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OSD receives grant to help add new CTE drone program for 25-26 school year

TVA logoOxford, Mississippi (December 11, 2024) — The Oxford School District Career and Technical Education (CTE) department received a $5,000 grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Bicentennial Volunteers Inc., a TVA retiree organization, to assist the district in adding a new Unmanned Aircraft System (drone) program for the 25-26 school year. Jivaro Jones, a co-author of the grant who currently teaches the Information Technology CTE program, will also be the instructor for the new drone program.

Jones said, “This is a pivotal moment for our new U.A.S. program. It will serve as a great supplement to the resources we already are fortunate to have throughout our district and community.”

Students who take the two-year program will have the opportunity to earn their FAA Part 107 certification, which certifies them as a commercial drone pilot in the United States. This allows students to move beyond being a recreational pilot to being able to work in an ever-growing list of industry sectors like real estate, agriculture, construction, law and public safety, environmental sciences, and many more.

Mary Martha Crowe, the Asst. CTE Director and co-author of the grant, said the new program is a great complementary piece to everything else going on in the district.

Crowe said, “Introducing a drone education program in the Oxford School District is a transformative step toward enhancing workforce development. By fostering innovation and hands-on learning, we're preparing our students to excel in a rapidly evolving job market and contribute meaningfully to our community's future economic growth.”

In addition to the numerous small-businesses centered around the use of drones in the workforce, Mississippi is home to several other large, national and international drone-aerospace companies and manufacturers, including HUSH Aerospace, Skydweller Aero, Ocean Aero, and Wispr Systems.

“This investment not only enhances their learning but also prepares them for future careers in this rapidly evolving field,” Jones said.

Dr. Duncan M. Gray