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T-minus 10, 9, 8, 7…Madison County High School's drone program is about to lift off with help from HireSmart Cares.
High school students will see the town of Danielsville from above the treetops in months and years to come as a new JROTC drone program opens their eyes to the latest in aerial technology and its applications in the employment world.
"I'm excited for them (the students)," said JROTC First Sergeant Francisco Ramey, who oversees the MCHS program with Col. Robert Stuart. "I know it's going to take off. It's going to be awesome."
Ramey and the cadets accepted a $4,000 check from HireSmart Cares after the MCHS Veterans Day program Nov. 9 for the new drone program. The 25-year military man and 10-year JROTC instructor in his third year at MCHS said the grant will make a big difference for local students.
"It (the grant) means support," said Ramey. "It means individuals out there really want to support our dreams and goals for our future. I've been to several different educational institutions, and it was the opposite. But support is outstanding here in Madison County. Everybody says, 'What can we do to help? What do you need?'"
The instructor thanked first-year MCHS principal Christy Epps for supporting JROTC and its newest endeavor. JROTC students chanted, "Dr. Epps! Dr. Epps!" at the check presentation ceremony and also roared when HireSmart co-CEO Mark Lackey, accompanied by his co-CEO wife, Anne, announced the $4,000 award from the nonprofit, which focuses on providing the next generation with an array of workforce development opportunities, such as learning about aerial technology.
"I talked with First Sergeant and said we'd be happy to support the drone program, and so I'm presenting First Sergeant with a check for $4,000, and it's for every one of you to learn a skill, whether it's in the military or private industry," said Lackey. "Drone operators are in big, big demand. You can create a whole career out of what you'll learn here and have fun doing it."
Ramey said 90 of the 139 cadets in the JROTC program and about 40 students who are not in JROTC have expressed an interest in participating in the drone program.
"If it (the drone program) excites them about coming to school, if it excites them about being in class if it excites them about possibly looking at another avenue of employment upon graduating high school, then we're just going to have keep pushing this thing," said Ramey, who envisions expanding the program to the middle and elementary school level in years to come.
An experienced drone operator, Ramey said he's consulting with existing JROTC drone programs to learn from them so "it can be a little more seamless for us." Epps secured a charter grant through the school system to purchase drones for the program. MCHS will use three levels of drones: beginner, intermediate, and professional, and start with 17 initial drones.
Students will learn a wide range of drone skills. They'll work as teams to run missions, using coordinates to photograph specific items. They'll pick up and deliver packages. They'll learn how to utilize grid coordinates, mapping, and programming. They'll see how math applies to drone operations.
"We want to teach them how to set up command centers and how to set up relays," he said. "It's going to be great."
A number of public safety services are using drones to quickly scout emergency situations to determine what response is needed. The First Sergeant added that potential jobs in drone operations are vast and growing. He spoke of aeronautical first responders, aviation applications, recreational opportunities, construction, real estate, photography, cinematography, firefighting, and information technology uses.
"This is not going anywhere," he said of the need for drone operators.
The HireSmart grant will allow JROTC to purchase replacement parts and drones when needed and fund travel for the cadets to learn about drone technology. Ramey spoke of a trip JROTC will take in June to the Florida Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.
"I'm trying to let them understand how the dots are connected in the aeronautical and aviation field," he said.
Ramey said the drone program fits into the bigger vision for JROTC, which he said is helping today's youth better themselves, feel pride in a job well done, and learn about all the opportunities they have to succeed while improving the world around them. JROTC teaches students about leadership, and Ramey said he's proud to see programs, such as the Nov. 9 Veterans Day ceremony, directed by JROTC students, not the instructors.
Ramey envisions a job placement program at the high school. He loves to see students learn new skills and return to Madison County to teach the next generation, and he anticipates that happening with the drone program.
"Let's get out of the mindset of the JROTC just being a military program," he said. "We're trying to teach life skills and help them find what they really want to do. We want to give them viable options."
The First Sergeant said the drone program melds in-class learning with the opportunity to get outside and view the world from new angles.
"I'm a hands-on learner, and I see that with these kids, too," he said. "That's why I always believe in, 'Hey, let's go outside. You should see this!"
