Designed to expand Greenbriar’s existing robotics opportunities, the club introduces students to the rapidly growing world of drone technology in a way few elementary students have the opportunity to experience.

Led by Elementary Interventionist Evan Daniluck, with support from Technology Teacher Pat Staubach, the program challenges students to solve problems, think creatively, collaborate, and see firsthand how computer code can create action in the real world.

The team is also working with Music Teacher Blake Busch to explore future STEAM experiences that blend technology and the arts, including opportunities for students to create synchronized drone performances connected to music and rhythm.

Greenbriar students Earn Their Wings

Before taking flight, every Drone Club participant completes a drone safety course to learn how to responsibly operate both the equipment and the airspace around them. After successfully completing the course, students become officially “Licensed to Fly” and receive their own drone licenses.

The certification process reinforces an important lesson: with exciting technology comes responsibility. It also gives students an early milestone to celebrate before they ever launch a drone into the air.

From Graph Paper to Flight Paths

A typical Drone Club session is filled with teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking.

Students rotate through stations every 15 minutes, working together to design drone flight paths on graph paper before translating those plans into computer code on their Chromebooks. Once their programs are complete, students launch their drones and watch their digital instructions come to life.

Each flight becomes a new opportunity to problem-solve. Students analyze what happened and refine their code, adjusting variables such as speed, height, distance, and timing before trying again. The process mirrors the work of engineers and programmers, showing students that success often comes through testing, reflection, and revision.

At the end of each session comes a student favorite: “Free Flight.” Students switch from pre-programmed flight paths to real-time drone control using handheld controllers, giving them a chance to experiment and showcase their growing skills and confidence.

“Watch this! Mine is going to play a song,” exclaimed club member Fredy as he demonstrated one of the drone’s unique programming features.

Piloting the Drone Program

Greenbriar’s Drone Club isn’t just new to the school. It is serving as a pilot for the district.

As the first school in Washington Township to implement a comprehensive drone-coding program, Greenbriar is helping create a blueprint that could inspire similar opportunities for students across the district.

“Our team is most excited about the opportunity to pioneer a program that is truly unique and special for the Greenbriar student population,” said Daniluck. “We are eager to see the ‘spark’ when students realize their code can create a physical, aerial light show.”

Foundation funding provided Greenbriar with a classroom set of CoDrone EDU drones, technology designed specifically for educational environments. Students can begin coding with Blockly and progress to Python as their skills grow, creating opportunities for continued learning and exploration.

The grant also provided professional development for staff and access to standards-aligned curriculum resources. Together, these tools create a sustainable learning environment where students can build their skills through hands-on exploration for years to come.

Sharing Innovation with the Greenbriar Community

The Drone Club’s hard work culminated in a special performance during Greenbriar’s Grizzly Fest, where students shared their coding and flight skills with classmates, families, and staff.

The showcase transformed classroom learning into a community celebration and gave students the opportunity to demonstrate the results of weeks of planning, programming, testing, and teamwork.

Investing in the Future 

The Washington Township Schools Foundation’s investment in Drone Club is doing more than putting new technology into students’ hands. It is opening doors to experiences that might otherwise be out of reach, giving students opportunities to discover new interests and talents, and helping Greenbriar lead the way in innovative STEM learning.

As Greenbriar’s young pilots continue to code, create, and fly, they’re discovering just how far their ideas can take them.

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