to inspire the next generation of innovators, creators, and scientists. After a week of preparation, nine volunteer students from undergraduate engineering programs at the University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) led the project, held at the Miguel Grau School in the Nuevo Cañete community, south of Lima, Peru.

The initiative engaged 32 enthusiastic students aged 10 to 17 years. To ensure a more personalized learning experience, we divided the participants into two groups based on their age. The “Discover” group, consisting of the youngest participants aged 10 to 11, focused on indoor flights using the Tello drone and learned programming with the DroneBlocks app. Meanwhile, the older “Experiment and Inspire” group, aged 12 to 17, practiced manual flights to master drone maneuvering and later executed flight plans while collecting area data. They also learned how to process this information and create orthomosaic maps using Pix4DReact software.

The hands-on training included a full day of theoretical and practical learning with drones, teaching the children how to fly and maintain safety measures during operations. UAV del Perú generously provided equipment for the activity, including the Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic Pro, Mavic 2 Pro, and Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual drones, in addition to our fleet of Tello drones.

As a result, 32 young students gained their first hands-on experience with drone technology. Excitingly, 47 percent of the participants were girls, encouraging future professionals to explore opportunities in STEM fields. The students completed around 50 flights, both manual and programmed, under the supervision of instructors and while adhering to safety protocols.

We extend our gratitude to the Community Center of Nuevo Cañete—APCEPONC for providing the infrastructure and facilities for the training and acknowledge our partner, the University of Engineering and Technology—UTEC, for supplying skilled engineering students who served as instructors during the initiative. Our mission is to continue inspiring the youth to pursue STEM fields using drone technology, and we plan to expand this program to more communities in the future.