Drone racing to educate and advance math - dream

The National Science Foundation awarded Richard Bland College $998,348 on October 1, 2025, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to develop and implement the Drone Racing to Educate and Advance Math (DREAM) project.

The project develops math-and-drone integrated curriculum for undergraduate and secondary school students through three components: enhanced curricular design with collaborative research teams and instructional modules for college students; a mathematics and drone flight bootcamp to improve math confidence and outcomes for high school students; and a drone racing program to recruit and train students in advanced technological education. The initiative creates a new Uncrewed Autonomous Vehicle (UAS) certificate program as an emerging career pathway, integrating real-world drone applications into mathematics instruction. Research activities include pre- and post-assessments of math attitudes and STEM performance to assess the efficacy of the experiential learning environment. The project aims to increase student math abilities and preparedness, establish a leadership model around drone usage and technology transfer for faculty and teachers, and address workforce gaps in UAS and mathematics curriculum.

Performance occurs in Petersburg, Virginia. The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028.

Abstract

This project aims to engage regional communities in technical education and the workforce by contextualizing math using drones to increase math abilities and stem performance, and address gaps in the uncrewed autonomous vehicle (UAS) and mathematics curriculum. The project aims to assess the efficacy of implementing a math and drone experiential learning environment that includes drone racing, math and drone boot camps and the development of curriculum and educational materials to build stem abilities. The overall goal is to improve student learning with innovative programming and training components. IT aims to increase capacity at the institution by creating a leadership model around math and drone usage and technology transfer/replication for faculty, teachers, and students. The initiative is based on a workforce needs assessment model and has the potential to assist with transforming the socioeconomic foundation of the surrounding communities. The project intends to address recruitment and retention needs for a new UAS certificate to build UAS as an emerging career pathway to stem degrees, meet workforce demands, and to increase student confidence, preparedness, and performance in math. IT will integrate real-world applications, such as drone technology, into the curriculum. This initiative plans to develop math-and-drone integrated curriculum targeting both undergraduate and secondary school students through three main goals: (1) increase math abilities and preparedness through enhanced curricular design, including collaborative research teams and innovative instructional modules for college students; (2) implement a mathematics and drone flight bootcamp to improve math confidence and academic outcomes for high school students; and (3) establish a drone racing program to recruit and train students in advanced technological education. Research activities include pre- and post-assessments of math attitudes, stem abilities, and academic performance. The program also intends to measure outcomes through grades, course evaluations, student journals, and engagement metrics. This project is funded by the advanced technological education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.