Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Wilson School District highlights JROTC STEM investment, cybersecurity and robotics programs; students to host regional RDL competition
Loading...
Summary
The board heard a presentation on a JROTC brigade STEM initiative that has brought over $100,000 in investment to Wilson High School — including roughly $50,000 for robotics equipment — and learned students will compete in regional and national robotics/drone contests; Wilson will host an RDL regional championship next year.
A district presentation at the meeting outlined a new JROTC brigade STEM initiative led by Wilson High School with partner schools in Boston and Connecticut, saying Wilson has received "over a $100,000" in investment for the program, including about $50,000 to buy robotics equipment such as drones and VEX robots.
The presenter described the program as a workforce pathway into cybersecurity and robotics and said funding covered technology, professional development, travel and competition costs for students. "This included meals, rental cars, hotels, and airfare for 8 students, 1 chaperone and myself," the presenter said, describing recent regional and national competition travel.
Chase Mittsdieffer, president of the cybersecurity club, said the club participates in two programs: the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) foundation, which focuses on VEX robotics and block programming, and the Robot Drone League (RDL), which emphasizes robot design, electrical and mechanical engineering and C++ programming. "Block serves as an excellent introduction to Python programming, giving students a strong foundation and opening doors to future STEM opportunities," Mittsdieffer said.
Students described hands‑on learning benefits in a question‑and‑answer exchange. One student said, "Robotics is truly an amazing program for all the students here. We get to apply STEM questions ... I truly have a passion in this field," explaining the program helped with wiring, coding and teamwork skills. Another student said learning to fly drones introduced new strategies and interest in pursuing an FAA Part 107 commercial‑drone license.
Board members asked whether the planned regional event and training pathways would be open to the public and how students could attain credentials. District staff said the program is partnering with Harrisburg University to offer a dual‑enrollment Part 107 FAA licensing course at Wilson High School and is also pursuing a pathway with Pitt University that could start as early as 2027. The superintendent noted the district is exploring use of Perkins funds to help offset certification test fees.
Superintendent Trickett praised students and instructors for the program's rapid growth and resource advocacy. The presenter announced that Wilson will host an RDL regional championship next year over Martin Luther King weekend and expects participation from schools across the Northeast and a few international teams from Germany.
The board did not take a formal vote on the presentation itself; staff described the session as informational and a preview of planned partnerships and testing of credentialing options.
