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Mount Everett becomes one of the first federally approved educational institutions in the state to fly drones on the school’s campus

“This certification will ensure that we can continue our current course and extracurricular offerings, and it will also allow us to partner with community-based organizations that fly drones or model airplanes,” said Mount Everett Technology Director Chris Thompson.

Sheffield — Mount Everett Regional School is now one of the first educational institutions in the state to become a recognized identification area (FRIA) by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This means the school campus is now officially approved to fly drones on school grounds. This new certification will help the school district continue to expand its forward-thinking course offerings, providing students with opportunities to explore cutting-edge technologies and innovations.

“Our staff at Mount Everett does a fantastic job with staying on top of the latest technology,” said Superintendent Dr. Beth Regulbuto. “We want to ensure that our students have the choice to explore as many opportunities as they want before they graduate high school.”

On September 16, the FAA placed a set of safety regulations that work to censor where drones can and cannot be flown. Mount Everett Technology Director Chris Thompson became aware of the new regulations and made sure that Mount Everett was two steps ahead so that the school could continue its advanced technology offerings and ensure that the school could maintain its successful aerial drone team, which recently competed at a regional aerial drone competition.

“This certification will ensure that we can continue our current course and extracurricular offerings, and it will also allow us to partner with community-based organizations that fly drones or model airplanes,” said Thompson. “At Mount Everett, students can take an Aerospace Engineering course where they not only learn to fly drones, but also compete in the American Rocketry Challenge, learn how to use a flight simulator, and also work to build a 24-volt go-kart that they use to compete in a competition, located in Connecticut during the month of May.”

Program Coordinator Lindy Marcel explained further, “The new electric vehicle module is another example of how Mount Everett puts future-leaning technologies in the hands of students. This opens the door to the adoption of renewable energy, lighter-weight cars, Artificial Intelligence integration, and more. There are clear signs of where the automotive industry is headed, and we want our curriculum to continue to align appropriately.

As part of the school district’s mission to offer their students advanced college and career course offerings, Mount Everett plans to expand drone-related programming over the next few years. Students will be able to obtain professional, industry-recognized credentials, like drone construction site surveying and drone aerial photography. This new FAA certification means that the high school is now one of only 200 approved sites in the country to be certified by the FAA to fly drones.

“The district serves as a regional model as all staff have prioritized the importance of career readiness ensuring all students possess a solid post-secondary and career plan upon graduating,” said Berkshire Workforce Youth Program Director Heather Shogry-Williams. “SBRSD is doing a great job by making sure students can receive career development exposure and training through internship opportunities, and their new Innovation Pathway programs. The inception of the drone-aligned technical courses and offerings will certainly serve as a true benefit to further certifying students are equipped with the necessary technical skills needed within the region’s most critical industry sectors.”

A research brief released in 2021 by the Commonwealth Corporation stated, “According to employment estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 600,000 people work in STEM occupations in Massachusetts.” The number of STEM jobs is projected to grow by 7.2 percent in the next several years. The brief went on to state, “Massachusetts is among the states with the highest demand for STEM occupations, adjusted for population across the U.S.”

“The regional versus national average employment helps you understand if the supply of Professional, Scientific, and Technical services is a strength or a weakness for Berkshire County,” continued Shogry-Williams. “An average area of this size would have about 4,083 employees, while there are only about 2,975 here.”

For more information about Southern Berkshire Regional School District, please contact Superintendent Dr. Beth Regulbuto, bregulbuto@sbrsd.org.

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