Students leaned forward, eyes locked in, as a drone hovered over a tic-tac-toe board inside Ambridge High School’s fieldhouse.
Then it dropped—softly, perfectly—into a square.
The reaction was instant. Cheers, jumps, and a few raised arms as teammates celebrated sticking the landing.
That moment played out again and again across the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit’s new Build | Fly | Code program, where over 80 students from 11 schools gathered for a hands-on introduction to drone technology.
Set up throughout the fieldhouse at Ambridge High School, the stations ranged from obstacle courses to games like drone tic-tac-toe, giving students a chance to fly, code, adjust, and problem-solve in real time.
For Dr. Chris McCabe, who helped lead the program, that kind of engagement is exactly the point.
“It’s just a different way to teach students how to code,” McCabe said. “Hands-on application—that’s the important part.”
The program was made possible through a Pennsylvania Department of Education grant, which brought $10,000 worth of drones and equipment to BVIU. From there, it involved working in the classrooms of numerous school districts over the past two years. Expanding the program into this regional event involved collaboration and assistance from IU4 in Grove City, IU3 in Pittsburgh, the Ambridge Area School District, and local businesses.
The success of the Build | Fly | Code “live” event in Ambridge is a testament to our teachers in Beaver County. Their passion and dedication to current technology helped get the BVIU’s program up and running. Beaver County Career and Technical Center(CTC), Ambridge, Beaver Area, Beaver Falls, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Freedom, Hopewell, New Brighton, and New Horizon all participated in this inaugural event.
And while students were focused on flying, the bigger picture was never far off.
“It’s kind of the future with drone technology,” McCabe said. “We’re seeing it everywhere now—from hobbies to career paths.”
At one of the stations, students also connected with professionals using drones in the field—from aerial imaging to emergency response—getting a look at how the technology extends beyond the classroom. Representatives from Unmanned Response, Shell Polymers, Beaver County Emergency Services, and Angle of Attack Imagery volunteered at the event and highlighted how drone technology is being used not just as hobbies, but also as a potential career path. Beaver County Emergency Services demonstrated a drone equipped with infrared technology, giving students a glimpse into how the tools are used in search-and-rescue, surveillance, and public safety.
For Ambridge High School Technology teacher Zachary Dugan, that real-world exposure matters.
“Drones are probably a big step in the next phase of technology that students are going to see,” Dugan said. “All of these drones have the capability of being coded, so it introduces skills they can use later in life.”
Even for students with no formal coding experience, they were able to quickly apply this key skill at the coding station.
“I’m watching them do things I wasn’t expecting them to pick up so fast,” Dugan said. “They’re working together, helping each other—it’s really cool to see.”
Kristin Holmes, also a technology teacher at Ambridge High School, said the hands-on format gave students an opportunity they don’t always get in a traditional classroom.