Customer: Washtenaw Intermediate School District

• Location: Washtenaw County, Michigan

• Demographic: Serves multiple districts across the county, supporting a diverse student population through centralized programs, including Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways and STEM initiatives implemented across elementary, middle, and high school levels.

• School Profile: Student population: 727; student–teacher ratio: 17:1

• District Mission: To provide equitable, innovative educational opportunities that prepare all students for college, careers, and lifelong learning.

• Solution: NextWave STEM Drone (UAS) Pathway, a K–9, in-school program integrating hands-on drone instruction, coding, and career-aligned learning, with curriculum, teacher support, and CTE certification pathways (including FAA Part 107 preparation).

Case Study

Scaling a K–12 Drone (UAS) STEM Pathway

Washtenaw ISD × NextWave STEM

Summary

At Washtenaw Intermediate School District, STEM wasn’t the problem — fragmentation was. Like many districts, they had pockets of innovation but no clear throughline connecting early exposure to real career outcomes.

Partnering with NextWave STEM, Washtenaw ISD anchored STEM around a single, unifying platform: drones. They implemented a K–9 drone (UAS) pathway that integrates coding, engineering, data literacy, and career readiness into one cohesive system, with built-in support for teachers and a clear route to FAA Part 107 certification in high school.

The result: a scalable, drone-centered model for STEM and CTE that increases engagement, makes academic subjects tangible, and connects students to 100,000+ high‑demand drone jobs in aerospace, public safety, environmental science, and infrastructure..

The Challenge: Fragmented STEM, Not Lack of STEM

At Washtenaw ISD, STEM showed up in familiar ways: clubs, isolated projects, occasional tech integrations. Valuable, but inconsistent, and difficult to scale.

The district saw three key problems:

• No vertical coherence: Students’ experiences didn’t build on each other from grade to grade.

• Unequal access: Access depended on which school a student attended and whether a teacher had the capacity to run a club or project.

• No clear career pathway: There was little connection between classroom activities and real aviation or drone careers, or to credentials like the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

The district needed something more intentional. Not just exposure, but progression. Not just engagement, but outcomes.

The Solution: Anchor STEM Around Drones

The shift was to stop treating STEM as a set of disconnected subjects and instead anchor it around a single, unifying platform: drones.

In partnership with NextWave STEM, Washtenaw ISD implemented a K–12 drone (UAS) pathway that integrates:

• Hands-on drone instruction

• Coding and autonomous flight

• Engineering and data literacy

• Career-aligned learning and CTE certification pathways (including FAA Part 107 preparation)

Because drones sit at the intersection of physics, math, computer science, and engineering, they made it possible to unify instruction while keeping it hands-on and relevant. More importantly, they created a direct line from classroom learning to real-world careers.

Learning That Feels Real

One of the defining features of the program is how closely it mirrors real-world problem solving.

Students aren’t completing abstract exercises. They’re running simulations. They’re using drones to model disaster response scenarios, map environments, and test solutions that resemble actual industry use cases.

That iterative loop — build, test, fix, improve — becomes the core learning experience across grade levels.

The Student Journey: From Curiosity to Career‑Ready Pilots

The program was designed to grow with students, creating a clear progression from K–12.

K–2: Curiosity and First Encounters with Flight

In the early grades, students are introduced to drones through exploration and guided activities. They begin to understand basic concepts like flight, control, and cause-and-effect systems. At this stage, the goal isn’t mastery — it’s familiarity and curiosity.

3–5: Coding Drones and Problem-Solving

As students move into upper elementary, curiosity becomes capability. They begin coding drone movements, working with sensors, and understanding how systems respond to inputs. The shift is significant: students are no longer just interacting with technology — they’re controlling it.

6–8: Integrating Drones into Core Subjects

In middle school, students apply drone skills to more complex, real-world scenarios. They code autonomous flights, work with GPS and sensors, and use drones to model environmental monitoring, mapping, and public safety missions. The iterative loop — build, test, fix, improve — becomes the core learning experience.

9–12: Career-Connected Learning and FAA Part 107 Prep

By high school, the work becomes explicitly career-aligned. Students apply their skills to real-world scenarios and prepare for FAA Part 107 certification. What started as exposure now becomes a pathway into fields like:

• Aerospace

• Public safety

• Environmental science

• Infrastructure and construction

Expanding Access

A key priority for Washtenaw ISD was ensuring that these opportunities reached all students, not just those already inclined toward STEM.

Drones played an important role here. They’re inherently engaging, highly visual, and accessible without requiring prior experience. That makes them an effective entry point, particularly for students who might not initially see themselves in technical fields.

By introducing these experiences early and sustaining them over time, the district is not just teaching skills — it’s widening participation.

Learning That Feels Real

One of the defining features of the program is how closely it mirrors real-world problem-solving.

Students aren’t completing abstract exercises. They’re:

• Running simulations

• Using drones to model disaster response scenarios

• Mapping environments

• Testing solutions that resemble actual industry use cases

That iterative loop — build, test, fix, improve — becomes the core learning experience across grade levels.

Making STEM Tangible

One of the biggest shifts the district saw was in how students understood academic subjects.

• Math stopped feeling abstract. When students calculate trajectory, distance, or angles to complete a drone task, those concepts become tools rather than requirements.

• Science becomes something you apply, not just study.

• Engineering becomes something you do, not just learn about.

This kind of integration doesn’t just improve comprehension — it changes how students see themselves in relation to these subjects.

Expanding Access: Equity at the Core

A key priority for Washtenaw ISD was ensuring that these opportunities reached all students, not just those already inclined toward STEM.

Drones played an important role here. They’re:

• Inherently engaging

• Highly visual

• Accessible without requiring prior experience

That makes them an effective entry point, particularly for students who might not initially see themselves in technical fields. By introducing these experiences early and sustaining them over time, the district is not just teaching skills — it’s widening participation.

From Classroom to Career: A Workforce Pipeline Built Through Classrooms

What makes this model effective is not just the technology, but the continuity.

Students don’t encounter drones once and move on. They build on their knowledge year after year, developing both technical skills and a clearer understanding of how those skills apply in the real world.

By the time they reach high school, the connection is explicit. Certification pathways, industry use cases, and career exploration are no longer abstract ideas, they are the natural next step.

The drone industry is estimated to have over 100,000 high-demand jobs nationwide, with roles in inspection, surveying, public safety, media, agriculture, and more. By aligning high school coursework with FAA Part 107 requirements, Washtenaw ISD is helping students see a realistic route from classroom projects into well-paid, in-demand careers.

The Result: A Coherent, Scalable STEM System

What emerged at Washtenaw is more than a STEM program. It’s a system.

A system where:

• Learning builds over time

• Subjects connect naturally

• Students stay engaged

• Outcomes are visible

Most importantly, it’s a system that turns STEM from something students experience occasionally into something they progress through with purpose.

Outcomes

1. Coherent K–12 Pathway
   Students progress through a structured, cumulative learning journey, rather than isolated STEM activities.

2. High Engagement
   Drone-based learning significantly increases student interest and participation, especially among students who don’t typically gravitate toward traditional STEM.

3. Career Readiness
   Students graduate with:

   • Technical skills in drone operation, coding, and data analysis

   • Industry exposure across aerospace, public safety, environmental science, and infrastructure

   • Certification opportunities, including FAA Part 107 preparation

4. Scalable Model
   The program is:

   • Replicable across schools

   • Supported by structured, standards-aligned curriculum

   • Sustainable for teachers with professional development and turnkey resources

Key Insight

The success of this initiative comes from one critical decision:

👉 Using drones as the central organizing system for STEM.

Not:

• Robotics alone

• Coding alone

• Science alone

But a single platform that naturally integrates all of them.

Strategic Takeaways for Other Districts

A Playbook for Building a K–12 STEM Pathway

1. Anchor STEM Around a Unifying Technology

What it means: Choose a technology that functions as a platform, not just a tool.
Washtenaw’s move: Drones became the central organizing system for STEM, connecting coding, engineering, data, and real-world applications.

2. Build Vertically (K–12)

What it means: Impact comes from progression, not isolated programs.
Washtenaw’s move: Lessons scaffold from kindergarten through high school, with skills building each year toward career-ready outcomes.

3. Connect to Real Careers Early

What it means: Make the link between classroom work and real jobs visible and tangible.
Washtenaw’s move: Certification pathways (like FAA Part 107) and industry use cases make STEM concrete and show students where it can lead.

4. Prioritize Hands-On Learning

What it means: Engagement and retention increase when students actively build and test.
Washtenaw’s move: Students spend real time coding autonomous flights, troubleshooting, and optimizing systems — mirroring real operator tasks.

Conclusion

Washtenaw ISD’s program demonstrates how a district can transform STEM into a cohesive, career-aligned system by centering it on drone technology.

Through its partnership with NextWave STEM, the district has created a model where:

• Learning is applied

• Skills are transferable

• Pathways are visible

• Outcomes are measurable

This is not just STEM education.
It is a workforce pipeline built through classrooms.