Virginia Tech launches the U.S. Drone Soccer Program in Northern Virginia
Twenty Alexandria City Public School (ACPS) middle school students from Francis C. Hammond and George Washington Schools have spent 11 weeks learning how to build, program, fly, and repair a Saker DS200 “Bantam” drone soccer ball, gaining an understanding of the physics of flight and drone soccer gameplay in preparation for the U.S. Drone Soccer District IV Championship.
The U.S. Drone Soccer League is a turnkey aviation workforce development program that aims to prepare K-12 students for high demand, high-paying STEM careers and technical fields through an Esports and gaming approach. In partnership with ACPS and the U.S. Drone Soccer, the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus has launched the Drone Soccer League program for the Commonwealth to increase K-12 student, family, and educator awareness and knowledge of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), their applications, and related technology careers to equip all students as early as elementary school for the future.
“We are excited to launch the U.S. Drone Soccer program for Alexandria City Public Schools with middle school students and K-8 educators in Northern Virginia,” said Pamela Gilchrist, director of K-12 Initiatives at the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria. “We are committed to scaling the program throughout the Commonwealth to elementary and high schools in the upcoming years. This novel educational program weaves together STEM, modern world gameplay, eSports, collaboration, career, and technical fields intricately to equip youth for the future workforce and educate the public about the applications of aviation and technical careers.”
All activities in the Drone Soccer League are delivered by FAA (TRUST) certified K-8 educators, undergraduate students, and volunteers. This signature program is funded by Boeing, foundational partner of the Innovation Campus.
“We are excited to be hosting this drone soccer match, and to cheer on these students as they apply STEM skills in the real world,” said Christine Ramsdell, director of education relations at Boeing. “Boeing is committed supporting impactful programs like this to ensure all students have access to education that can help them pursue their dreams.”
The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus is the inaugural host for the U.S. Drone Soccer District IV Championship, National and International Championship for 2024 and 2025. Teams from the District of Columbia, Delaware, North Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia may compete in the District IV Championship. This year, the District IV Championship will host four teams from North Carolina and Virginia in the Washington Auditorium at The Boeing Long Bridge, 929 Long Bridge, Arlington, VA on March 16, 2024. The U.S. Drone Soccer National and International Championship will convene 13 domestic teams and one international team from Turkey in the Field House at the St. James, 6805 Industrial Rd, Springfield VA, on April 27, 2024. Press, volunteers, and sponsors should reach out to the University Communication Team and Program Director for additional information and visit the program website.
About the Innovation Campus and K-12 Initiatives
At the City of Alexandria and beyond, the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus is committed to inspiring, motivating, and preparing K-12 students for technology careers. We believe that starting in elementary school, all children should have access to computer science and STEM content and skills needed to thrive in the global society. Through cross sector partnerships, we work to transform K-12 education.
The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus' first academic building, opening in January 2025 in the Potomac Yard neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia, will feature designated space for K-12 Initiatives. Learn more about our campus and construction.
