Sarah Kemp, a science and STEM educator at Harlan Rowe Middle School in the Athens Area School District in Pennsylvania, wrote this piece for the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) sharing how FTW Robotics' Build Fly Code® program — combined with Amazon Future Engineer grant funding — transformed STEM engagement at her school.
"Our school was recently selected to become a part of a For the Win Robotics-Build, Fly Code Drones, and Amazon Future Engineer grants, which allows students to learn computer science and STEM skills through a variety of hands-on engaging activities. Through these projects, we have been able to expand our program and increase the number of enrollments in our current STEM and CS elective courses."
Expanding Access Through Grant Funding
The article describes how grant funding — specifically the combination of FTW Robotics' Build Fly Code program and the Amazon Future Engineer initiative — enabled a school that might not otherwise have the budget to access cutting-edge drone technology to deploy it at scale. Enrollment in STEM and computer science elective courses increased directly as a result. Students who had never considered a technology career pathway became engaged, curious, and motivated.
Kemp emphasized that the materials provided through these grants didn't just enhance the student experience in isolation — they actively promoted a more equitable experience, giving students who have historically been underrepresented in engineering and computer science access to the same hands-on learning opportunities as those in better-resourced districts.
The 4 Cs in Action
Through Build Fly Code, students practiced all four foundational 21st-century skills simultaneously: collaboration (working in teams to design and execute flight missions), communication (briefing teammates on mission parameters and outcomes), critical thinking (debugging code and analyzing why flights succeeded or failed), and creativity (designing novel approaches to mission challenges). These aren't abstract outcomes — they're the direct result of students working with real hardware in real time.
"As a former chemical engineer and seventeen-year science and STEM educator, I feel very passionate about providing opportunities like these to students to help ignite interest and encourage more female students to choose STEM and computer science career pathways."
A Model for Other Districts
Kemp's article serves as a direct call to action for other CSTA members — encouraging teachers nationwide to apply for both the FTW Robotics Build Fly Code program and the Amazon Future Engineer grant. Within a few years, the Athens Area School District had greatly expanded its STEM and computer science elective offerings, with drone-based learning serving as a gateway to broader career pathway programming at the high school level.
Sarah Kemp is a science and STEM educator at Harlan Rowe Middle School, Athens Area School District, Pennsylvania. She is an ambassador for the For The Win Robotics Build/Fly/Code program.