Philadelphia students learn drone skills with police during spring break camp

Watch: Philly students learn to fly drones with police during spring break

Students at GW Childs School in Point Breeze spent the first day of Spring Break learning to fly drones as part of a spring camp, in partnership with the Philadelphia Police drone unit.

PHILADELPHIA - Students at GW Childs School in Point Breeze kicked off Spring Break on Monday by learning how to fly drones, thanks to a partnership between the School District and the Philadelphia Police Department’s drone unit.

Spring camp launches with drone lessons and career inspiration

What we know:

The event marked the start of spring camp under the district’s extended day, extended year initiative, said Dr. Debora Carrera, Chief Education Officer.

Students got hands-on experience with drone controls and learned about the technology behind the propellers and antennas.

What they're saying:

"This is the kick off of spring camp with the extended day extended year initiative," said Carrera. Fifth grader Tristan Ragin said, "It was hard it was challenging. We actually got to fly the drones." 

Sgt. Darnell Jessie of the Philadelphia Police Department’s UAS Operation told students, "You can be a very creative individual build your own drone. Start your own tech company. And use those drones which is what we do for public safety."

The day was designed to be more than just a fun break activity. Police and school officials hope it will get kids thinking about careers in robotics, aviation, engineering, and law enforcement.

Students see police drones in action and learn about public safety

Why you should care:

With live video feeds from the drones, students saw how the technology helps police respond to 911 calls across the city. 

The event aimed to show kids that skills from video games can translate into real-world careers. 

"It’s career exposure. So not only are kids having fun. And I love how the officer said it if you can play video games you can fly a drone. But they are really learning about how this can be a career to a viable career," said Carrera.

Local perspective: The partnership between the school district and police brings high-tech learning directly to local students in Point Breeze. For some, the experience was eye-opening. "I think I want to be a police officer one day to fly these drones.. not just to spy on people," said Ragin. "And you are basically helping people," Ragin said.

The event is part of a broader effort to recruit future police officers and inspire students to pursue technology-driven careers.

What we don’t know: It is not yet clear if similar drone learning events are planned for other schools or how many students may pursue careers in technology or law enforcement as a result.