Community News

Up, Up And Away: Port Jefferson Summer Drone Camp Launches

Pictured: Port Jefferson School District students in the Drone Camp with teacher Robert Farenga.

Photo courtesy of the Port Jefferson School District

Earl L. Vandermeulen High School rising ninth grader Benjamin Better had some experience with drones in the past – he would use them in his backyard as a way to entertain his dog. Joining the Port Jefferson School District inaugural summer drone camp gave him an opportunity to advance his skills on more sophisticated drones.

Along with teacher Robert Farenga, students enrolled in the weeklong course have a hands-on experience learning about a little wireless technology and a whole lot of physics. The students learned about the mechanics and navigation systems that allowed them to check out the middle school/high school campus from the sky using the drones’ remote controls to direct their flight from the ground. They used the drone-mounted cameras to take photos and video high above the trees from the football stadium to the front of the building’s tennis courts. They then edited the photos and videos in the high school’s state-of-the-art technology lab.

The intricate engineering of the drones was an advantage in the entertaining and challenging relay races the students conducted on the football field. The collaboration and camaraderie among the sixth to 12th grade students have helped shape their interests in the ever-evolving uses of the versatile technology.

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