Unmanned Safety Institute Launches Drone STEM Curriculum Program for High School & Colleges

March 30, 2017
The program provides teacher credentialing and all course materials, including a 400-page academic textbook, to secondary educational institutions throughout the United States.

The Unmanned Safety Institute, the leading provider of Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum and industry certifications to students interested in a career as professional remote pilots, announced today at the National Science Teacher Association’s National Conference, that it has launched a major CTE workforce development initiative in conjunction with high schools and colleges throughout the United States.

The program provides teacher credentialing and all course materials, including a 400-page academic textbook, to secondary educational institutions throughout the United States.  Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to take USI’s credentialing exam leading to the Small UAS Safety Certification™, an industry certification demonstrating expertise as a professional remote pilot and making them highly qualified for careers in the burgeoning industry of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as “drones.”

In August 2016, the FAA placed into effect 14 CFR Part 107 governing the widespread use of UAS for commercial purposes.  Since then, businesses around the United States have discovered and realized tremendous benefits in utilizing this advanced technology from a cost-savings, time-efficiency, and personnel safety approach.  The rapid proliferation of commercial drones has created tremendous demand for hundreds of thousands of new jobs and the FAA estimates there could be as many as 2.3 million licensed drone pilots by 2020.

USI already boasts a network of nearly 100 USI Certified Instructors™ throughout the United States who have already educated thousands of students to its Small UAS Safety Certification™.  Many enterprises and organizations around the world trust USI to deliver high-quality remote pilot training & certification to ensure they operate to USI’s elite standards.

The curriculum comprises four college-equivalent courses totaling over 150 hours of instruction and addresses key topics such as:

  • Foundations of Unmanned Aviation
  • Robotics
  • Data Links
  • UAS Command and Control
  • Payloads
  • Meteorology & the Elements
  • Small UAS Applications
  • Rules & Regulations (FAA)
  • Airspace Operations
  • Human Factors
  • Crew Resource Management
  • Aeronautical Decision-making
  • Safety Management Systems
  • Safety Risk Management
  • Safety Assurance
  • Safety Promotion
  • Professionalism

“The Unmanned Safety Institute is proud to announce the launch of its national CTE education program supporting teachers and students in secondary education programs across the country,” said Aaron Greenwald, President at USI.  “We are honored to have the privilege of supporting education partners in preparing promising young students for high-paying careers in unmanned aviation,” remarked Greenwald.

USI’s education program, now in its third year, has been tremendously successful in the State of Florida, achieving statewide articulation with the Department of Education and having grown to 95 high schools educating over 2,500 students.  The program is rapidly expanding to new schools throughout the United States and in place in several countries throughout the world, and is widely recognized by the UAS industry as the most comprehensive curriculum of its kind preparing students for high-skill and high-wage jobs.

About USI:

The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) is the industry’s most widely recognized leader in flight safety solutions for individuals, enterprises, and organizations focused on integrating and operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for civil or commercial purposes. The Unmanned Safety Institute, widely recognized as “best-in-class” provides UAS flight safety training and certification to operational standards based on the adoption and modification of time-honored aviation safety practices.

USI is a portfolio company of ARGUS International, Inc., and is headquartered in Orlando, FL with safety assurance offices in Denver, CO. Founded in 1995, ARGUS International is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, and actively engaged with business activities in North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and the Middle East and Africa.

To learn more about USI, please visit www.UnmannedSafetyInstitute.org or call 1-877-535-SAFE (7233).