East Orange takes lead in drone industry

EAST ORANGE, NJ — A cohort of high school recruits at S.T.E.M. Academy participated in a new drone certification pilot program that will lead to internships and possible jobs in a fast-growing industry.
The program, a partnership between the East Orange School District and Alpha Drones USA, is one of a few in the state where 16 and 17 year olds can obtain drone pilot licenses.

Five of the recruits were honored for passing the Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 exam, becoming certified commercial remote pilots of unmanned drone aircraft and were awarded a medal of distinction during their graduation ceremony.

Their peers are scheduled to take the test in upcoming weeks.
“Although drone usage is still in its infancy stage, it continues to rapidly grow in popularity, proving to be beneficial in arenas including agriculture, military, commercial, industrial inspections, and aerial photography,” said Anita Champagne, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the district.

Champagne said she heard about the drone program initiative which was sponsored by the mayor’s office, from Mark Cheatam, economic development representative at the City of East Orange.

Champagne said the school is exploring folding the program into an aviation focused curriculum, which is slated for roll-out in the fall.

The city partnered with Alpha Drones USA in a pilot trial to train 25 adult residents to earn their FAA Remote Pilot certification. The effort was to support the mayor’s workforce development initiative and ultimately advance job placements within the community.

“When I was a principal at Tyson Middle/High School we had worked collaboratively on other initiatives to advance job opportunities,” Champagne said. “So when he reached out to me expressing that the mayor’s office was hosting a presentation at the library, to introduce residents to the opportunity, I was on board. Right at the end of the presentation I met with Capt. Kelvin King, owner of Alpha Drones USA and Alpha Aviation, and invited him to my office to discuss incorporating the program in our school’s curriculum.”

With the launch of an aviation program close at hand, Champagne said the inclusion of a drone certification program would further enhance and round out the curriculum offerings.

“I wanted to replicate the drone program at the school level and give our students the opportunity to further compete in a 21st century environment armed with exposure to cutting edge technology,” Champagne said. “The program encompasses regulations/loading, airspace, weather charts, operations and procedures, and risk management.”

At the school level, S.T.E.M teacher Pedro Azcona’s efforts in the classroom were further supported by Andrew F. Flor, who is the chief operating officer of Alpha Drones USA.

Flor visited the students in the classroom several times each week to guide their learning of FAA rules and regulations and help them navigate the processes of licensure. Flor also hosted and spoke at the graduation ceremony.

Also addressing the students during the graduation ceremony was Kelvin King, chairman and CEO of Alpha Drones.

“The license you have acquired opens you up to a trillion-dollar economy,” King said. “You are years and years ahead of the competition.”

Following his remarks, Antoinette Dismukes, community resource specialist and drone coordinator for the mayor’s office of employment and training, spoke and offered further insight about the uniqueness of the program.

“East Orange is the first municipality to provide support for the drone initiative in the country,” Dismukes said, adding that $6,500 per student participant has been invested.
Kadar Robinson, 17, one of the students, said he has always been interested in engineering and likes the idea of making drones and flying them.

“I know the ins and outs of the drone now,” Robinson said. “I know what makes it work. In that way, I will be able to better operate them.”

The next part of the program will consist of the newly licensed students working within the City of East Orange’s SWEPT program, where they will participate in a paid summer internship.

“After successful internship and qualification, students will be offered a position as a drone contractor at Alpha Aviation,” Flor said.