As drones have moved from fringe hobbyist gear to mainstream expertise, they’ve taken off in colleges, too. What as soon as was an extracurricular curiosity is now a core a part of STEM schooling in lecture rooms throughout the U.S. And into this house steps Drone Legends, a full-service platform promising to convey aerial robotics to college students from kindergarten by way of twelfth grade.
Drone Legends presents a variety of kits and curricula designed to show the whole lot from fundamental science ideas to real-time first-person view (FPV) drone racing. It’s formidable. It’s comparatively polished. But — for a lot of colleges — it’s costly. I spent hours digging by way of the curriculum supplies, analyzing the {hardware} partnerships, evaluating rivals and evaluating whether or not Drone Legends is well worth the price ticket.
My take: it’s probably the most complete choices obtainable, particularly for colleges that need to transcend one-off drone demos and construct a long-term, standards-aligned program. However it’s not the most cost effective, and it’s not for each classroom.
Drone Legends: What you get
Drone Legends isn’t one product. Relatively, it’s a set of academic applications designed for various age ranges:
Little Legends (Grades Ok–3): A narrative-based program targeted on teamwork, play, and early STEM publicity. There’s no drone piloting right here. As a substitute, youngsters comply with characters by way of themed challenges designed to show ideas like problem-solving and cooperation. (Worth: $2,999)
STEM Fundamentals (Grades 4–8): The flagship program for higher elementary and center college. This contains precise drones and missions that activity college students with fixing simulated real-world issues, like catastrophe response or environmental mapping. College students work in groups and use fundamental coding, important pondering and design abilities. (Worth: $5,499, although it’s modifiable with small or massive class choices)
Egyptian Expedition (Grades 5–8): A digital extension of STEM Fundamentals that brings coding and drone simulation right into a narrative set in historic Egypt. It’s preferrred for colleges that need a digital-only possibility or a budget-friendly add-on.
FPV Initiator (Grades 8–12): That is Drone Legends’ most formidable program. It’s designed for prime colleges and primarily constructed round actual FPV racing. It’s a precision drone pilot coaching course that culminates in dwell multiplayer competitions by way of the Unified Scholastic Drone Racing Affiliation (USDRA). College students use actual drones, fly in simulators and even compete in livestreamed races. (Worth: $12,500, although there’s a small class possibility for $6,499)
Why the highschool program focuses on FPV
The standout piece of the Drone Legends course collection is its FPV Initiator program, geared toward highschool college students.
Now I’ve reviewed many highschool drone applications. Some are generic to simply constructing drones or coding them to fly autonomous in a particular course. I significantly get pleasure from drone gentle present programs, the place highschool college students can really choreograph their very own customized drone present (provided by way of websites like DroneBlocks).
However few supply a whole curriculum devoted to FPV (one of many few others being DroneBlocks). And sure, devoting a whole curriculum to FPV is a no brainer for as we speak’s college students. FPV drone racing is gaining reputation quick, and Drone Legends has leaned into this with a aggressive benefit: a structured path from classroom studying to national-level scholar leagues.
Via the Drone Legends FPV Initiator program, college students are outfitted with Orqa FPV goggles, controllers, and the light-weight NewBeeDrone AcroBee65 drone. These are legit racing instruments — the identical form utilized in entry-level skilled drone racing. College students additionally use Orqa’s free FPV SkyDive simulator to apply flying and race on-line in e-sports-style occasions. For colleges trying so as to add a high-skill, high-reward exercise alongside their esports or robotics group, that is arguably essentially the most turnkey racing curriculum obtainable.
Extra about Drone Legends prices — and when it’s price it
For academics on a restricted price range, the most important caveat with Drone Legends will possible be the price.
The FPV Initiator full classroom equipment, which incorporates {hardware} for 10 college students, software program, and the total curriculum, retails for round $12,500. That’s a steep funding, even by academic expertise requirements. Although, there’s additionally an possibility for smaller lessons obtainable for $6,499.
The STEM Fundamentals equipment begins decrease, however it’s focusing on a youthful demographic (elementary and center college for STEM Fundamentals, versus highschool for FPV Initiator). Nonetheless that one prices $5,500.
The upside? All the pieces is included, from lesson plans to flight gear. For a college seeking to roll out a multi-year drone curriculum with aggressive racing choices, this can be a one-stop store. However for smaller applications, or colleges testing the waters, the up-front price may be prohibitive.
What’s new with Drone Legends? A Half 107 prep course
Drone Legends is continually evolving, and its new, classroom-ready Federal Aviation Administration Half 107 Distant Pilot Examination Prep curriculum is proof of that. Passing that examination provides you the license you should legally fly drones commercially.
In contrast to many Half 107 on-line check prep programs, this one is designed for in-person use, with group actions to maintain college students engaged. It additionally contains quizzes, mini exams and a full-length apply check, alongside printable supplies and Google Types.
The Drone Legends Half 107 course comes included totally free with the FPV Initiator and STEM Fundamentals programs. In any other case, standalone college website licenses are $2,900 per college website.
Although taking the Half 107 check is barely obtainable to folks ages 16 and older, it nonetheless can work for center and highschool college students to given them important drone security and operational data — and to prepared them for once they flip 16.
How Drone Legends compares to different drone applications
Drone Legends is a number of totally different curriculums geared toward college students of various ranges, every tackling totally different topic areas.
And naturally, Drone Legends isn’t the one drone schooling recreation on the market. Opponents like DroneBlocks, Drone Cadets and CoDrone all supply extra modular or coding-focused experiences.
Drone Legends versus DroneBlocks
DroneBlocks is nice for instructing programming, significantly block-based and Python coding. It’s extra inexpensive and versatile however you may discover it lacks team-based curriculum depth that Drone Legends presents. Nonetheless, it’s possible the closest competitor to Drone Legends.
Like Drone Legends, DroneBlocks has its personal drone racing equipment, this one created in partnership with the MultiGP STEM Alliance. The DroneBlocks FPV equipment contains {hardware}, curriculum and racing simulation software program, plus registration for 2 groups to enter the MultiGP “Drones in Colleges” League. That equipment begins at $3,500 and contains 5 drones (so you might end up shopping for extra so every scholar can have one).
DroneBlocks additionally takes issues a step additional with different course choices. For instance, there’s a DroneBlocks gentle present equipment that features each the curriculum in addition to 10 swarm drones so you’ll be able to construct your personal drone gentle present. That equipment prices $7,500, although there are alternatives so as to add extra drones which will increase the value (the 90-drone equipment would price $58,000).
Drone Legends versus Drone Cadets
What differentiates Drone Cadets is that it leans into group engagement, management, and social-emotional studying. It’s a compelling program for colleges with sturdy youth mentorship objectives, however its technical curriculum is much less in depth.
Drone Cadets locations a heavy emphasis on making drone gentle reveals, which can also be enjoyable. When you’d reasonably make drone gentle reveals versus do FPV racing, Drone Cadets may make extra sense to you.
Drone Legends versus CoDrone
CoDrone is a strong mid-tier possibility, providing programmable drones with strong lesson plans. It’s not as wealthy in story or mission-based studying as Drone Legends, and doesn’t have the identical esports or racing integration. However, it’s seen success in some powerhouse colleges, together with Kentucky’s Kammerer Center College. In reality, their college students wrote a overview of the CoDrone (together with some professional complaints) for The Drone Lady.
CoDrone EDU is offered as a standalone drone for $249 every. Or, you should purchase an entire 18-pack CoDrone EDU equipment with lesson plans for $5,700.
The place Drone Legends suits into the combination
Drone Legends stands aside by combining all three: flight, coding, and competitors. It’s an excellent long-term choose as college students can progress by way of the programs as they become older. And that closing course is maybe essentially the most enjoyable, providing structured entry right into a nationwide scholar racing league with livestreamed multiplayer occasions.
Drone Legends: is it price it?
Drone Legends is without doubt one of the most thoughtfully developed Ok–12 drone schooling platforms we’ve seen. The supplies are classroom-ready. The drones used are sturdy and acceptable for college kids. And the combination of mission-based studying, simulation and actual FPV flight retains college students engaged and challenged.
That stated, it’s a severe dedication — financially and logistically. Colleges with a powerful STEM or esports pipeline will possible discover this program well worth the funding, particularly for the FPV Initiator observe. However in the event you’re simply trying so as to add drones as a STEM enrichment exercise or membership, you may be higher served by a lower-cost, extra modular platform like DroneBlocks or CoDrone.
I like to recommend Drone Legends for colleges which might be able to go all-in on drones — not simply as flying toys, however as severe instruments for constructing teamwork, tech fluency and future careers.
Enroll in Drone Legends right here.
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