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DETROIT, September 30, 2024 – Michigan Central, Newlab and CODE313 today hosted the second annual Youth Drone Demo Day, an immersive workshop designed to inspire and educate Detroit students about the exciting world of drone technology and its applications in aerial mobility, technology and coding.

More than 300 students—aged 7 to 17—from 8 Detroit area schools participated in Youth Drone Demo Day, engaged in aerial mapping missions and 3-D photogrammetry while experiencing firsthand the many transformative uses of drones across fields. Before taking the technology to the skies, the students learned essential safety protocols, as well as the fundamentals of drone assembly and repair. It is the first aerial mobility skill-building event within Michigan Central’s Advanced Aerial Mobility Region, since the region was established in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation in October 2023.

“By engaging Detroit youth to experience drone technology, we’re not just simplifying its complexities, but opening critical pathways for future careers in aerial mobility,” said Clarinda Barnett-Harrison, Director of Skills at Michigan Central. “Skills development is a core aspect of Michigan Central’s mission. As we strive to become a global center for mobility innovation, we must create the opportunities to attract both emerging and established innovators to Detroit, while also providing our community with the tools needed for the jobs of the future.”

CODE313, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing equitable access to STEAM education, offers local youth and families foundational skills through hands-on coding, enrichment camps, in-school and after-school programming and workshops to foster a highly talented workforce that meets employer needs. The organization’s drone curriculum works with students to show how drones are useful tools in a wide range of sectors and prepare them for future career opportunities.

“With drones there is still so much advancement and opportunity to come as the technology advances such as medical and food delivery, infrastructure and construction inspections, and even agriculture and search and rescue operations. It is important to expose our youth to these new career options they otherwise didn’t know existed,” said Bartel Welch, founder and executive director of CODE313. “Today we are demonstrating the possibilities of drone technology and hopefully piquing the interests of students to become drone pilots in the future.”

This year’s Youth Drone Demo Day featured indoor and outdoor hands-on learning experiences. Students explored the mechanics of drones, even assembling them piece-by-piece and learning how to fly them through an obstacle course that promoted precision flying. Drone-related work was also featured with demos showing how drones can be used in agriculture work for water testing or in the entertainment business. CODE313 also showcased their new Drone Basketball program, a competition sport that gives students a fun way to fly drones in a team sport atmosphere.

“Today we got to see a lot of drones and were able to learn and fly them ourselves,” said Ty’Juan Johnson, a student at the Academy For Business & Technology in Melvindale. “Using drones in our everyday life would be a good thing. We can use them to do a lot of positive things.”

Supported by local businesses like DroneWorks and FutureTech, CODE313 plans for follow-up workshops that will delve deeper into coding and drone programming. CODE313 is also hosting free Drone Pilot Certification Training for students over 16 years of age at Michigan Central as well as a 10-week Introduction to Drones camp for ages 12-15 years. More information can be found at http://code313detroit.org/upcoming-events .

Photos from Youth Drone Demo Day can be found by clicking here to access the Asset Library.

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About Michigan Central

Michigan Central is a 30-acre technology and cultural hub in Detroit, where leaders, thinkers, communities, and creators come together to accelerate bold ideas and technologies that shape our collective future. By providing access to world-class infrastructure, tools, and resources, Michigan Central inspires innovators and community members to collaborate on real, ground-breaking solutions to global problems. Since opening in April 2023, Michigan Central has grown into a diverse ecosystem of more than 600 employees from over 100 companies and startups working at the intersection of mobility and society. Learn more at Michigan Central.

About Newlab

Newlab is a global venture platform for critical technology startups building our sustainable future. Newlab helps startups commercialize faster by aligning infrastructure, pilots, and capital in locations with strategic advantages. Newlab operates 3 innovation hubs, as well as active programming in additional regions. To date, Newlab has partnered with over 50 industry and government leaders; and supported its 300+ member companies in raising over $5.8B from venture capital firms, with over $2.3B of successful exits and a collective valuation of over $20B. Visit http://www.newlab.com to learn more.