Vero Beach, FL (April 24th, 2026) … Youth Guidance hosted the 3rd Annual Florida East Coast Drone Competition on Saturday, April 18th, 2026, at Vero Beach High School, bringing together student innovators, aspiring drone pilots, and community partners for an electrifying day of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and competition.
From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the campus was filled with excitement as students went head-to-head in a series of four challenges, including the following:
- Teamwork Mission: Students worked as a team to navigate their drone through an obstacle course, completing various objectives along the way.
- Piloting Skills Mission: Students piloted their drones through an obstacle course with the goal of scoring as many points as possible within 60 seconds.
- Autonomous Flight Mission: Teams programmed their drones to complete an obstacle course autonomously.
- Communication Mission: Teams completed interviews with a panel of judges and presented their mission logbooks, which contained their strategies for the competition.
These challenges tested students’ piloting precision, teamwork, strategic thinking, and technical skills. Indian River County Superintendent of Schools Dr. David K. Moore addressed the crowd prior to the competition, highlighting the importance of STEM-based learning and the power of partnership between Youth Guidance and the School District of Indian River County.
“The collaboration between Youth Guidance, the School District of Indian River County, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County is exactly the kind of community partnership that transforms young lives,” Dr. Moore said. “When our students get hands-on experience flying drones and solving real engineering challenges, they’re building the critical thinking and technical skills that will carry them into future careers.”…